Denada and her orangutan
Denada and her orangutan
From Media Indonesia
A news item in Media Indonesia, on March 25, informed readers that Denada is keeping an orangutan as a pet, which goes by the name of Bejo. The article did not explain, though, if Denada has a license to keep an orangutan. If Denada is really keeping an orangutan without a license, she is breaking the law.
Orangutans are a protected species which are listed in the CITES Appendix I (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), which states that trading these animals is not allowed. They only may be used for scientific research, which is only valid if supported by a special license.
Aside from that, the orangutan has been categorized, in the IUCN Red Data Book, as a "vulnerable species" (highly endangered species whose numbers could dwindle by 10 percent within a century).
The Indonesian government mentioned them in their list of protected species in a decree by the Ministry of Forestry, No.301/Kpts-II/1991, dated June 10, 1991. This rule explicitly mentions that people wanting to keep an orangutan have to obtain a license from the Directorate General of Forestry after first obtaining permission from the Minister of Forestry.
If Denada's orangutan is kept without a license, her many fans would certainly regret the act. What would happen if her fans followed in her footsteps? The number of orangutans in the wild are decreasing fast because of the loss of forest habitat.
If Denada has a lot of young fans, it might be nice if she could become a spokesperson and show "her love for nature". As an example, a true animal lover would give back his or her pet to its natural environment. We are unable to simulate their habitat in our backyard. Instead, we just cage them up. We hope that Denada will start a "green" movement among the Indonesian public.
Pet owners have to keep in mind that it is very hard to return a caged animal back to its original habitat. These animals adapt to a captured life and are unable to sustain themselves in the wild. The survival rate of captured animals returned to their original environment is very poor.
We hope that Denada has an official license to keep an orangutan. One of our orangutan experts doubts if a license has ever been issued to a person for keeping this primate.
AGUS PURNOMO
Jakarta