Chained Monkeys Being Sold For Less Than £4 In Bali

Warning: This article contains images which some readers may find distressing

The 28-year-old shot the pictures during a recent trip to the island in the market area of Denpasar and Bandung.

Monkeys can be seen chained up and locked to and inside cages, as they watch tourists pass by.

In others, some monkeys are seen wearing colourful outfits and being forced to perform - walking on stilts, riding bikes and wearing masks.

Speaking about the upsetting scene, Luke said people often buy the animals thinking they will stay cute forever, not knowing they will, eventually, become larger and more aggressive.

He said: "Long-tailed macaques are the most commonly found monkey for sale in Indonesia's markets.

"They are cute looking and easily attainable in the wild relatively close to cities. The demand is mixed.

"Some people buy the monkeys as babies, thinking they will stay cute forever, only to find them turn aggressive once they hit adulthood. Others buy them to train as dancing monkeys.

"These monkeys are often tortured to learn to stand on their feet like humans, being hung just so their toes touch the ground for hours, beaten and starved so that they ride a bicycle or stilts on demand.

"Once trained they are paraded at traffic lights and busy areas, where their owners ask for money after each performance."

The photographer went on to say that monkeys on sale usually live in misery and he feels so 'helpless' whenever he sees them chained up and caged or living in captivity.

He added: "Youngsters are left in small cages or chained up once they reach adulthood. Some lucky monkeys are bought by well-meaning tourists to be released or given to organisations but, despite being well meaning, this usually just fuels the trade.

"Seeing a monkey in the wild is a fantastic experience. Seeing them in captivity in the markets is a horrible feeling, seeing their sadness in their eyes, while feeling completely helpless as they're chained up is awful. Also knowing they are group animals and they are often kept on their own."