Sutiyoso to release his own deer in Monas<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso will have to donate some of his personal deer
\nto realize his wish to see the animals roam freely in the
\nNational Monument (Monas) park.<\/p>\n
The governor's deer are scheduled to be released in Monas on
\nMonday, after the State Secretariat failed to issue a permit to
\nrelocate 10 deer from the Bogor Palace to the park, as had been
\nthe original plan.<\/p>\n
A consultant to the city administration's deer project, Hadi
\nS. Alikodra, said on Thursday the governor would donate five does
\nfrom his house in Cibubur, East Jakarta. Another five deer will
\nbe donated by the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).<\/p>\n
Alikodra said BIN has promised two does and three bucks, which
\nwill be taken from the BIN park in Kalibata, South Jakarta, which
\nis home to hundreds of deer.<\/p>\n
The deer zone in Monas Park will be officially opened by
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri on June 5, in accordance with
\nWorld Environment Day.<\/p>\n
City Hall spokesman Ahyat M. Awe said that during the ceremony
\non June 5, the President also was scheduled to officiate at the
\nunveiling of a \"walk of fame\" -- a monument containing imprints
\nof the soles of feet of former presidents, former Jakarta
\ngovernors and distinguished persons.<\/p>\n
All surviving former Jakarta governors and presidents, except
\nSoeharto, will be invited to the ceremony.<\/p>\n
\"Soeharto is not invited because he is ill,\" Ahyat said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso hit upon the idea of releasing deer in Monas park
\nfollowing the completion of the controversial project to erect a
\nfence around the park, at the cost of Rp 9 billion (more than
\nUS$1 million).<\/p>\n
The deer project has been questioned by many people, who fear
\na crowded area like Monas is not a suitable home for deer.
\nSutiyoso has ignored the critics, saying the plan has been
\napproved by experts.<\/p>\n
Alikodra, an expert on the Javan ox at the Bogor Agriculture
\nInstitute, was hired by the city administration to coordinate the
\nteam tasked with preparing for the release of the deer in the
\npark.<\/p>\n
Alikodra corrected an earlier statement that he had obtained a
\npermit from the State Secretariat to relocate 10 deer from the
\nBogor Palace to Monas park.<\/p>\n
He did not explain why the permit had not been issued, but
\nstressed that the State Secretariat has agreed to the relocation
\nof the deer.<\/p>\n
He also would not comment whether the failure to issue a
\npermit had anything to do with a dispute between the city
\nadministration and the State Secretariat over the management of
\nthe Bung Karno sports stadium.<\/p>\n
Alikodra had said earlier that the deer from the Bogor Palace
\nwould be released in Monas on May 22.<\/p>\n
Five hectares of land, or 5 percent of Monas square, have been
\nprepared for the deer. Some 1.5 hectares of the land has been
\nplanted with grass expected to be the food source for the
\nanimals, which consume between five kilograms and seven kilograms
\nof grass per day.<\/p>\n
Trees have been planted on some 3.2 hectares of the land to
\nprovide shelter from both the sun and rain.<\/p>",
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