Sahabat Satwa roars for foreign donors and volunteers<\/p>\n
By Maria Kegel<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Ragunan Zoo is quiet these days, and it's not
\nbecause the lions aren't roaring.<\/p>\n
The numbers of volunteers from Sahabat Satwa (Friends of the
\nZoo) have been disappearing since the crisis started, and they
\nhave taken with them the lively atmosphere that used to prevail
\naround their activities at the zoo.<\/p>\n
Expatriates have always played an essential part of the
\nnonprofit group at Ragunan Zoo since the group's establishment in
\n1990.<\/p>\n
However, the downturn in the economy and political instability
\nhave resulted in more expatriates leaving the country than coming
\nin, and that is worrying the remaining members.<\/p>\n
Inge Zein, a special advisor to Sahabat Satwa's board, is
\nespecially concerned about their departure from the group.<\/p>\n
\"It began with the crisis when half the expatriate members
\nleft and continued leaving without any replacements coming in. We
\nare now left with trying to find active members or members who
\nreally care about animals.\"<\/p>\n
Together with the then director of Ragunan Zoo, Linus
\nSimanjuntak, a small group of expatriate women formally founded
\nthe organization 10 years ago with a mission to increase public
\nawareness of Indonesia's diverse wildlife and to provide
\nadditional support to improve the welfare of animals housed at
\nthe zoo.<\/p>\n
Since then, foreigners have played a key role in helping the
\norganization achieve its work, with expatriate housewives making
\nup 90 percent of the active volunteers, and 50 percent of the
\n\"nonactive\" volunteers, or those who support the group simply
\nenrolling as members.<\/p>\n
But those were the old days. Now, there is only one expatriate
\non the volunteer force.<\/p>\n
\"We are really trying hard to recruit Indonesian members, but
\nthey are struggling in their daily lives with work and school.
\nAnd that's the difference: usually it's been expat wives who have
\nthe time, money, their own transportation, friends and
\nconnections with companies -- a whole network.\"<\/p>\n
She explained that big companies were a past source of funding
\nas they usually had a reserve budget allocated for environmental
\nprograms.<\/p>\n
\"And if we have a foreigner as a volunteer, perhaps from him
\nor her we can get a link to a major company.\"<\/p>\n
Donations to Sahabat Satwa have severely dropped along with
\nthe reduction in members, and Inge said there was no stable
\namount coming in now.<\/p>\n
And that is not good news for the animals which benefit from
\nthe mealworm and mouse-breeding projects the group helps
\nmaintain, or for the carnivores, including the endangered
\nSumatran tiger, who depend on the group's efforts to help the zoo
\nmeet the high cost of their all-meat diet.<\/p>\n
Since the onset of the crisis, the zoo has faced problems in
\nmeeting the cost of meat, which has also risen dramatically in
\nprice.<\/p>\n
\"It (lack of funding) is affecting the animals a lot, not only
\nwith feeding the big cats, but also the smaller things that are
\nneeded, such as building shelters for the animals and improving
\nanimals' enclosures. Even the mice, which are bred for the diet
\nof birds of prey and snakes, need cages as they reproduce
\nrapidly.\"<\/p>\n
She said they had lost money from all different sources,
\nincluding from various charity bazaars.<\/p>\n
\"We used to get a good income from them as we were the only
\nvendors at the socials, but now when we join them there is so
\nmuch more competition,\" Inge said.<\/p>\n
She said some donations go directly to the zoo, while some go
\nto the zoo through Sahabat Satwa. The most expensive things to
\nfund were the meat to feed the carnivores, and the vaccinations
\nfor the animals.<\/p>\n
There is also an urgent need to build cages and enclosures for
\nthe animals at the zoo which are not on display. These animals,
\nInge said, were dropped at the zoo by owners who bought them from
\nanimal markets when they were small and cute, but later found
\nthem unmanageable when they grew.<\/p>\n
\"At least 20 percent of the animals here at the zoo have been
\ndumped by owners -- that's a lot. That's why you can see the
\ncages are also overcrowded. Wild animals are not pets. People
\ndon't realize that animals grow up and eat a lot of meat, which
\nis expensive, so they bring them here but there are no cages.\"<\/p>\n
In addition, the group also helps the zoo's nursery where baby
\nanimals rejected by their mother are raised. They supply formula,
\nfood, towels and heating lamps.<\/p>\n
The zoo management, which works directly with the group and
\nlargely determines the ways in which it can help, wants Sahabat
\nSatwa to continue, Inge said.<\/p>\n
\"The management of Ragunan Zoo has been very helpful to us.\"<\/p>\n
Foreigners have also meant a connection with the media, as
\nwell as the international schools, allowing the group to educate
\nand promote a greater awareness of the zoo's inhabitants and the
\ngroup's functions.<\/p>\n
\"Reaching out to children is very important and we are now
\nreally trying to get into schools to give them information about
\nthe zoo and us.\"<\/p>\n
There has also been a noticeable drop in school tours, and a
\nvolunteer who has been the tour guide for visiting international
\nschools, Diana Ridgeway, is teaching Indonesian volunteers to be
\nguides.<\/p>\n
\"We need Indonesian volunteers to go to the schools as these
\nschools complain that we (the zoo) are so far away and to charter
\na bus is so expensive, about Rp 1 million for a full day,\" Inge
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
An active member, Jennifer Duginan Sugiyono, said it was just
\nas important to reach out to Indonesian schools.<\/p>\n
\"We are striving to reach the younger Indonesian generation,
\nas it's what stays here that counts. Expatriate students will go
\nhome where they don't have these problems in a developed
\ncountry.\"<\/p>\n
Not only do schools gain from the education and participation
\nof tours, but volunteers also benefit from studying the animals.<\/p>\n
A third year university student at the Bogor Institute of
\nAgriculture (IPB), Dila, 21, enrolled in the group on Friday and
\nparticipated in the leaf-feeding program for primates, which
\nstarted at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
\"I loved animals even before I became a student. And I am
\nbecoming a member of the group so I can feel closer to the
\nanimals and know that I am helping them.\"<\/p>\n
She learned about the group and its activities during her
\nparticipation in a two-week practicum at Ragunan Zoo as part of
\nher veterinarian studies.<\/p>\n
The bulk of current active volunteers are the younger
\ngeneration, whereas the older members are on the board, Inge
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"But they will soon be going back to school, and we'll have to
\nunderstand that (they won't be able to continue).\"<\/p>\n
Hopeless feeling<\/p>\n
With a dwindling membership and an unstable source of funds,
\nInge said at times she felt hopeless about the situation.<\/p>\n
\"It's been very sad for all the members. I've been here 10
\nyears, and the others for about seven, so we've witnessed the
\nwhole decline. Sometimes, I feel like I have to close Sahabat
\nSatwa because of a lack of active volunteers, which is the main
\nreason, but then I see the eyes of the animals. I also think of
\nthe incredible efforts of the founding member, Ursula
\nPangaribuan, who is a dedicated woman and gave all her time and
\nenergy to start this organization. I wouldn't be able to sleep at
\nnight (if the organization was closed).\"<\/p>\n
Jennifer added that the group was struggling just like
\neveryone else was.<\/p>\n
\"We're struggling for the animals. Directly or indirectly,
\nthey will lose the benefits (we give them), but it would be very
\nsad for the people to lose the opportunity to learn about them,\"
\nJennifer added.<\/p>\n
If you are interested in helping Sahabat Satwa, please contact
\nDevi at the Friends of the Zoo office at telephone\/fax: 780-6164.<\/p>",
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