Children get into the spirit of adventure at camp

By P.J. Leo

CISARUA, West Java (JP): They were brimming with excitement at the prospect of the coming adventure.

"Kembara, yeah," the elementary school students from Jakarta, Tangerang, Serang and Cisarua shouted enthusiastically. The 25 students and their escorts were ready for adventure on Safari Kem, a program held at Kembara camping ground at Taman Safari Indonesia, which borders the Mt. Gede-Pangrango National Park.

Each time their adult supervisors shouted "Kembara" -- short for "nature conservation study camp" -- the children responded by yelling their approval.

The program, organized by Taman Safari from Aug. 19 to Aug. 20, was intended to teach children the importance of flora and fauna to humans within a shared ecosystem. However, it was not all serious. There also were various mental and physical tests in the Outing Adventure Games, consisting of a rope tower with various obstacle courses.

"The Safari Kem program this time is a little different from those in the past," said Taman Safari director Tony Sumampau. "In addition to camping and studying conservation, we invite the students to take part in an adventure course where they must cross a rope bridge at a height of six meters and slide down from a 48-meter-high tower."

Because the students had already returned to school, the event was held on the weekend, with the participants arriving on Saturday afternoon.

After a slide presentation on the country's endangered animals, the students gathered to make a bonfire. They listened seriously to a talk about nocturnal animals by a park warden, occasionally glancing over to the forest in the hope of snatching a glimpse of the furtive animals for themselves.

The cool night air, a strong breeze and the fact they were away from their parents did not sap the enthusiasm of the students. Although most of the group met for the first time in the afternoon, by the evening they were already firm friends.

"Well, you cannot turn down the cool air out here like you can with the AC at home in Jakarta, sir," said third grader Anand Syalendra Rambey to his supervisor.

The temperature was no problem for Hamden Bayu Ari Setyaji, 11, who is from Cisarua.

"It's cold, yes, but I'm already immune to air like this. I'm just so happy to have the chance to take part in Safari Kem and gather with friends from Jakarta, Serang and Tangerang."

Seven tents, both large and small, housed the participants during the night and protected them from the cold.

"It seems like our tent is the only one which is still noisy," said one child as the other occupants joked among themselves. "Think about the kids in the other tents, they want to go to sleep."

Adventure time

For those who did get a good night's sleep, the break of dawn was time to wake up for morning exercises. This was followed by a walk along a three-meter-wide trail in search of panther tracks.

When the morning conservation program was finished, it was time to get down to the real business of adventure. The participants were divided into three groups -- Lion, Cheetah and Frog. The children were required to play the parts; when a supervisor shouted "lions", students in that group would roar as if on cue. The same went for the groups of cheetahs and frogs, who would purr and croak when called upon.

Safety concerns were paramount, however, and the supervisors put the children in safety harnesses before they climbed the rope tower.

One by one, the children climbed the tower and navigated the Tiger Wall, walking across a rope 16 meters long. They continued through the Gibbon Walk, which was of the same distance, and then took flight on the Flying Squirrel, its height of eight meters two meters higher than the rope for the previous walks. The students did not walk, but slid at an angle down to the ground.

Some of the children were intimidated at first, but eventually came to love the experience.

"I was happy after passing the Tiger Wall and Gibbon Walk, but I got scared when it was time to do the Flying Squirrel," said Goldy Leonard, 9. "But my friends below kept on encouraging me to do it. I still felt afraid but once I did it, wow, it was so great.

"I want to do it again, but the supervisor said I must wait until all the others are done."

Next up was the Spider Way, at a height of 48 meters. The children climbed to the top of the tower and then slid down.

"It was like flying for real, just like Saras 008 but descending instead of ascending," Lala, 10, said, referring to a popular TV character.

It was a feeling shared by Gilang, 8, from Tangerang, who was able to participate in all the activities despite slipping and hurting his leg when he arrived at the camp.

As late afternoon neared, parents arrived to pick up their children. The children gathered one last time with their supervisors to tell their parents about their exhilarating experiences of the past 24 hours.

Safari Kem is still in its early days, and there are plans to add more activities, not only in conservation study but also adventures.

"The next Safari Kem program will be held during school holidays in October. If a family wants to camp here, they can do it on the weekend, with a minimum of 10 people, and we'll call it Family Kem," Tony added.

For more information about the programs, contact Taman Safari Indonesia (telephone 0251-253222).