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.