In the forests of North Sulawesi, the yaki (Macaca nigra) is more than just a species. It reflects the health of the forest itself, its balance, the pressures it faces, and what stands to be lost.

Selamatkan Yaki began in 2007 from this understanding. As a brief background, the initiative was first supported by the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust through a collaboration with Universitas Sam Ratulangi in response to growing threats faced by the yaki and its habitat in North Sulawesi. What started as a research-driven response to the rapid decline of the yaki gradually grew into something larger, a long-term commitment to conservation that connects science, communities, and the future of Sulawesi’s forests.

As the organization evolved, Selamatkan Yaki was formally registered as Yayasan Selamatkan Yaki Indonesia (YSYI) in 2016. In 2021, the organization transitioned into Yayasan Kinatouan Pelestarian Alam Sulawesi to accommodate a broader scope of conservation work across Sulawesi.

For the last five years, Selamatkan Yaki operated as a conservation programme under the support and legal umbrella of Yayasan Kinatouan Pelestarian Alam Sulawesi. During this period, the programme continued to grow with greater focus and depth. Its community engagement expanded, its voice became stronger, and its role as a conservation initiative in Sulawesi became more clearly defined. Selamatkan Yaki also expresses its sincere appreciation to Yayasan Kinatouan Pelestarian Alam Sulawesi for the support and guidance that played an important role in the programme’s growth and achievements over the years.

Over time, Selamatkan Yaki has continued to be shaped by collaboration. Early research partnerships laid the foundation. Long-standing international support strengthened the work. On the ground, relationships with communities gave the programme its direction and meaning.

As this work evolved, so did the need for a structure that could fully support its future. Conservation requires more than commitment. It requires stability, accountability, and the ability to build lasting partnerships.

In April 2026, Selamatkan Yaki was officially established as Yayasan Selamatkan Yaki Sulawesi.

This moment marks an important step forward. Not a departure from the past, but a continuation with greater clarity. The journey from research initiative to conservation programme, and now to an independent foundation, reflects years of learning, adaptation, and shared commitment.

At its core, however, nothing has significantly changed.

The same operational team continues to lead and implement the work on the ground, bringing with them years of experience, local knowledge, and strong relationships with communities and partners. This continuity ensures that the foundation’s transition strengthens the work rather than disrupts it.

The yaki remains at the heart of the work. It is not only a species in need of protection, but also a gateway to something larger. Protecting the yaki means protecting forests, safeguarding biodiversity, and maintaining the relationship between people and nature.

Today, Selamatkan Yaki moves forward as an independent foundation with stronger foundations, deeper experience, and a growing network of support, both locally and internationally.

The People Behind the Foundation

Selamatkan Yaki is guided by a board whose members bring together experience, perspective, and a shared commitment to conservation in Sulawesi. Each of them contributes in different ways, helping shape the direction of the foundation while ensuring that its work remains grounded and accountable.

Together, the board supports Selamatkan Yaki in navigating the challenges of conservation while staying true to its mission and values.

Because protecting the yaki is not only about preventing extinction. It is about holding on to the forests, the balance, and the future that depends on them.

“Together We Will Save The Yaki”

The future of wildlife conservation depends not only on protecting species today but also on inspiring the next generation to care for nature. With this spirit, Selamatkan Yaki facilitated the Yaki Youth Camp, bringing together young representatives from senior high schools across South Minahasa for an immersive conservation learning experience.

A total of 48 students participated in the camp, representing schools across South Minahasa and became Yaki Ambassadors. The activity was organized in collaboration with the Education Department of South Minahasa and BKSDA North Sulawesi, highlighting the importance of partnerships between conservation organizations, government institutions, and the education sector.

The Yaki Youth Camp was made possible thanks to the generous support of Mandai Nature and Givskud Zoo Zootopia, whose commitment to biodiversity conservation and environmental education continues to strengthen efforts to protect the Yaki in Sulawesi.

The camp began with participants traveling to TWA Batu Putih in Bitung, where they spent their first night camping in the forest. During the opening sessions participants learned about conservation areas, primates and were introduced to Macaca nigra, the Sulawesi crested black macaque known locally known as the Yaki.

