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