Deer project raises further controversy

Deer project raises further controversy

Arya Abhiseka and Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

More questions have arisen in regards Governor Sutiyoso's
controversial deer project for Monas park following the death of
a deer on Sunday, as city officials appear to have attempted to
cover up the incident.

The death of the deer was publicly announced only on Tuesday
evening.

On Monday, The Jakarta Post visited Ragunan Zoo in South
Jakarta and spoke with Hadi S. Alikodra, a consultant to the city
administration in charge of the deer project, to follow up on a
report that one of the deer, a buck, had been taken to an animal
hospital for treatment.

Alikodra said on Monday that the deer had broken its leg and
suffered heavy stress while being transported to Monas, and was
being treated at the zoo's hospital, but hospital staff rejected
the Post's request to observe the deer's condition.

However, head of Ragunan zoo Edi Setiarto revealed that the
deer had actually died on Sunday night from blood loss and stress
suffered during its trip to the park.

Alikodra insisted that his team had followed the proper
procedures in transporting the deer to their new home.

"I do not see that my team did anything wrong in transporting
the animals, and we have requested the zoo to replace our loss
with one of the zoo's deer," he said.

He also admitted that -- although he is the head of the team
-- he had only just learned about the death of the deer on
Tuesday.

Further, he said that although his team had tranquilized the
deer for the duration of their two-hour journey to the park, the
tranquilizer had worn off for one of the deer after only 30
minutes.

Sutiyoso's deer project in Monas park has been widely
criticized as the crowded park and noisy traffic in the area do
not provide a suitable environment for deer, which are known to
be sensitive animals that are easily distressed.

He said he was responsible for the death of the buck, "Because
releasing deer in Monas park is my idea, I am responsible for
the death (of the animal)."

There are currently 11 deer -- four bucks and seven does -- in
the 5.2-hectare deer zone at Monas park. The project plans to
release a total of 20 deer by the end of the year.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who has been said to
disapprove the deer project, is scheduled to lead a national
ceremony at the park to mark World Environment Day on Thursday.

However, inaugurating the deer's new home is not on her
official agenda, said a presidential spokesman.

He said Megawati's activities during the ceremony would
include planting trees at Monas and presenting the Kalpataru
environmental awards.

The President is also scheduled to officiate the unveiling of
the "walk of fame" monument -- a walkway imprinted with the
footsteps of former presidents, former Jakarta governors and
other distinguished national figures.

"The event has nothing to do with the deer," the spokesman
stressed.

Meanwhile, Sutiyoso had announced earlier that the President
would officiate the inauguration of the deer project -- one of
his ambitious plans to beautify the capital -- on June 5.