Compassion in the Classroom: Macaques and the next generation

In this special International Macaque Week episode, host Amanda Yonica is joined by Vasanthi Kumar and Tanveer Khanam from STRAW India — a leading voice in humane education.

For nearly two decades, STRAW has worked to bring empathy into Indian classrooms, integrating animal welfare into school curricula, teacher training, and student workshops. In this episode, we explore how their work helps children build compassion from an early age — and why education may be one of the most powerful tools for protecting animals.

We also dive into their new efforts to include macaques in their programming — one of the most visible and misunderstood primates in Asia. By addressing common fears, cultural beliefs, and urban conflict, STRAW hopes to help children see macaques not as problems, but as fellow beings we must learn to coexist with.