Owners return dozens of protected animals

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Following a circular disseminated by Bogor Natural Resources Conservation Agency on August, residents of Bogor, Sukabumi and Cianjur districts have returned dozens of protected animals, an official said on Friday.

The agency head Noor Rahmat said the circular targeted hunters, dealers and owners of the rare animals.

"The circular is based on the Law No. 5/1990 on biodiversity conservation and the Government Regulation No. 7/1999 on the preservation of plants and animals, which prohibits residents from possessing or rearing protected animals, including the stuffed ones," he said over the weekend.

However, those responding to the circular claimed to be merely caretakers of the rare animals, he said.

As of October, the agency had received 25 protected animals from 12 Bogor residents. Most of them are stuffed cendrawasih birds (Paradiseaae spp.), crocodiles, orangutans, white-handed gibbons, known locally as owa, and cassowary.

The agency also recorded 102 rare animals voluntarily returned by 58 Sukabumi residents between January and October, and another seven animals returned by five residents of Cianjur. Most of the animals are cockatoo birds and siamang gibbons (Hylobates syndactylus).

The animals are now being taken care of at the Animal Rescue Center in Sukabumi, which is managed collaboratively by the agency and the Gibbon Foundation, Noor said. Currently, there are 1,047 protected animals housed at the Rescue Center.

On Wednesday, Bogor Timur Subprecinct Police apprehended a suspected dealer of rare animals as he made a deal with an undercover police officer at a restaurant.

The police seized one stuffed Sumatran tiger from the suspect's car. The stuffed animal is said to be worth Rp 12 million (US$1,411) on the black market.