Apparently, everyone's favorite adorable "selfie monkey" is cute enough to eat—literally, in Indonesia.
The crested black macaque became legendary after one of them, Naruto, took a selfie of himself in 2011 and catapulted into internet stardom. Though approximately 2,000 of the macaques remain protected in one of the country's reserves, the primate is now critically endangered due to over-hunting, according to a new report from Seeker.
SEE ALSO:You can now take selfies... with your feet?Activists on Sulawesi island have been trying to convince locals to stop consuming the crested black macaque. The population has dropped approximately 80 percent in the past four decades alone. Macaques play a key role in Indonesian ecosystems by helping to spread seeds.
"I like the taste, hot and spicy, it is similar to wild boar or dog," Nita, a local from the area, told AFP.
Celebes Crested MacaqueCredit: FLPA/REX/ShutterstockFans of Naruto, now the mascot of the species, have responded with shock and horror. Of course, Americans eat and *enjoy* plenty of "versatile canned meat products"—are we really to judge?
PETA filed a suit on behalf of Naruto in 2015, claiming that the macaque owned his selfie because of the Copyright Act. The judge in the case ruled in January 2016 that the act did not apply to animals, even obscenely adorable smiling ones like Naruto.
It was, some speculated, a grotesque display of adorable animal-phobia.
Or, you know, just logical.
Hunting the macaque is punishable by up to five years in jail.
(责任编辑：時尚)
Singapore rolls out videoThe world's shortest railroad is making its teenyFrom 4chan to Gab: Where hate speech is thriving onlineChelsea Clinton calls on Trump to apologize for 'vile and wrong' tweetThis weird squid looks like it has googly eyes, guysOne thing's for sure: you're never too old to learn.
。Massachusetts woman Clare Picciuto turned 100 F
...[详细]'Mission: Impossible 6' shoot paused while Tom Cruise recovers
Mission: Impossible 6
。may just have been dealt a serious blow, in the form of Tom Cruise's on-set in
...[详细]MINI's new electric vehincle brings a charge to a classic car model
Mini is making big moves in the electric car world and is introducing a fully-electric concept vehic
...[详细]Woman stuck on roof in Houston gives emotional plea for help in live interview
In an emotional interview on
。 Good Morning America 。 on Monday, a Houston resident stranded on the ro
...[详细]MashReads Podcast: What makes a good summer read?
Summer is coming to a close and that means one thing -- last-minute vacations! 。SEE ALSO:'Ice Cream B
...[详细]You'll need to be trained in self
Many of us would give our eye teeth to bag a job with a £100,000 ($128,926) salary. But, this
...[详细]
We can hardly believe that it's been 10 years since 。 Superbad 。 first graced our screens.。SEE ALSO:Se
...[详细]'Mission: Impossible 6' shoot paused while Tom Cruise recovers
Mission: Impossible 6。may just have been dealt a serious blow, in the form of Tom Cruise's on-set in
...[详细]Make money or go to Stanford? Katie Ledecky is left with an unfair choice.
This is Katie Ledecky's world right now, and the rest of us are just living in it. Want proof? Ledec
...[详细]The Xbox One X is now available for pre-order. Sort of. 。Microsoft is doing a special limited pre-ord
...[详细]Old lady swatting at a cat ends up in Photoshop battle
iOS 11 vs. Android Oreo: No one cares who's winning