Agreement on tiger breeding signed

Agreement on tiger breeding signed

BOGOR (JP): The management of Taman Safari Indonesia, the
company managing the Safari zoological park in Cisarua, Bogor,
and PT Crown Pacific Jaya signed a memorandum of understanding
for funding on Tuesday.

The memo stipulates that the private sector firm, PT Crown
Pacific Jaya, will donate US$ 45,000 to the zoological park to
finance Sumatran tiger captive breeding programs.

The agreement was signed by Pesta Simorangkir, a director of
PT Crown Pacific Jaya, and Jansen Manansang, the director of
Safari Park at a ceremony here.

The zoo management said the donor, an international freight
forwarder, insurance, transportation and shipping company, is
concerned over the dwindling existence of Sumatran tigers. A 1992
survey found only 400 tigers left.

The Directorate General of Forest and Nature Preservation
appointed Safari Park as a center for Sumatran tiger captive
breeding programs in 1992.

At present there are nine Sumatran tigers at the park.

The park management is calling on more wealthy people for
donations to save the Sumatran tigers and other endangered
animals.

The Safari Park management also plans to do a study on the
artificial insemination of Sumatran tigers. (yns)s