Komodos from Indonesia capture Czech President at Prague Zoo
Komodos from Indonesia capture Czech President at Prague Zoo
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia's Komodo dragons -- the world's rarest and largest
lizard species -- recently captured the heart of the Czech
Republic's President Vaclav Klaus.
President Klaus -- an ardent nature lover -- was at the Prague
Zoo on Nov. 29 to inaugurate the Indonesian Pavilion, Indoneska
Zungle or Indonesian Jungle. The animals at the pavilion -
including orangutans, macaque monkeys, various species of birds
and fish, but especially the Komodo dragons -- greatly impressed
the president.
"The zoo director Petr Fejk told me that President Klaus was
scheduled to spend only 15 minutes at the zoo, but he canceled
some of his official engagements and stayed there for more than
one hour," Leonard Tobing, the former Ambassador of Indonesia to
Czech Republic, told The Jakarta Post.
Leonard was at the inauguration of the Indonesian Jungle in
Prague.
The zoo exhibit has opened a new chapter between Indonesia and
the Czech Republic.
"This pavilion is a symbol of the cooperation between
Indonesia and the Czech Republic. And the power of this symbol is
the Komodo dragon - this very endangered animal from Indonesia.
There was only one way to get this animal. It was only through
the President of the Czech Republic," Fejk, who rebuilt the
Prague Zoo from scratch after it was hit by the worst flooding in
five hundred years in August 2002, told the Radio Prague. More
than 100 animals were killed and hundreds more were evacuated to
a safer places.
Czech Ambassador to Indonesia Jaroslav Vesely said President
Klaus thanked Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for
his government's help in establishing the Indonesian Jungle in
Prague.
With 1,500 animals, marine creatures and plants, the US$7.5
million (6 million euros) Indonesian Jungle is not only the
biggest pavilion, but also the main attraction at the zoo, Vesely
explained. Vesely also attended the inauguration of the
Indonesian Jungle along with several Czech ministers and his
Indonesian counterpart.
"There are about 2,500 animals belonging to over 500 species
in the zoo. So more than half of the zoo's animals are at the
Indonesian Pavilion," Vesely told the Post on Monday
"Ever since the arrival of Komodos, the number of visitors to
the zoo jumped significantly," said Ahmad Adnan, a staff member
at the Indonesian Embassy in Prague who was in Jakarta recently.
Ahmad said he had visited the zoo at least four times this
year.
It took Ambassador Vesely almost 10 months to get two Komodos
from Taman Safari animal park in Bogor.
"The credit goes to the Czech ambassador who worked hard to
make this project a success. Taman Safari and Prague Zoo
eventually signed a sister zoo cooperation agreement. We donated
two rare Komodo dragons and the Prague Zoo will give us unique
tortoises," Taman Safari director Jansen Manansang said at a
gathering to celebrate the success of Indonesian Jungle held
recently at the Czech Ambassador's residence in Jakarta.
Situated on a hillside on the right bank of Vlatava River, the
Prague Zoo, which originally opened in 1931, spreads over an area
of 64 hectares.
"Earlier, the zoo was well-known for breeding the rare
Przewalski horse. Thanks to Komodos, now the zoo is very popular
among not only Czech people but also other European nationals who
visit Prague as tourists," Vesely said.
Vesely said around two million people have visited the zoo
this year.
The Czech media also did a lot of reporting on the Indonesian
Jungle.
"This is the biggest project in the history of Czech zoos ...
a very special project, because for example the roof, made of
glass and metal, is very original as is the interior. In this
pavilion the most important thing is not just the animals but
above all the feeling of the place. The feeling is "the jungle"
the tropical climate, and for example plants from this area, and
the feeling that visitors can get inside of this atmosphere,"
Radio Prague's Jan Velinger said.
The dragons and the pavilion could also mean tourism boost for
Indonesia, as Europeans see it and decide to take a real trip to
Indonesia.
"The pavilion and komodos are not only good publicity for
Prague Zoo, but also for Indonesia. I think this Indonesian
Jungle will generate an interest among Czech people to visit
Indonesia and see for themselves the beauty of this nation,"
Vesely said while adding that the Czech Republic and Indonesia
enjoy good and cordial relations.