The following morning became one of the most memorable moments of the camp. Accompanied by experienced local guides of Tangkoko, participants entered the forest and had the opportunity to observe wildlife in its natural habitat. Seeing the Yaki and other forest animals directly in the wild helped create a strong connection between the participants and the conservation messages they had been learning.

The learning journey continued with a field visit to Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Center, where participants gained insight into the many threats faced by wildlife in Sulawesi, including illegal hunting and the wildlife trade. The visit helped students understand the role of wildlife rescue centers in rehabilitation, education, and conservation.

Afterwards the group continued to Pa’Dior Minahasa, where participants reflected on their experiences. These reflection sessions allowed them to share their thoughts after witnessing both the beauty of wildlife in the forest and the challenges animals face. The following morning focused on understanding the relationship between people and nature. Through discussions and activities participants explored how human actions can both threaten and protect wildlife. Participants also learned more about Yaki conservation efforts and the goals of the Yaki Pride Campaign. They contributed ideas on how conservation messages could reach young people more effectively in their schools and communities.

During the camp they also developed practical skills in public speaking and outreach planning, learning how to communicate conservation messages and organize awareness activities.

One of the most inspiring sessions came from Yaki Ambassadors from previous years, who shared their experiences and the impact of becoming youth conservation advocates. Their stories helped participants recognize their strengths and understand how teamwork can strengthen conservation efforts.

On the final day participants practiced delivering their own presentations about Yaki conservation. With growing confidence they shared what they had learned and how they plan to spread conservation messages when they return to their schools.

As the camp came to an end the participants left with new knowledge, practical skills, and a deeper connection to nature. Most importantly they returned home with a commitment to take action and inspire others to protect the Yaki and their forest habitat.

Selamatkan Yaki extends sincere appreciation to the Education Department of South Minahasa, BKSDA North Sulawesi, and the generous support from Mandai Nature and Zootopia for making this youth conservation initiative possible.

Written by Dr Sue Wiper – Programme Director Selamatkan Yaki

The Conservation Day at Dublin Zoo on July 26th, 2025, celebrating the critically endangered Macaca nigra – locally known in North Sulawesi as the ‘Yaki’, was an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From the moment Vicky and I landed at Dublin Airport and were greeted by Andrew and Emma holding bright “Selamatkan Yaki” and “Save the Yaki” signs, we knew we were in for something truly special. What followed was a whirlwind of 36 hours filled with warmth, passion, and genuine collaboration. By the time we returned to the airport, exhausted yet exhilarated, myself and Vicky simply looked at each other and said, “Wow, that was incredible.” It was more than an event, it was a heartfelt celebration of partnership and a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together.

Homecoming for Vicky

An Evening of Stories and Inspiration

Our visit officially began on Friday evening with a presentation to members of the Dublin Zoo team and individuals from Ireland who share a passion for conservation. Vicky opened the evening by sharing the origins of Selamatkan Yaki, explaining how and why it was established, and highlighting the core principles that continue to guide our work today.

I then presented a four-minute video we had prepared in North Sulawesi, capturing the progress and milestones of Selamatkan Yaki over the past 17 years. This was followed by an overview of our current programs dedicated to safeguarding the charismatic Macaca nigra and its habitat.

We were honoured by the presence of many supportive attendees, including Christoph, the CEO of Dublin Zoo, whose encouragement and participation underscored the importance of collaboration in conservation efforts. His involvement was a true highlight of the evening.

The Run Begins

Saturday morning began early as we prepared for the 3km Fun Run around the zoo. From our window, we could hear cheerful chatter and laughter as members of the Indonesian and Irish Association busily prepared for the day. Outside, the scene was alive with colourful costumes, the enticing aroma of Indonesian food being prepared, and a contagious buzz of excitement as Indonesian culture came to life in Dublin Zoo.

Over 700 runners gathered at the starting line, creating an electric atmosphere of anticipation. Andrew officially opened the event with a heartfelt speech, followed by words from Vicky and myself. We were deeply honoured by the presence of Ibu Sahabatun Donatirin from the Indonesian Embassy in London, who spoke passionately about the urgent need to conserve the Yaki. The opening ceremony concluded with Tumpeng – a traditional rice-cutting ritual performed by the Indonesian and Irish Association, symbolically inaugurating the Dublin Zoo Run.

