Jakarta will have most expensive gorillas in most expensive

Jakarta will have most expensive gorillas in most expensive
enclosure

By Muninggar Sri Saraswati

JAKARTA (JP): Jurassic Park. That might be your first
impression when you look at the gorilla enclosure under
construction now in Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta.

Its entrance gate, high tech-designed dome, green spiral-
shaped plastic plants on its ceiling, and reliefs of primate
figures on its walls have helped reinforce such an impression.

Although it is still being constructed, the enclosure, which
is located on a one-hectare site, shows every indication of being
a luxurious one.

Claimed to be the largest of its kind in the world, the Rp 10
billion (about US$1.1 million) enclosure will have a walkway and
playground so that visitors will be able to see the gorillas
clearly from a short distance.

You should not be worried about your safety as there is a deep
canal that separates the walkway from the gorillas' playground.
And to prevent them from escaping, the zoo will also build an
electrified fence around the playground.

But the gorillas are still in Britain. They are expected to
arrive here later this month and will be put in the enclosure on
Sept. 6.

The gorillas, named Kihi, Kimbou, Kijou and Komou, can only
understand English since they were born and grew up in England.
They are reportedly still under-age, between four and six years
old.

The grand enclosure has been constructed by courtesy of the
late Mrs. Puck Schmutzer, who mandated Willie Smits in her will
to build a gorilla enclosure and bring here several gorillas from
England.

Smits is Mrs. Schmutzer's old friend who is also the director
of the Gibbon Foundation, which oversees conservation of the
primates in Kalimantan.

During her lifetime, Mrs. Schmutzer used to say that she loved
animals since they never betrayed her. She was known as an animal
lover who became involved in the treatment of some animals in
Ragunan zoo during her lifetime.

It might explain why she left a huge amount of money for the
sake of the animals. The funds have been used in part to build
the enclosure.

The first-class enclosure has been developed to fulfill one
stipulation from the Howletts and Port Lympne Animal Park, which
will lend its four gorillas to Ragunan zoo. It is designed to
ensure that the gorillas can live comfortably there.

Howletts Animal Park made a number of strict conditions for
Ragunan zoo before deciding to lend it the gorillas, according to
Peter Litchfield, the Park's collections director.

Beforehand, Howletts made intensive enquiries, particularly
about the proposed environment of the primates' new home.

The observation was mainly focused on Pseudomonas mellitus, a
dangerous kind of bacteria that might kill the gorillas.

Smits claims that Howletts had rejected the request of
Singapore and the Philippines to borrow the gorillas because of
that factor.

Howletts have also trained an official of Ragunan zoo in
England for nine months to learn about looking after the
gorillas. Darma, the official, is now able to communicate with
the gorillas.

Litchfield told The Jakarta Post that Howletts will "lend" the
gorillas for one year initially, but if their health
deteriorates, Howletts will return them to England.

"We don't mean to send them here to die," he remarked, adding
that Howletts was concerned about the well-being of the gorillas.

Darma will be responsible for looking after them, including
their food. About 70 kinds of fruit and 30 kinds of vegetable
will be on the gorillas' menu. Also, Howletts has made some
recipes for them.

The fruit, vegetables and other kinds of food should be fresh,
to avoid the gorillas suffering from stomachache. To protect
them from contagious disease, Ragunan Zoo will ban visitors from
giving them food.

After their arrival, Howletts will continue monitoring the
primates, directly from England, by means of a web-cam installed
in the gorillas' pen.

Darma is also required to make a weekly report to Howletts
about the gorillas' health and activities.

The gorillas will be under the supervision of a Ragunan
veterinarian and a primate study center in Bogor, West Java. A
veterinarian from England will also examine the gorillas three
times a year.

They will be protected from depression by visitors being
banned from taking their picture or touching them.

You might think that Howletts' conditions are just too much.
But this is about preserving four gorillas worth US$1 million,
which are rarely found in the wild. "And Mrs. Schmutzer wanted to
show how to treat animals in a correct and loving way," Smits
concluded.