Great apes from UK arrive, quarantined for one month
Great apes from UK arrive, quarantined for one month
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After a series of heated debates and several postponements, four
male gorillas from the Howletts and Port Lymphne Animal Park in
Kent, England, finally arrived here on Monday evening and were
immediately sent to their luxury enclosure in Ragunan Zoo, South
Jakarta.
People who want to see the apes, however, will have to be
patient as it will be about one month before they can be
exhibited to the public, according to Governor Sutiyoso.
He told reporters at City Hall on Tuesday that the gorillas
needed time for adjustment to their new environment.
"They need to be quarantined for a month before the public can
see them," he said.
Sutiyoso revealed that the Gibbon Foundation, which initiated
the procurement of the giant apes, has granted Rp 10 billion
(US$1.1 billion) for the feeding and upkeep of the gorillas over
three years.
He said the zoo had also sent staff members to the English zoo
to study the habits of the gorillas.
It is still not clear what will happen to the gorillas and who
will finance them should they still be here after three years.
Last year, the city administration claimed it had allocated Rp
3.2 billion from the city budget for the upkeep of the apes.
The allocation of such a huge sum of money sparked
controversy, especially as the country was still suffering from a
prolonged economic crisis.
The arrival of the gorillas, which should have happened last
year, was postponed because of the controversy.
It was reported that the Rp 3.2 billion was needed as the
gorillas needed a large amount of imported fruit, such as apples,
grapes and pears.
But the foundation's director, Willie Smits, angrily denied
the administration's claim, saying that the gorillas could eat
local vegetables, hibiscus leaves (locally known as kembang
sepatu), and even sugar cane, not just expensive, imported
fruits.
The foundation, which was founded by animal lover, the late
Mrs. Puck Schmutzer, also financed the building of the giant
enclosure for the gorillas, which cost Rp 10 billion, in Ragunan
Zoo.
The 1.5 hectare enclosure is located in the middle of the 14-
hectare primate center.
It is still unclear whether Ragunan Zoo will still require an
additional fee of Rp 3,000 for adults and Rp 2,000 for children
who wish to see the gorillas, as provided for in a bylaw which
was approved last year, since the upkeep of the gorillas is being
fully paid for by the foundation.
Meanwhile, Ragunan Zoo's director Ismianto said on Tuesday
that the gorillas, named Kihi, Kimbou, Kijou and Kumao, were in
good health and were under the supervision of a veterinarian and
a handler from England.
"They have started to play in their new enclosure, and eat
hibiscus leaves and sugar cane," Ismianto said.
Two of the gorillas weigh some 600 kilograms each while the
other two weigh around 300 kilograms.