Ragunan zoo regains visitors

Ragunan zoo regains visitors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bogor

After it was closed in September after 19 of its birds were
infected by bird flu virus, Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta began to
see visitors returning again during Idul Fitri on Thursday and
Friday.

On each of the days, over 10,000 visitors visited the zoo.

"I came here because the government has guaranteed that the
zoo is free of bird flu. Besides, where in Jakarta can you find
such an affordable attraction?" Suparto, one of the visitors,
told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Ragunan Zoo charges only Rp 3,000 as an entrance fee to view
its vast collection of animals.

Zoo spokeswoman Titisari Punto Rini acknowledged, however,
that the number of visitors coming to the zoo had dropped
significantly compared to last year's visitors, which reached
124,000 during Idul Fitri.

"We are still recovering from the impact of the bird flu
scare. We hope to regain our normal number of visitors in the
next few months," she told the Post.

Unlike the zoo, hotels and villas in the Puncak resort area
saw almost no visitors this year.

Adjat, an employee of Vila Prabu Putragus on Jl. Raya Puncak,
said no room bookings had been made at the villas.

"The situation is different from last year, when all our rooms
were booked out one month ahead of lebaran and also for Christmas
and New Year."

Puncak is a popular place for Jakarta residents to spend their
weekends and holidays.

"Maybe the decline was caused by the high increase in fuel
prices. People may have chosen to stay at home rather than spend
their money at a hotel or villa," Adjat said.

A similar comment came from Lina, an employee of Taman Safari
Indonesia, which has 150 rooms, comprising hotel rooms, caravans
and bungalows. Its rates range from Rp 1.1 million to Rp 4.5
million for three nights.

Lina said that last year, 75 percent of the establishment's
rooms were occupied one week ahead of Idul Fitri. This year, just
three days before Idul Fitri, only 50 percent of the rooms had
been booked.

She also blamed the increase in fuel prices for the decline in
the occupancy rate.