Security concerns delay gorillas' arrival

Security concerns delay gorillas' arrival

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Four gorillas from a zoo in England failed to arrive here as
scheduled due to the security situation in the capital, it was
revealed on Thursday.

The four male apes, Kihi, Kimbou, Kijou and Kumou, from the
Howletts and Port Lympne animal park in Kent, England were
expected to enter their newly built Rp 10 billion one-hectare
home in Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta, on Saturday.

The project was postponed, however, due to security concerns
in the capital, Willie Smits, director of the Gibbon Foundation,
said.

Anti-American protests in several cities in Java along with a
travel warning issued by a number of embassies in Jakarta, are
the main reasons why the Howletts animal park in England decided
to postpone sending the gorillas, he said.

"From what they saw in television reports, the situation in
Jakarta is unsafe, therefore the delivery of the gorillas has
been postponed until the situation is more conducive," Smits told
reporters after his meeting with Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.

In response to this development, Sutiyoso is sending Ismianto,
the head of Ragunan zoo to England to assure the management of
Howletts and Port Lympe that there is no reason to postpone the
delivery as the primates will be unharmed.

"As instructed by the governor, I shall leave for England next
week to meet with Howletts' officials and explain to them that
the situation in Indonesia is under control," Ismianto said.

All requirements specified by Howletts prior to agreeing to
lend the four gorillas for a one-year period, such as
vaccinations, quarantine and the gorilla enclosure are well
prepared, he added.

Commenting on the delay, Sutiyoso said he had telephoned the
British Ambassador, Richard Grozny, to express his objection to
the postponement.

"I told him that I personally guarantee the safety of the
gorillas," he said.

The governor expects the primates to arrive some time this
month and postponed the inauguration of the enclosure.

Should the gorillas arrive at Ragunan, the zoo would be the
only one in Asia to have the rare primates.

The delivery of the gorillas is being arranged and financed by
an animal lovers foundation founded by the late Mrs. Puck
Schmutzer who mandated Willie Smits to arrange the transfer in
her will.

The state-run Ragunan zoo has about 3,500 animals consisting
of 253 species.