Legislator calls for safety review after child falls into elephant enclosure

Jakarta Regional Legislative Council member Hardiyanto Kenneth has called for a thorough safety review following a child’s fall into an elephant enclosure at Ragunan Zoo. ‘We demand a thorough and objective review, not to assign blame but to identify the root cause,’ Kenneth said in Jakarta on Monday. He stressed that the incident should not be treated as routine, but rather as a wake-up call for all public facility managers to strengthen safety standards. He added that the tourist attraction receives thousands of visitors daily, including children and families. ‘I am deeply concerned about this incident. The safety and health of the child involved must be the top priority,’ he said. Kenneth emphasised that visitor safety must be the top priority in all operational standards for tourist areas. Therefore, Ragunan Zoo management is urged to conduct a transparent internal investigation to determine the sequence of events, causes, and any security gaps. He said a comprehensive physical security check is needed, from boundary fences, double barriers, visitor pathways, wildlife observation points, to high-risk areas. ‘If non-compliant fences, security gaps, or dangerous visitor access points are found, repairs must be made immediately without waiting for another incident,’ said the Commission C member of the Jakarta Regional Legislative Council. Strengthening on-ground surveillance is also crucial, with security and supervision staff numbers adjusted according to visitor numbers, especially during weekends, national holidays, and school holidays when crowds surge. On another note, Kenneth highlighted the trend of visitors disregarding safety for the sake of capturing social media content. He said this trend requires collective attention as it can lead to risky behaviour, particularly in areas with potential hazards. ‘Regardless of the motives behind the incident, visitor safety must be the top priority. In today’s social media era, the public must be more discerning in creating and chasing content,’ he said. Kenneth explained that wildlife conservation areas have mandatory rules and boundaries for all visitors. Safety barriers, demarcation lines, and warning signs are in place not to restrict activities but to protect both humans and animals from potential dangers. He urged parents to exercise maximum supervision over children when visiting tourist sites, especially near large, potentially dangerous animals. Previously, a viral social media video showed a child falling into an elephant enclosure at Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta. The footage captured the child landing in the enclosure’s moat before being helped back up by bystanders. In the video viewed on Sunday (31 May), the child, wearing red clothing, was seen in the moat area as adults attempted to cross barriers and reach out to lift the child to safety.