FEATURE-Indonesia sanctuary puts the beast back into animals
\nBy Lenita Sulthani
\nCIKANANGA, Indonesia, Aug 3 (Reuters) -<\/p>\n
Sanctuary puts the beast back into animals<\/p>\n
Lenita Sulthani
\nReuters\/Cikananga, Sukambumi<\/p>\n
Looking irritated, animal trainer Alen tries to ignore the loud
\nshrieks of \"good morning\" coming from white cockatoos in an
\noutdoor cage.<\/p>\n
\"Please don't answer them,\" said Alen, walking past other
\nexotic birds such as Javanese eagles and birds of paradise at an
\nanimal rescue shelter in Indonesia's West Java.<\/p>\n
\"We are training the animals to be wild here.\"<\/p>\n
The birds are among 1,300 protected animals in the sanctuary
\nrun by a non-governmental group trying to reduce Indonesia's
\nrampant illegal trade in wildlife.<\/p>\n
The Cikananga Animal Rescue Center tries to help animals
\nregain their natural instincts to allow their return to the wild.
\nBut if two Sumatran tigers awaiting a meal of raw goat meat are
\nany indication, Alen and his team face a challenge.<\/p>\n
\"Once we gave the tigers live goats, but instead of attacking
\nthe goats, they were afraid of them,\" Alen, who uses only one
\nname, said pointing at one of the sleepy eyed tigers, whose mood
\nappeared more like that of a house cat than a dangerous predator.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is home to some of the world's rarest animals and
\nhas tough regulations aimed at protecting them, yet the
\npopulation is dwindling.<\/p>\n
Although Indonesia signed the Convention on International
\nTrade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
\nalmost three decades ago, endemic corruption means environmental
\nlaws are flouted or ignored.<\/p>\n
\"It's difficult to get accurate data on how many endangered
\nanimals were being traded and smuggled from Indonesia,\" said
\nSuparno of ProFauna, a local animal protection group. \"Our
\ninvestigation shows up to 1,000 animals per year.\"<\/p>\n
Many of the orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Javanese rhinos and
\nbirds at Cikananga were illegally kept as domestic pets by anyone
\nfrom high ranking officials to business tycoons.<\/p>\n
The animals were status symbols, trained and domesticated --
\nthe white cockatoos can even utter greetings in Arabic.<\/p>\n
Getting them into the sanctuary is a battle both against their
\npowerful owners and bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Suparno said owners were rarely charged once animals were
\nseized. \"We have weak law enforcement here. They can easily buy
\nanimals again,\" he said.<\/p>\n
'Organized crime'<\/p>\n
Many endangered species are traded or smuggled for use as
\nhouse pets while stuffed rare animals end up in living rooms of
\nthe wealthy as house decorations. Many are smuggled abroad.<\/p>\n
\"It's difficult to stop illegal trading of animals. In this
\ncountry, it has become an organized crime,\" said Budiharto, a
\nspokesman for the Cikananga center.<\/p>\n
At the center, located in thick forest about 156 kilometers
\nsouth of Jakarta, animals go through a multi-step process before
\nbeing declared ready to return to their natural habitat, away
\nfrom the support of their human keepers.<\/p>\n
When animals are first brought in they are moved into
\nspecially designed cages that replicate their natural
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
They eat what they would normally hunt or forage for in the
\njungle, while human contact is limited. As their natural
\ninstincts develop, the animals are moved to a giant enclosure
\nthat also aims to re-create their usual environment.<\/p>\n
Run by local and international volunteers, the center relies
\non private donations and gets help from local people who provide
\nfood for the animals.<\/p>\n
One program allows donors to \"foster\" animals by providing
\nmoney for their food and other necessities.<\/p>\n
Budiharto said the center had been overcrowded for some time
\nas deforestation made it difficult to find habitats for some
\nanimals to return to.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has the world's worst deforestation rate and some
\nenvironmental groups estimate that a forested area the size of
\nSwitzerland is being lost every year.<\/p>\n
For some of the animals, like the exotic birds, being in the
\nsanctuary can be better than a return to the wild.<\/p>\n
\"It's not easy to release the birds. When we release them
\npeople are going to shoot them or trap them again,\" said French
\nvolunteer Cyril Blin.<\/p>\n
REUTERS<\/p>\n
GetRTR 3.00 -- AUG 3, 2005 10:19:11<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/feature-indonesia-sanctuary-puts-the-beast-back-into-animals-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }