Wildlife Guide · Sulawesi, Indonesia & Wallacea — northeastern peninsula forests

Crested Black Macaque

Macaca nigra (Desmarest, 1822) — family Cercopithecidae

A Critically Endangered monkey that became famous for a selfie it did not benefit from.

Critically Endangered — fewer than expected remain on Sulawesi

Crested black macaque with all-black fur, short crest and pinkish facial skin in Sulawesi rainforest

Image: AI-generated educational wildlife portrait — World Animal Rescue Network · AI visualisation, not a photograph

In brief

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.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated July 2026

The crested black macaque — Macaca nigra — is a forest monkey endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, entirely black with a short crest, long limbs and a pinkish bare face. It is listed Critically Endangered, with populations collapsed from hunting, forest conversion and capture for bushmeat and the pet trade. Remaining groups are concentrated in a few forest blocks including Tangkoko and other protected areas, but enforcement is uneven and forest outside reserves continues to shrink. The species became globally famous in 2011 when a camera triggered by a macaque at Tangkoko produced grinning self-portraits that circulated as the monkey selfie. A long copyright dispute followed over who owned the image; courts held that non-human animals cannot hold copyright. The legal argument obscured the biological one: the monkey in the photograph belongs to a species with a sharply declining population on an island losing forest — not a meme with a happy ending.

Critically Endangered — steep population decline

Endemic

Northeastern Sulawesi only

All black

Crest, coat and skin tones — pinkish bare face

2011

Selfie camera-trap images brought global attention

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Macaca nigra, BBC — monkey selfie copyright ruling .

Crested Black Macaque: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Crested Black Macaque
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

Scientific classification of the Crested Black Macaque
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Primates
Family	Cercopithecidae
Genus	Macaca
Species	Macaca nigra

Conservation Status

IUCN 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.

Did you know?

United States courts ruled the 2011 crested black macaque selfies could not be owned by the monkey — copyright requires human authorship — while the species itself remained Critically Endangered on Sulawesi.

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.

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How can I help save the crested black macaque?

There are three practical things that make a real difference for the crested black macaque — and the first is the one that funds everything else.

Fund frontline rescue

Back the partner-led teams, veterinary care and protection that reach crested black macaques where the need is greatest — WARN channels donations straight to that work.

Ease the pressures

Avoid the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buy wild animals as pets, and choose sustainable, habitat-friendly products — the threats behind the crested black macaque's decline fall when demand does.

Spread the word

Share accurate, sourced information about the crested black macaque. Wider awareness is what turns concern into lasting protection.

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Crested Black Macaque: Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help save the crested black macaque?

The most effective way to help the crested black macaque is to fund the frontline rescue and habitat protection that keeps the species alive — WARN channels donations to partner-led teams working where the need is greatest. You can also ease the pressures behind its decline by avoiding the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buying wild animals as pets, and choosing sustainable products, and by sharing accurate information to build wider support. See the ways to help below, or support WARN's Support Habitat Protection.

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?

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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