Poor openly sell endangered animals to survive crisis
Poor openly sell endangered animals to survive crisis
Text and photos by Yogita Tahil Ramani
BANDUNG (JP): The occasion was "Snake Promotion Week" or
something to that effect. At least, that was the impression given
by Mang Yosie (not his real name).
Wearing sunglasses and a leather-jacket, he spoke eloquently
to a crowd of curious onlookers in front of the Bandung Indah
Plaza. His sanctimonious-sounding speech was frequently
interrupted by a sigh of wonder as all eyes were focussed on the
colorful pythons he offered to passers-by.
Yosie lifted one of the pythons to demonstrate how to
distinguish a tame snake from a wild one.
One, he said, would be its "non-reaction to...," and suddenly
he put a reticulated python's head into his mouth.
The python did not react. Then, came the closing offer. Yosie
proudly announced that the opening price for each reticulated
python was Rp 250,000 (US$23) and Rp 700,000 for a rock python.
"I couldn't offer it for less and why should I, when I can
sell a 20-kg sanca bodoh (rock python) for Rp 6 million
elsewhere," Yosie told The Jakarta Post.
"The demand is always there on the international market. This
week I will meet with a Balinese who is interested in buying a
36-kg rock python," Yosie said.
The opening price? Rp 10 million.
"If you really want this one," he said caressing the
unflinching rock python, "you should know that its diet consists
of two marmots and four chickens at least (for a month)."
Yosie was the only reptile-seller who was both well-dressed
and continually smiling. Others were grubby-looking, some with
bloodshot eyes.
Other animals on sale included a Rajawali hawk, a Brahminy
kite, baby tigers, cuscus, wauwau (gibbon), woodpeckers,
squirrels and more. They openly discuss and calmly bargain with
locals and tourists right in front of the Plaza entrance on Jl.
Merdeka.
Some of the animals like Rajawali hawk and tigers are listed
as endangered species and trade in them is prohibited by law.
The assortment of animals, mostly originating from South
Sumatra and the West Java districts of Sumedang, Pameungpeuk and
Garut are sold for between Rp 35,000 and Rp 800,000. Black flying
squirrels with their 3 - 3.5cm-long tails are sold for Rp 35,000
each.
The same price is set for mountain and ring snakes.
"These black patterns on the Sapi Gunung (a type of mountain
snake) will turn a reddish violet when the snake moves," Yosie
said, pointing to a box containing three snakes, the black
patterning on their metal-colored skins suddenly changing hue.
The cuscus seller, 26-year-old Tor, told The Post of the
prolonged economic crisis and the soaring price of basic
commodities, particularly rice that led him to the business.
"What else is there to do, Miss. Life is really difficult for
me and my family," the hard-faced man who has been selling
animals in the area for a year, said softly.
"I have to feed my father and brother. I have suggested that
my father stop my brother's schooling next year and get him to
start doing some street work somewhere instead."
Tor said that once the cuscus he offered was sold for Rp
175,000, he would sell baby owls.
"They are beautiful and I think they will definitely sell
here. Maybe for Rp 50,000 each," he said.
Another vendor offered baby tigers for Rp 200,000 each. He
said he too was forced into the business to support his
impoverished family.
"I'd rather do this than see my wife and children go hungry.
Besides, I don't want to steal," he said.
Poachers
Some of the animal vendors were once poachers and they tell of
how the poor animals have been caught in the wild.
A tiger seller said a poacher would wait for the adult tiger
to drop its baby into a tree hole or leave it in a cave while
searching for food.
"For a pro, it normally takes three to four days of
observation to know when and how long the adult tiger will leave
the baby," he said.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) project executive for the
Ujung Kulon National Park, Nazir Foead, says that the method the
vendor describes here is the safest method for capturing the baby
tigers.
Some poachers use other techniques that endanger the adult
tigers or rhinos.
"They use steel wires to catch the adult rhinos or tigers and
steel legcuffs to hold them down. Once caught, the animal will
try to get out of the trap," Nazir says.
The harder it tries, the tighter the trap squeezes its legs.
This eats through the skin, meat and then the bone. The animal
eventually dies, either of infection or starvation, he says
"Their organs and the tiger bones are usually used for
medicines or fashionable clothing."
A WWF senior program officer in charge of protected species
trade affairs who declined to be named, says a major problem in
stopping the trade in endangered animals has been how to provide
proper employment for those associated with the trade.
According to the officer, although there are many non-
government organizations that help set up programs to employ
poachers, most end up poaching again.
The Ujung Kulon branch of the WWF in Pandeglang, West Java,
has programs to help rehabilitate poachers.
Rhino icons
"One of the programs has bird and animal poachers from the
region participating in workshops where they make rhino icons,"
Nazir says. "With the help of WWF branches worldwide and non-
government organizations, the goods are sold in both the domestic
and international markets."
The rhino icons are sold for the equivalent of between Rp
3,000 and Rp 40,000 each.
"They have been sold in the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden
and are currently being sold in Singapore. One hundred percent of
the money goes back to the people," he says.
Currently, there are 40 people registered in the program but
only 10 are active members.
In the Cimenteng village of Ujung Kulon, 80 percent of the
farmers do not own land and workers receive very low pay.
One harvest is only enough for 12 days and people are forced
to poach birds to make ends meet.
"In Cimenteng village, we have given about 15 farmers grants
and sent consultants to teach them about the production and
refining of sea-weed," Nazir says. Two hundred kilograms yield Rp
600,000 worth of products every 40 days, he said.