Riau BKSDA Releases Protected and Unprotected Wildlife into Zamrud National Park

The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) has released several wild animals into the conservation area of Zamrud National Park in Siak Regency, Riau Province. The animals consisted of both protected and unprotected species. The activity was led directly by the Head of the Riau BBKSDA, Supartono, and was attended by the Siak Police Chief, the Head of the Siak Environmental Agency, and the Operations Director of the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation’s Animal Rescue Centre. Supartono stated that the release of the wild animals is a tangible form of the government’s commitment to preserving wildlife and restoring their populations in their natural habitat. “The animals released are the result of rescues and handovers from the public. All of these animals have undergone a quarantine process, health checks including zoonotic disease screening, and natural behaviour assessments at the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation’s Animal Rescue Centre before being recommended for release,” Supartono said on Thursday evening. The released animals included protected species such as jungle cats, binturongs, slow lorises, ungko gibbons, white-bellied sea eagles, and changeable hawk-eagles. There were also unprotected species like pig-tailed macaques and long-tailed macaques. According to Supartono, successful conservation requires the involvement of many parties. Efforts to protect wild animals and their habitats cannot be carried out by the Riau BBKSDA and the Ministry of Forestry alone, but also need the support of the police, local government, and the private sector. Zamrud National Park is a conservation area in Riau Province with high biodiversity. The area also serves as a habitat for various types of wild animals. The release of these animals is expected to support the sustainability of animal populations and maintain the ecosystem’s balance in the long term. “Let us together protect the preservation of protected wildlife while safeguarding the security of their living space,” Supartono said. Meanwhile, the Siak Regency Government, through the Head of the Siak Environmental Agency, Amin Soimin, expressed support for the protection, rescue, and preservation efforts. Amin stated that this support includes conducting public awareness campaigns and seeking cooperation with other partners to support the management of Zamrud National Park. Siak Police Chief AKB Sepuh Siregar also expressed his support and commitment to environmental preservation. He urged the community to participate in protecting natural resources and not to destroy them.