And then, we were off, 700 runners making their way through the scenic zoo grounds, cheered on by enthusiastic volunteers. Amidst the excitement, I had the honour of presenting a Selamatkan Yaki T-shirt to Ibu Sahabatun, which she proudly wore as we took photos with Christoph beneath the starting line banner. In all the excitement, Vicky and I nearly forgot to run ourselves! Once we set off, proudly donning our Selamatkan Yaki shirts, we caught up with Nora, Christoph’s wife, and enjoyed jogging together through the zoo.

The run was nothing short of spectacular. It began at the Macaca nigra islands, home to 17 of these remarkable monkeys living in habitats that beautifully replicate their natural environment. From there, the route took us past giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, gorillas, and many more of the zoo’s incredible residents. Along the way, zoo staff and volunteers created a vibrant atmosphere, cheering runners on and fostering a true sense of unity and celebration.

Crossing the finish line was a moment of immense pride. Each runner received a medal handcrafted from recycled wood and coconut shell made by Manado Ecocrafts, a local enterprise in North Sulawesi founded by Henry Johanis. Every medal was individually crafted, with many in his village came together to ensure that each participant took home a unique piece of North Sulawesi’s craftsmanship. It was a small but powerful showcase of the talent and heart of Sulawesi’s communities, now shining on an international stage.

Celebrating Culture and Partnership

After the run, we joined the vibrant celebrations hosted by the Indonesian and Irish Association. They sang, danced, and shared their culture with joy and generosity. The traditional food prepared for the Dublin Zoo team was absolutely delicious, and it was heartwarming to see families from across Ireland embracing Indonesia’s rich culture while supporting vital wildlife and forest conservation efforts.

A particularly significant moment followed as we gathered for official photos to announce a major milestone: Dublin Zoo has officially become Selamatkan Yaki’s primary donor. This ongoing partnership is not only a celebration of financial support but, more importantly, a recognition of Dublin Zoo’s invaluable expertise, extensive network, and unwavering commitment to our shared mission. Their support strengthens our ability to engage with local communities, schools, and governments, amplifying the impact of our conservation efforts. As Vicky, Christoph, Andrew, and I walked together reflecting on this collaboration, it was clear that united, we are far stronger—our collective efforts magnified through partnership.

We were then given a personal tour of the zoo by Eddie who had worked with Vicky over 25 years ago. It was wonderful to see old connections rekindled and to witness the passion every staff member had for conservation. Everyone we met was enthusiastic about the program, genuinely proud to be supporting our mission, and it felt as though we were being embraced by an entire zoo family, celebrating this journey with us.

Being part of such a special day is a privilege we will carry with us forever. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who contributed their time, energy, and spirit to make it such a memorable occasion. A very special thank you to Andrew and Emma—your dedication behind the scenes made everything look seamless, though we know how much hard work it took to create such a remarkable event. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

I’m now back in North Sulawesi, our team has seen the photos, heard the stories, and the entire office is alive with renewed pride and enthusiasm. We feel privileged knowing that Dublin Zoo and the people of Ireland stand with us in the fight to Save the Yaki.

Our successful Yaki Pride Campaigns (YPC) have been supported by Mandai Nature for several years. They are holistically and strategically designed with the intention to trigger behaviour change in local communities, to evoke care and compassion and the internal wish to have less negative impact to the environment.

Our outreach in 2021 was limited due to the pandemic restrictions. Since 2022 we came back in full swing! Our yaki youth ambassadors from the 2021 were thrilled to finaly be able to spread the messages in their areas in Minahasa region. From small to big markets, they were proud to talk to the visitors as the yaki ambassadors about conservation and the importance of yaki. In addition to socializing through information stand and loudspeakers, they also distributed yaki-themed calendars, stickers, pins and magazines. The presence of our yaki mascot, Molay, also added to the excitement of the activity. Several visitors looked enthusiastic to see the yaki mascot, curiously approached to learn more and even took selfies.

Through info stands we reached over 3000 people by the end of March. From the data we had in 2019 in the preparation of the Yaki Pride Campaign, there were 15 traditional markets in Minahasa and some were shut down after the pandemic outbreak. We have covered 8 markets in Tompaso, Tondano, Kawangkoan, Langowan, Tanahwangko, Kakas, Langowan Lama and Mandolang. 11 yaki ambassadors from 2021 batch engaged with the market visitors, handed out sticker with the campaign slogan in local language “Torang Jaga Yaki Karna Torang Peduli” (We protect the yaki because we care.) and 2023 yaki themed calendars.

Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are common and inevitable in the areas like the Tangkoko forest, where the local community lives right by the border of the nature reserve and heavily relies on its resources and tourism. In the first half of 2022, we received an increased number of notions of yaki foraging on crops, as well as visiting the villages adjacent to the protected area. Through consulting with the Forest Conservation Community Forum (FMKH) and the regional Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), we realized that serious measures have to be put in place to be able to help the local people protect their source of income and assure the well-being and safety of the yaki.

Our locally active partners showed great cooperation, everyone helping to their best abilities; BKSDA as the governmental authority connecting the efforts and leading the meetings, as well as providing their own staff to help out with the deterrence of the macaques at the border, FMKH by sharing their opinions with us, advocating for understanding of the situation amongst the local communities and by providing members to be employed to implement the strategy, Macaca Nigra Project by sharing a wealth of their data on group home ranges and supporting another long-term monkey guard, and Wildlife Conservation Society with their data on the illegal activities within the protected area collected on their regular patrols.

Supported by Mandai Nature Singapore, we have employed another monkey guard, Ara, as well as two reporters on the damage done by the macaques, Gesman and Djonny, all long-term FMKH members, notable figures in the community, with broad understanding of conservation issues and approaches and most importantly, with care for people and the monkeys. We were touched by how seriously they approached their new role with passion, consistency and regular reports and updates on the issue. Particularly Ara, a senior FMKH member, took the monkey guarding with a big smile on his face, tirelessly patrolling the borders regardless of the weather and always happy to share the amusing stories of what our playful yaki are up to. Gesman, Djonny and Ara report trips of mostly individuals visiting the areas out of the forest, assuming these are mostly young males with an occasional alpha male joining them. They occasionally exhibit mild aggressive behaviour, but are still afraid of people and return to their safe homes when deterred. Macaques are amongst the most adaptive primates and sometimes even the local people are impressed of how creative they are when trying to find treats in the village or plantations.

The efforts are ongoing, but through regular engagement and coordination, we are happy to confirm the general attitude towards the issue has improved and that the visits of yaki seem to be reducing. We are optimistic to achieve even more, especially as this has also proved as a great opportunity to further collaborate with our partners.

Following the initial biodiversity monitoring surveys we conducted in 2018, we are now repeating the camera trapping efforts across the Yaki’s native range in North Sulawesi starting in May 2022. Supporting BKSDA Sulawesi Utara and Bogani Nani Wartabone, this survey will serve as an important repeat comparative to assess the status of the population and its threats. The surveys allow us to track the population and its threats over the time, meaning we can monitor own progress towards our mission of saving the Yaki!

We previously deployed 53 cameras strategically across the province within three months, with two teams composed of university forestry students, rangers, and local community members. This year we are deploying a further 63 camera traps with extra support of cameras from our partners Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park and Macaca Nigra Project. This survey will be finished in November 2022 and we look forward to writing up the results and seeing how the population are doing compared to previous years.

With the letter of support from the head of the Education Department of the Minahasa regency, the new Yaki ambassadors visited 23 junior high schools with a total reach of 2566 students and 119 teachers within three weeks soon afterwards. Still in the middle of pandemic, they did an excellent job delivering the talks and were creative in adapting to the situation and keeping the students engaged, which was more challenging as some schools had no electricity to have the power point presentation on, therefore most of the talks happened in the school yard. We are proud of the fantastic work of the new ambassadors and excited about how they can keep up their involvement with positively influencing their communities.

Finally, the ambassadors were invited to join an immersive trip to the forest of Tangkoko Nature Reserve to observe the macaques and the rich biodiversity first-hand. Not one of the new 27 ambassadors have ever been to the forest or experienced a wildlife tour before, which made them very excited about it.

Avoiding mass tourism and following the code of conduct in the park, we teamed up into small groups of three ambassadors and one SY staff, led by one local guide and entered the forest in the morning. The weather was pleasant, and it only took around 1.5 hours of walking in the lush forest until we discovered a group of macaques! Many beautiful endemic birds were also spotted, and they were lucky to see the bear cuscus and even the nocturnal tarsiers. They were amazed by the whole experience and went home with excitement for the next Yaki ambassador adventures!