Endangered animals under threat

Endangered animals under threat

JAKARTA: Endangered animals in Indonesia are still under
serious threat due to increasing illegal hunting across the
country, an environmental activist says.

Hardi Baktiantoro, the coordinator of the Pro-Fauna
environment watchdog, said on Wednesday the animals were in
danger following the findings on illegal animal trade last year.

He said his team had conducted an investigation into animal
trade in Lampung, Bangkulu, Medan, Padang (Sumatra), West
Kalimantan, Papua, North Maluku, Makassar in South Sulawesi,
Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, Malang, Yogyakarta, Semarang and
Bandung.

The probe confirmed that thousands of protected animals were
traded every week via Lampung's Bakauheni seaport to Merak in
Banten.

The animals included the primate family of Hylobate
Syndactilus, Hylobate Sp, and Nycicebus Coucan. They were sold at
the Pramuka bird market in Jakarta, but many of them were brought
to cities in East Java and Central Java. -- Antara