before you visit the Ubud Monkey forest, pay attention to the rules. Don’t bring any kind of food, don’t bring any plastic bags with you and definitely don’t go rogue.
The village of Padangtegal owned Ubud Monkey Forest. Village members serve on Monkey Forest’s governing council (The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation). The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation has historically strived to develop and implement management objectives that will both maintain the sacred integrity of the monkey forest and promote the monkey forest as a sacred site that is open to visitors from around the world. Monkey Forest lies within the village of Padangtegal, which owns it. The village’s residents view the Monkey Forest as an important spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation center for the village. There are many points of interest.
The presence of forest is a demonstration of the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. In Bali, sanctuaries such as the Monkey Forest are usually in village areas, often surrounded by sacred temples. These cultural sanctuaries are not only an important part of Balinese heritage but also an important part of everyday life. It also a Temple festival held to. The Balinese temple is more than just a collection of pagodas and pavilions. The area enclosed by temple walls and the forest area surrounding it is sacred. These temples and the forest are essential for renewing contact with the spiritual world. The activities associated with these areas are essential in maintaining harmony between humans, nature and the cosmos.
The Trees of the Forest
The type of monkeys that live in the area of the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Monkey Forest Ubud), known as the Balinese long-tailed monkey, in scientific called Macaca fascicularis. In English called macaque.
There are about 600 monkeys living in this area. They are divided into 5 groups: in front of the main temple, Michelin, eastern, central, and cemeteries. Each group consist of 100 – 120 monkeys which: infants (0 – 1 year), juvenile 1 (1 – 2 years), juvenile 2 (2 – 4 years), sub-adult male (4 – 6 years), adult female (> 4 years), and adult male (> 6 years).
Because of the considerable population, the conflicts between groups of monkeys cannot be avoided. Sometimes for a specific reason, such as a bath to the river in the dry season, certain groups must cross the other groups’ territory.
This type of primate is active during the day and rest at night. The pregnancies of the female monkey are about 6 months and generally, 1 infant is born. Very rarely are twins.
The Trees of the Forest
Some trees consider as holy and use in various Balinese spiritual practices. At Majegan use exclusively for the building of shrines, or the Berigin leaves use in cremation ceremonies.
Pule Bandak, a tree that embodies the spirit of the forest. It uses in the making of powerful masks. These masks are only used inside the temple. An auspicious day is chosen and the Priest asks permission of the tree spirit to cut a small piece of its wood. The spirit thus remains embodied in the mask.