It's not just tigers<\/p>\n
Of the countries of the world that are blessed with a
\nfavorable climate and a propitious natural environment, Indonesia
\nranks among those that are exceptionally rich in terms of plant
\nand animal life. Unfortunately, problems of all sorts -- both
\ncontemporary, such as population pressures, and traditional, such
\nas the poaching of animals for making aphrodisiacs and other
\npotions -- have been putting an increasingly heavy strain on the
\ncountry's rich natural environment.<\/p>\n
The need for conservation of this rich environment has been
\noften enough emphasized, both by the media, concerned groups in
\nsociety and by the country's highest authorities. Only yesterday,
\nPresident Soeharto remarked on the occasion of launching our
\nnational day to promote concern for our flora and fauna that
\ncontinuous efforts must be made to promote a greater national
\nawareness of the importance of preserving a healthy environment.<\/p>\n
Even so, the destruction of our environment has continued
\nunabated and may even be taking place with ever-increasing
\nintensity each year. Modern logging and encroaching human
\nsettlements are shrinking the natural habitats of various species
\nof wildlife that are already threatened by poaching.<\/p>\n
A sad example is that of the Indonesian tiger. Once known as
\nthe "king of the rain forest", the Indonesian tiger has been
\npushed to the brink of extinction. The Bali tiger disappeared in
\nas early as the 1940s. The Java tiger vanished in the 1980s. Now
\nthe Sumatran tiger is in danger. At least 14 of the 500-odd
\nremaining tigers on the island are estimated to be killed each
\nyear in the Gunung Leuser and Gunung Kerinci National Parks where
\nthey are roaming supposedly under protection.<\/p>\n
In the two decades spanning the years between 1973 and 1992,
\nfor example, more than 4,000 kilograms of tiger bones were
\nreported to have been exported from Indonesia. Data compiled by
\nthe World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows that about two-thirds
\nof tiger bones imported by South Korea -- which is believed to be
\nthe biggest importer of tiger bones in the world -- come from
\nIndonesia, which gives Indonesia the dubious distinction of being
\none of the world's biggest exporters of tiger bones and organs.<\/p>\n
Given all the efforts that have been made to stem the tide,
\none might ask why is the destruction of our environment
\ncontinuing at such a rate? One of the reasons, we believe, is
\nthat amidst our current development efforts, a sad lack of a
\nsense of balance exists. Or, to put it in other words, heavy
\nstress is placed on our human needs without enough consideration
\nof the fact that in the long run, it is the quality of our
\nnatural environment that will to a large extent determine the
\nquality of our lives. As WWF coordinator on species in Indonesia
\nRon Lilley said, conservation is always low on the scale of
\npriorities until something happens, like the recent floods in
\nJakarta. Then suddenly, people start to take action.<\/p>\n
At certain levels of our society, perhaps it can be regarded
\nas natural that people should be concerned first and foremost
\nwith the satisfaction of their immediate needs. Thus, elephants
\nand tigers rampaging in villages are nuisances that must be dealt
\nwith. Pressed as they are by the need to provide for their daily
\nneeds, the bigger context of the phenomenon will escape most
\nsimple villagers.<\/p>\n
No such excuse, however, can be made by the educated people
\nwho are in charge of decision-making and who oversee the
\ndevelopment programs at the center of government and in the
\nregions. First of all, a strong political will is needed to push
\nthe conservation programs through. For those who have the
\nknowledge and the authority to do something about the situation,
\nthe conservation programs must not be low on the priority scale.
\nAfter all, we all share the responsibility to leave behind a
\nhealthy, undamaged environment for our children and grandchildren
\nto enjoy.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/its-not-just-tigers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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