Zoology museum will observe anniversary

Zoology museum will observe anniversary

BOGOR (JP): The Bogor Zoological Museum will hold a series of
programs to mark its 100th anniversary, including the launch of a
book on its history as well as holding panel discussions and a
zoological exposition.

The book will be launched on Aug. 22 at the peak of the
celebrations that will also commemorate the anniversary of the
organizing body of the zoo, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI).

"The book is written by a team of experts and living
witnesses, including those who have worked and are working for
this museum who we believe know its history," the head of the
Zoological Museum, Mohammad Amir, told The Jakarta Post
yesterday.

He added that the team was chaired by Sampurna Kadarsah, the
person to whom the Dutch colonial government handed over the
management of the museum.

The first panel discussion will feature the development of
zoology and animal resources in the next 25 years while the
second will discuss utilization prospects and conservation. The
discussions will be held on Aug. 22 and 30 respectively and will
be attended by domestic and foreign zoological experts.

Amir said that an international workshop entitled "Indonesian
Inland Fauna" will also be held as a part of the celebrations
since Indonesia has such varied flora and fauna.

However, he could not give the precise date of the workshop.

Indonesia is only second to Brazil in its megabiodiversity of
flora and fauna.

The zoological exposition, initially planned for November, has
been postponed until December because of the forthcoming Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation conference will be held in Bogor in
November.

President Soeharto is scheduled to attend the anniversary of
this historic museum which was named Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense
in Dutch colonial times and will sign the first edition of a
commemorative stamp to mark the day.

Bogor Zoological Museum has the biggest collection of animals
in Southeast Asia housing around 16,000 species, some of which
date as far back as 1860. Founded in 1894 by Dutch Zoologist
Koningsberger, the Museum is now used by LIPI as a research
laboratory for animal biosystematics, ecology and
physiology.(als)