An elderly man in Kampung Cheratin Lama, Malaysia, has trained monkeys for 48 years to support his family

▲ Elderly man Pakali makes a living by training monkeys to support his family, which includes his infant grandchild. (Photo by reporter Chen Tzu-yin, same below)

Reported and photographed by Chen Tzu-yin / Malaysia

When traveling to Malaysia, visitors often seek to experience the local culture. Following an off-resort tour organized by the resort, they arrive at Kampung Cheratin Lama, where in front of a traditional and unassuming house lives elderly man Pakali. It’s hard to imagine that this 67-year-old man has supported his family for 48 years with the help of just two monkeys.


▲ A modest house in Kampung Cheratin Lama, Malaysia, surrounded by several coconut trees, is home to elderly man Pakali.

Upon seeing visitors arrive, Pakali immediately calls over one of his monkeys, Salleh, to perform. With remarkable agility, Salleh climbs a tall coconut tree in under 10 seconds, twists a few plump coconuts loose, and one by one they fall from the sky. Though Salleh’s performance looks effortless, Pakali used to hold its hands every day to train it to twist the coconuts. Pakali says that once a monkey learns how to twist coconuts, the “coconut-picking” show becomes easy because monkeys naturally love climbing trees. The coconuts picked by Salleh are then split open one by one by Pakali for visitors to taste.


▲ Pakali leads nine-year-old Salleh, who performs the coconut-picking show when tourists arrive.

 
▲ In the blink of an eye, Salleh agilely climbs up the tree.

 
▲ Salleh “twists off” several coconuts from the tree; Pakali then splits them open on the spot for visitors to try.


▲ On a hot summer’s day, tasting a coconut picked by a monkey is a unique experience.


▲ The coconut flesh inside is also a delicious treat not to be missed.
 
Pakali’s family has only a limited number of coconut trees, so every morning from 9 to 10 AM, he must also go to an outside coconut plantation to harvest 100 to 200 coconuts to sell at the market. Only after selling them does he return home to do the monkey performances. Pakali laughs and says, “The monkeys can even perform opening coconuts—but it takes an hour.” To see the monkey performances, visitors need to book through the resort to arrange a visit with Pakali and his monkeys.

This kind of local cultural experience is truly captivating. Seeing Pakali is like meeting the simple and sincere folks in Taiwan’s countryside. He shares his story: “When I was young, I couldn’t find much work, so I started training monkeys as a way to make a living. I ended up falling in love with the job, and got better and better at it. It’s been 48 years now!”

In Malaysia, training monkeys requires a license. If you’re caught doing this job without one, the fine is a hefty 3,000 Malaysian ringgit. Pakali is currently training a five-month-old monkey named Mamak. Generally, monkeys can start training at around two or three months old, and the species Pakali trains is called “Babpoom,” which is commonly raised in the town of Kamaman, Malaysia.

From June 22 to September 4, Club Med Cherating Bay Resort, in partnership with China Airlines, offers flights every five days, taking just four hours to reach this beautiful tropical rainforest resort. Travelers looking for a relaxing getaway should act fast to secure their spot.