Animals go on diet in leaner times<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Like their cousins at zoos across the country,
\nanimals at Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta are finding the economic
\ncrisis has taken a big bite out of their food allotments.<\/p>\n
The zoo's development and promotion manager, Nonot Marsono,
\ntold The Jakarta Post Tuesday that carnivores such as tigers,
\nleopards, jaguars and eagles now had to go without food for up to
\nfour days a week.<\/p>\n
\"We are trying to change their eating patterns gradually.
\nAfter all, they don't eat every day when they are in their
\noriginal habitat, do they?\"<\/p>\n
But he emphasized the 4,448 representatives of 312 species at
\nthe zoo are still in good condition despite the leaner diet.<\/p>\n
\"We have also learned that the animals have recorded no
\nreduction in their weight.\"<\/p>\n
Since April, the zoo has cut the daily meat supply for
\ncarnivores by 30 kilograms to 240 kilograms<\/p>\n
Only infant and adult carnivores that are pregnant, suckling
\nor sick are excluded from the dietary restrictions, he said.<\/p>\n
Before the crisis, the carnivores were not fed every Sunday to
\nkeep them fit.<\/p>\n
Nonot acknowledged that the number of visitors had sharply
\ndeclined in the past few months but gave no precise figures,
\nsaying the management would only release the data in June.<\/p>\n
Last year, the number of visitors reached 2.15 million of a
\ntarget of 3 million.<\/p>\n
\"I understand that the monetary crisis has badly hit people
\nfrom all walks of life,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The zoo's entrance fee is currently set at Rp 500 (4 U.S.
\ncents) for children and Rp 1,000 for adults.<\/p>\n
To compound the effects of skyrocketing prices of food and the
\ndecline of visitors, the zoo also suffered a significant drop in
\nfinancial support from the city administration, he said.<\/p>\n
The zoo's annual budget allocated for the 1998\/1999 fiscal
\nyear has dropped 68 percent, to Rp 1.7 billion from the previous
\nRp 2.5 billion.<\/p>\n
\"The money is used mostly for buying food for the animals and
\ntheir medicine,\" Nonot said.<\/p>\n
Considered among Asia's best zoos in terms of its collection,
\nthe 134-year-old Ragunan is home to several rare Indonesian
\nspecies, such as the Komodo dragon, Sumatran tiger and orangutan.<\/p>\n
Situated on 135 acres, Ragunan also acts as a conservation
\nsite, educational center and research facility. (ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/animals-go-on-diet-in-leaner-times-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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