Ragunan Zoo to build dome cage to lure more visitors
JAKARTA (JP): In order to lure more visitors the management of the Ragunan zoological garden, in South Jakarta, plans to build a giant dome cage on a 1.6-hectare plot of land to house Prima satwa (Prime Animals) from the country's 27 provinces.
"The construction of the dome begins this month and is scheduled to be completed next year to coincide with the 50th Independence Day on Aug. 17," Eddy Mulyadi Rasjid, the divisional head for the development and promotion of the Ragunan Zoo Management, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja is slated to lay a foundation stone, which will mark the official start of the construction of the project, at the end of this month.
Though the dome will become a home for about 150 species of birds from Indonesia's 27 provinces, it will also host tame, small animals such as mousedeer, tarsiers and tortoises.
Eddy said the park will be named the Primasatwa cage, which means the home of "Prime Animals".
"Thus, the Primasatwa cage will feature "prime animals" only," said Eddy, adding that visitors to the dome could also have a look at particular native birds or 'mascot' birds from the country's 27 provinces.
Jakarta, for instance, has chosen elang bondol eagle or Haliastur indus as its mascot.
As for the landscape, Eddy said that "We will do our best to make the dome resemble the birds' natural habitat so that they will feel at home."
"For instance, we will grow matoa trees for the birds of paradise (from Irian Jaya) so that they still enjoy their favorite food as they do in their original habitat," Eddy said.
The construction of the dome, according to Niken Rachmat, the secretary of the Ragunan Zoo Foundation, which is assigned by the zoo management to raise funds for the project, is estimated to cost about Rp 13 billion (US$6.2 million).
"But it is not yet finalized," Niken said, adding that there will still be more discussions about the financing scheme with PT Exotica, a developer which has been appointed to carry out the project.
Projects
Other future projects of the zoo, a list of which was made available to the Post, include a nocturnal house for nocturnal animals, a camping ground and a 11-hectare water park. According to Eddy the water park is estimated to cost around Rp 16 billion.
Eddy said the zoo has recently completed the development of a 1.1-hectare forest for tourism which will be inducted by Governor Surjadi at the end of this month.
The forest, according to Eddy, resembles a natural rain forest. "So it is different from a botanical garden," he explained.
With an average of 2.2 million visitors every year, the zoo makes an income of about Rp 2 billion.
"As of the 1994/95 fiscal year, we received a fixed subsidy of Rp 1.3 billion from the city administration. The money is used for the purchase of food and medicine for the animals," he said.
The Ragunan zoo, which covers an area of 135 hectares, has a total of 4,107 caged animals consisting of 296 species. (arf)