Saving endangered fauna in Indonesia

Saving endangered fauna in Indonesia

Femke den Haas, Contributor, Jakarta

Indonesia is very high up on the world list of nations with
animal species under threat of extinction.

The illegal pet trade is a big threat to the survival of many
animal species: The rich biodiversity of Indonesia is vanishing
right before our eyes.

Rainforests are logged and animals caught from the wild to be
traded as pets or for other purposes. Who hasn't heard of the
orangutan, which literally means "man of the forest", now
threatened with extinction?

This highly intelligent, unique great ape is losing its
habitat, and illegal trade in it is one of the main threats to
its survival. Orangutans are mostly being abused for
entertainment purposes: In Thailand over 140 illegally smuggled
orangutans are being used in boxing shows to entertain the public
in zoos. Although these orangutans were confiscated over one year
ago, the government of Thailand has still refused to send them
back to Indonesia.

The population of wild orangutans has decreased by 50 percent
over the last 20 years. For every baby who ends up in the illegal
trade circuit, at least three others die. Female orangutans bare
no more than three babies during their entire lifetime and they
can reach the age of 50.

This because the mother takes years of protective care for her
precious baby whom she teaches, step by step, to survive on his
own, just like humans.

The impact of the illegal trade on the wild population is
enormous. And what about the hundreds of thousands of other
primates, reptiles, birds and other animals traded?

Traders must be targeted

As long as there is a demand, ending this illegal trade will
be a doomed cause, unless law enforcement programs take action
and illegally traded animals are confiscated and traders
persecuted.

Western countries also need to control strictly the income of
exotic animals. Private breeders, zoos and other interested
parties are still responsible for the illegal trade that occurs
today.

To serve as backup for much-needed law enforcement programs,
an Indonesian Rescue Centre Network has been built by the Gibbon
Foundation. Nine rescue centers throughout Indonesia work from
rescue to release: taking care of confiscated animals and
returning them to their original habitat when ever possible.

Trade monitoring programs, confiscations, education and taking
care of animals are the main activities of the network. The
animals will be forwarded to specialized rehabilitation programs,
depending on the species.

Rehabilitation is a long, expensive and very intensive
process. Therefore, most rehabilitation centers focus on a
certain species of animal. Gibbons are send to the Kalaweit
program, for example. This program runs two centers for the
Sumatran and Borneo gibbon species.

The Nyaru Menteng program in Central Kalimantan is currently
taking care of over 300 orangutans. All of these primates are
orphans, needing to learn the survival techniques that free them
from their surrogate mothers in the rehabilitation programs.

The re-introduction program for the Brahminy Kite on the
Thousands Islands deals with dozens of confiscated birds and
releases them after a long process.

The Brahminy Kite, the mascot of DKI Jakarta, vanished from
the area in the late nineties. Slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang),
known locally as malu malu, are being sold as toys near traffic
intersections on busy streets in Jakarta.

Malu-malu, (literally meaning "shy") often have their teeth
cut by traders, leaving them with horrific infections. These
oldest primates of the world are nocturnal; they are sold in
bright daylight, the sun damaging their eyes.

Although all these animals are protected and therefore illegal
to keep, sell, buy or trade, they are still being traded.
The Indonesian Animal Rescue Network advises people never to buy
wildlife, even when you feel sorry and just want to help.

Instead, report to us and we will do what we can.
Strong law enforcement programs on central trading points like
the Pramuka Bird Market are extremely necessary to save protected
Indonesian species from extinction.

Remember, extinction is forever!

Femke den Haas is the manager of

Rescue Centre "Tegal Alur" Jakarta Barat

tel. 0813 14962608

Jaringan Pusat Penyelamatan Satwa

website: www.jaringanpps.org

e-mail: ptsta@telkom.net

Yayasan Tegal Alur/Tegal Alur rescue centre

Jalan Benda Raya 1

Tegal Alur 11820 Kalideres

Jakarta Barat