Bandung City Government and Forestry Ministry Extend MoU for Bandung Zoo Animal Rescue

The Bandung City Government (Pemkot), West Java, together with the Forestry Ministry (Kemenhut), has agreed to extend the memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the rescue of animals and the handling of staff at Bandung Zoo, which previously expired on 5 May 2026. Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan said the MoU extension is intended to ensure that the handling of animals and staff continues to run smoothly during the transition process of the zoo’s management. “So we will extend it for the handling of animals and staff at the zoo, and on 29 May we will already have a new manager,” Farhan said in Bandung on Monday. Farhan added that if the process of selecting a new manager fails to reach an agreement, the entire management of the zoo will be taken over by the central government. Meanwhile, the Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE) of the Forestry Ministry, Satyawan Pudiyatmoko, emphasised that the safety and welfare of the animals is the government’s top priority in handling the former conservation institution. “This decision is taken based on the main consideration of the safety and welfare of the animals, as well as the hope that the management of the conservation institution in the future can be carried out by a more professional party,” he said. Satyawan stated that the Bandung City Government will also continue to cover the payment of staff wages as well as utilities, such as water, electricity, and internet, during the transitional management period. “The central government together with the Bandung City Government continues to conduct intensive coordination to ensure that all animals receive proper handling, maintenance, and care in accordance with animal welfare principles,” said Satyawan Pudiyatmoko.