Three fawns born at National Monument Park

Three fawns were born on Monday at the National Monument (Monas) Park, bringing the total number of deers at the park to 42.

"The fawns were born three days ago. One is a spotted deer (Axis axis), while the other two are rusa Jawa (Cervus timorensis)," said city official Hari Sandjojo on Wednesday.

It was the second birth incident to have been reported since the Jakarta administration put 12 spotted deer into the 5.2- hectare deer zone in the park in June 2003.

The first fawn was born last October.

The park has also received more deer, including Indian deer (Cervus unicolor) from donors.

Hari said the birth of the three fawns simply brushed aside doubts expressed by animal lovers that deer would not survive in the park due to the noise from passing vehicles and the high level of air pollution.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso ordered the release of deer into the park following the Rp 9 billion (US$1 million) decorative project to build a fence to encircle the park, in a bid to lure more visitors.

Hari said the administration planned to place in the park green jungle fowl (Gallus varius), locally known as bekisar, to enliven the park.

"In the first stage, we shall order two bekisar. We shall put them in a cage because they could fly over the fence if we let them roam freely," he said.

Following the city's success with the deer project, the University of Indonesia also has deer in its campus forest in Depok, south of Jakarta.

"We shall donate five rusa Jawa -- four does and one buck -- from Ragunan Zoo to the university," Hari said. "I am arranging a meeting between the governor and UI rector Usman Chatib Warsa to hand them over." -- JP