Ono: Megawati Reminds of Animal Welfare at Bandung Zoo

Vice Chairman of the West Java DPRD, Ono Surono, has highlighted the sluggish handling of the crisis at Bandung Zoo, which he deems inconsistent with instructions from Megawati Soekarnoputri as Chair of the Supervisory Board of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Ono revealed that since August 2025, prior to the death of the Bengal tiger cub named Huru Hara, his side had conveyed information to the management and the Mayor of Bandung regarding Megawati’s directives stressing prompt steps for animal rescue. One option presented was relocating the animals to other zoos such as Ragunan Zoo or Surabaya Zoo. “From the outset, Ibu Mega’s instructions were clear, namely to ensure animal safety through temporary relocation to other zoos. Even cross-regional communication had been attempted, but there has been no concrete follow-up,” Ono told reporters at Bandung Zoo on Friday (27/3/2026). He explained that, besides relocation, the directives also emphasised the importance of optimally fulfilling animal feed with government involvement. However, in his view, those efforts have not been effective for a sufficiently long time. Ono assessed that from August 2025 until February 2026, the zoo’s condition has been left to run without certainty. During that period, management has only relied on donations from visitors, impacting the declining quality of animal feed. “This indicates negligence in management. There should be no prolonged neglect, especially concerning animal welfare,” Ono said. He also highlighted the situation following the revocation of the conservation institution’s permit by the Ministry of Forestry. Although management has been taken over, Ono said there has been no clear coordination with employees, keepers, or curators on the ground. “There are no meetings, no SOPs communicated. This causes confusion at the operational level,” he stated. Ono urged the government to immediately take firm and measured steps, including clarifying governance and ensuring animal welfare remains the top priority. In his opinion, directives from national leaders like Megawati should serve as a strong foundation for policy-making, not mere rhetoric without implementation.