# Crested Black Macaque — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Macaca nigra (Desmarest, 1822) — family Cercopithecidae*

> The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is a Critically Endangered all-black monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, threatened by hunting and forest loss; it became famous through 2011 selfie photographs, but copyright law does not protect the species from decline.

**IUCN status:** Critically Endangered — fewer than expected remain on Sulawesi  ·  **WARN range:** Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wallacea — northeastern peninsula forests

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| IUCN status | Critically Endangered |
| Range | Northeastern Sulawesi only |
| Appearance | All black with short crest; pinkish bare face |
| Social system | Multimale-multifemale groups |
| Fame | 2011 camera-trap selfie images |
| Main threats | Hunting; forest conversion; pet trade |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Primates
- **Family:** Cercopithecidae
- **Genus:** Macaca
- **Species:** Macaca nigra

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Critically Endangered
- **Population:** Steep decline — exact numbers uncertain
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2016
- **CITES:** Appendix II
- Viral selfie fame in 2011 did not reduce hunting or forest loss. Populations remain concentrated in a few forest blocks.

## Key facts: Crested Black Macaque
- The crested black macaque is Critically Endangered, endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, with populations collapsed from hunting and forest conversion.
- It is entirely black with a short crest and pinkish facial skin, living in social groups in lowland rainforest.
- Remaining populations are concentrated in a few forest areas; forest outside protected blocks continues to be cleared and hunted.
- In 2011 a macaque triggered a camera at Tangkoko and produced selfie images that went viral worldwide.
- Copyright litigation over the selfies concluded that animals cannot hold copyright — the legal outcome did not benefit the species or its habitat.
- Hunting for bushmeat and capture for trade, plus forest conversion on Sulawesi, remain the threats that matter — not the photograph.

## Critically Endangered on Sulawesi
Macaca nigra occurs only on northeastern Sulawesi. Historical range extended across more lowland forest than remains today; hunting and clearance have removed populations from much of the peninsula. Social groups need large home ranges with fruiting trees and sleeping sites; fragmented forest supports fewer groups and increases conflict at forest edges.

The Critically Endangered listing reflects sharp decline, not rarity of photographs. Tangkoko and other sites where tourists see macaques are not representative — animals there are habituated and partially protected, while forest elsewhere on the peninsula is cleared or hunted without the same visibility.

## Ecology and behaviour
Crested black macaques live in multimale-multifemale groups, foraging for fruit, leaves, insects and crops where forest meets farmland. They are terrestrial more than arboreal compared with many forest monkeys, which exposes them to snares and hunting dogs.

Short crests, all-black pelage and pale pink ischial callosities distinguish them from other Sulawesi macaques. Males are larger and carry larger canines. Reproduction is slow relative to body size — single infants, long dependency — so population recovery from hunting requires years of reduced mortality, not merely a protected area on a map.

## The selfie story, corrected
In 2011 wildlife photographer David Slater left a camera in Tangkoko; a crested black macaque pressed the shutter and produced several sharp self-portraits. The images spread online as the monkey selfie.

A dispute followed over copyright ownership, including a claim that the macaque should own the image. United States courts ruled that copyright requires human authorship — animals cannot hold copyright. The case consumed years of legal argument and fundraising unrelated to forest protection on Sulawesi.

The corrected framing: the monkey is a Critically Endangered species; the selfie brought fame without habitat funding or hunting enforcement. Viral attention is not conservation.

## Hunting, trade and forest conversion
Sulawesi macaques are hunted for bushmeat and captured for local pet trade. Black macaques are conspicuous and group-living, which makes them vulnerable to drive hunting and snares. Forest conversion for crops and plantations removes fruit sources and sleeping trees.

Protection requires enforced hunting bans in remaining forest, connectivity between reserves, and reduced demand for pet macaques. Tourist sites that feed macaques for photographs create dependency and disease risk — a separate problem from the copyright case but part of the same human interface. The species needs forest standing and guns absent more than it needs another headline.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes free, sourced species education, including where viral fame obscures decline. The crested black macaque is Critically Endangered on Sulawesi; the 2011 selfie copyright dispute did not slow hunting or forest loss — those remain the pressures that determine whether the species persists.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Crested Black Macaque
### What is the crested black macaque?
Macaca nigra — an all-black forest monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, listed Critically Endangered from hunting and forest loss.

### Why is the black macaque famous?
In 2011 a macaque at Tangkoko triggered a camera and produced selfie photographs that spread worldwide. Copyright litigation followed, but fame did not translate into species recovery.

### Can a monkey hold copyright?
United States courts ruled that copyright requires human authorship — non-human animals cannot hold copyright. The ruling did not affect conservation status or hunting pressure on Sulawesi.

### Are crested black macaques endangered?
They are listed Critically Endangered. Populations have declined sharply from hunting, capture and forest conversion across northeastern Sulawesi.

### Where do crested black macaques live?
Lowland rainforest of northeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Remaining groups are concentrated in a few forest blocks including Tangkoko.

### What threatens crested black macaques?
Hunting for bushmeat, capture for the pet trade, and forest conversion for agriculture and plantations. Tourist feeding and habituation add welfare and disease risks at some sites.

### What do crested black macaques eat?
Crested black macaques live in multimale-multifemale groups, foraging for fruit, leaves, insects and crops where forest meets farmland. The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is a Critically Endangered all-black monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, threatened by hunting and forest loss; it became famous through 2011 selfie photographs, but copyright law does not protect the species from decline.

### How long do crested black macaques live?
A precise wild lifespan for crested black macaques is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is a Critically Endangered all-black monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, threatened by hunting and forest loss; it became famous through 2011 selfie photographs, but copyright law does not protect the species from decline. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

### How big is a crested black macaque?
The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is a Critically Endangered all-black monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, threatened by hunting and forest loss; it became famous through 2011 selfie photographs, but copyright law does not protect the species from decline.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Macaca nigra](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12556/17948182)
- [BBC — monkey selfie copyright ruling](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40826388)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/black-macaque