Monas Park welcomes more deer

Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration insisted on Monday on putting seven more deer in the National Monument (Monas) park, even though one of the deer from the previous batch has apparently been under heavy stress and is being treated at an animal hospital.

The city administration released on Sunday five deer in Monas from their previous location at the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) park in Kalibata, South Jakarta, despite criticism that the animals would be unsuited to the park in Central Jakarta.

One of the five deer suffered from stress on Sunday after it was brought to its new habitat and is currently undergoing treatment at Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta.

"We have fulfilled all the requirements needed to ensure the health of the deer, and therefore we will send seven more deer that are donated by the BIN and the marines to Monas," said Hadi S. Alikodra, a consultant to the city administration on the deer project.

He said that a total of 20 deer were projected to live within the 5.2-square hectare area, which is located at the south part of Monas, by the end of this year.

He told The Jakarta Post there would be 11 deer, all female, roaming Monas when their release at the park would be officiated on June 5, coinciding with World Environment Day.

Alikodra admitted that President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is scheduled to open the deer zone, was unsure about the controversial project after learning that not all the deer were in good health.

The deer project has been criticized by many who have said that Monas is not a suitable habitat for the deer.

However, the governor dismissed the criticism and defended his ambitious plan to see deer live in Monas, claiming that he had the support of officials at the Bogor Palace, where the deer population surpassed the capacity of the park to sustain them.

"The Bogor Palace grounds are suitable for only 200 deer, while there are currently about 600 living there," Sutiyoso said, quoting the officials.

After the state secretary rejected the relocation of deer from the Bogor Palace, the governor went ahead with the project in Monas by seeking donation of deer from the BIN and the marines.

The deer project follows another controversial project of the city administration, the fencing of Monas park, at a cost of Rp 9 billion (more than US$1 million).