Future of Tinjomoyo zoo a knotty problem

Future of Tinjomoyo zoo a knotty problem

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post/Semarang, Central Java

Jimmy, Choko and Chang reach their paws out through the bars of their cages as a group of visitors approach the orangutans. A moment later Jimmy is holding a Popsicle while Choko and Chang have bananas.

Such scenes are common at Tinjomoyo Zoo in the provincial capital, Semarang, despite the signs asking visitors not to feed the animals.

Most visitors feel they are doing a good deed by giving Popsicles, peanuts, bananas, corn and other food to the animals. They do not realize their actions can endanger the animals' health.

Located at the foot of a hill in Banyumanik subdistrict, Semarang municipality, Tinjomoyo currently houses some 150 animals, comprising different types of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles.

The zoo's giraffe died about six months ago after swallowing some plastic wrappers.

Even more alarming is the condition of some of the animals' enclosures. About 80 percent of the enclosures are in disrepair and some have had to be vacated because the walls were so badly damaged.

The run-down nature of many of the enclosures contrasts with the overall appearance of the zoo, with its 57 hectares of heavily wooded space and a small stream passing through the area.

Geographically, Tinjomoyo is ideal for recreation. An asphalt road passes through the area, making it possible for visitors to get to the heart of the zoo or travel around it in cars or on motorcycles. It is like a safari park.

Yet, the municipal government's goal to turn Tinjomoyo into a safari park remains elusive. Since it was moved from Tegal Wareng on Jl. Sriwijaya in 1985, the zoo's management has had to deal with a number of challenges.

The zoo's buildings and enclosures, constructed from brick and cement, usually do not last more than a year before they start cracking and the roofs begin to leak.

It is the same for the road that passes through the zoo, which continues to crack or subside due to the unstable soil.

"The basins and the pools also crack and leak, so we are too busy handling these 'natural disasters' rather than looking after the animals or developing other tourist attractions here," a member of the zoo's management, Kusyanto, told The Jakarta Post recently.

A study conducted by researchers from Diponegoro University (UNDIP) in Semarang determined that the zoo was indeed located on unstable soil that was continually shifting.

That accounts for why the permanent buildings built from brick and cement do not last long.

"We routinely fix the damage, especially in the animal enclosures. But a few months later they begin to crack again. We allocate Rp 30 million a year just for this work," the head of the Semarang Municipal Tourism and Culture Agency, Agus Sudarmadji, said.

Agus also said that in 1997 a team from UNDIP conducted a study on how to better maintain the zoo at Tinjomoyo. The study revealed that the buildings could be made more resistant to cracking by using special foundation models.

"But it is very costly. According to UNDIP's calculation at the time, it would cost some Rp 12.8 billion, or about Rp 44.9 billion today," said Agus.

This situation led to the idea of developing Tinjomoyo into a protected forest and a place to breed deer, with the zoo being relocated to Wonosari village, Ngaliyan subdistrict, across from the Mangkang bus station.

"We have moved the birds there. We plan to make the move in stages. We do not want to repeat the Medan experience," said Kusyanto, referring to an incident in Medan in which many animals died while being moved.

The management plans to finish moving all of the animals to the new site before Idul Fitri this year, during which visitor numbers to the zoo usually peak.

With tickets costing Rp 1,750 per person on weekdays and Rp 3,250 per person during holidays, the zoo has had no trouble reaching its revenue target of Rp 150 million a year.

Once the zoo has been completely moved to the new site, it is expected that profit will increase because there will be no more costly repairs on buildings and animal enclosures.

The plan, however, has been criticized by some, including Benny Danang Setianto, a lecturer on the environment at Soegijapranata Catholic University Semarang.

"The reason the zoo was moved from Tegal Wareng to Tinjomoyo was because Tegal Wareng was considered too busy because it was near a bus station. And now it is being moved back next to another bus station," Benny said.

Benny said zoos should be built so as to make the animals feel like they are in their original habitat, allowing visitors to learn about the animals and enjoy the whole zoo experience.

"It is wrong to consider a zoo merely as a revenue-generating entity. I am afraid there is a hidden motive behind the plan (to move the zoo from Tinjomoyo), for example, turning Tinjomoyo into a housing complex," Benny said.

Pius Heru Priyanto, a villager in Tinjomoyo, expressed the same concern, saying people would lose a public space once the zoo was moved from Tinjomoyo to Mangkang.

"We have already lost so many public spaces in Semarang. We used to be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Semarang city from Gombel Hill in Taman KB (family park). But the park was turned into a fancy restaurant after the municipal government sold it to an investor," Pius said.