Protected animals allowed to return to natural habitat
Protected animals allowed to return to natural habitat
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Contributor, Denpasar, Bali
The Bali office of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency
(BKSDA) turned over 32 protected animals on Tuesday to temporary
shelters, where they will be prepared for release back into the
wild.
The temporary shelters are the Yogyakarta and Malang-based
state-run Animal Rescue Centers (PPS) and the Bali Reptile Park.
"The animals were confiscated during a recent joint operation
by the BKSDA and the Tabanan Police in Candikuning. We found that
the owners did not have the required legal documents to keep them
as pets," Bali's BKSDA chairman Istanto D.M. said.
The animals consist of 13 Bodo pythons, one bear cat, three
rangkongs, two snake hawks, one owl, one parrot and 11 kukangs.
Istanto said the owners of the animals, identified only as
Joni and Nengah Budiarta, had violated Article 21 of Law No.
5/1990 on the conservation of natural resources and the
ecosystem, which prohibits the capture, possession and trade in
protected animals. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five
years imprisonment and Rp 100 million (US$12,133) in fines.
The snakes are being transferred to the Bali Reptile Park
while the kukangs will be flown to PPS-Yogyakarta. The rest of
the animals will be transported to PPS-Malang.
"PPS-Yogyakarta has the necessary facilities to take care of
the nocturnal kukangs," Istanto said.
"We will have to be very careful in handling the kukangs
during the transfer because these animals are known to have a
high mortality rate," PPS-Yogyakarta chairman Iwan Kurniawan
said.
Once at their new homes, PPS officials will begin the process
of preparing the animals for release into the wild.
"The process will take some time. For instance, a Bali myna
that has spent a brief time in captivity will require at least
three months to be reintroduced to its natural habitat. The
longer an animal has been in captivity, the longer it will take
to be reintroduced to its natural habitat," Istanto said.
The Indonesian government has established 10 Animal Rescue
Centers across the country. It is currently constructing a new
center in Bali.