Indonesia) walking on the wild side

[Guest guest]

The Star - 12 october 2005

 

Walking on the wild side

 

By LENITA SULTHANI

 

Looking irritated, Indonesian animal trainer Alen tries to ignore the loud

shrieks of " good morning " coming from white cockatoos in an outdoor cage.

 

" Please don't answer them, " said Alen, walking past other exotic birds such

as Javanese eagles and birds of paradise at an animal rescue shelter in

Indonesia's West Java. " We are training the animals to be wild here. "

 

The birds are among 1,300 protected animals in the sanctuary run by a

non-governmental group trying to reduce Indonesia's rampant illegal trade in

wildlife.

 

The Cikananga Animal Rescue Center tries to help animals regain their

natural instincts to allow their return to the wild. But if two Sumatran

tigers awaiting a meal of raw goat meat are any indication, Alen and his

team face a challenge.

 

" Once we gave the tigers live goats, but instead of attacking the goats,

they were afraid of them, " Alen, who uses only one name, said pointing at

one of the sleepy eyed tigers, whose mood appeared more like that of a house

cat than a dangerous predator.

 

Indonesia is home to some of the world's rarest animals and has tough

regulations aimed at protecting them, yet the population is dwindling.

Although Indonesia signed the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) almost three decades ago,

endemic corruption means environmental laws are flouted or ignored.

 

" It's difficult to get accurate data on how many endangered animals were

being traded and smuggled from Indonesia, " said Suparno of ProFauna, a local

animal protection group. " Our investigation shows up to 1,000 animals per

year. "

 

Many of the orang utans, Sumatran tigers, Javanese Rhinos and birds at

Cikananga were illegally kept as domestic pets by anyone from high ranking

officials to business tycoons. The animals were status symbols, trained and

domesticated – the white cockatoos can even utter greetings in Arabic.

 

Getting them into the sanctuary is a battle both against their powerful

owners and bureaucracy. Suparno said owners were rarely charged once animals

were seized. " We have weak law enforcement here. They can easily buy animals

again, " he said.

 

Many endangered species are traded or smuggled for use as house pets while

stuffed rare animals end up in living rooms of the wealthy as house

decorations. Many are smuggled abroad.

 

" It's difficult to stop illegal trading of animals. In this country, it has

become an organised crime, " said Budiharto, a spokesman for the Cikananga

centre.

 

At the centre, located in thick forest about 156km south of Jakarta, animals

go through a multi-step process before being declared ready to return to

their natural habitat, away from the support of their human keepers.

 

When animals are first brought in they are moved into specially designed

cages that replicate their natural environment. They eat what they would

normally hunt or forage for in the jungle, while human contact is limited.

As their natural instincts develop, the animals are moved to a giant

enclosure that also aims to re-create their usual environment.

 

Run by local and international volunteers, the centre relies on private

donations and gets help from local people who provide food for the animals.

One programme allows donors to " foster " animals by providing money for their

food and other necessities.

 

Budiharto said the centre had been overcrowded for some time as

deforestation made it difficult to find habitats for some animals to return

to. Indonesia has the world's worst deforestation rate and some

environmental groups estimate that a forested area the size of Switzerland

is being lost every year.

 

For some of the animals, like the exotic birds, being in the sanctuary can

be better than a return to the wild.

 

" It's not easy to release the birds. When we release them people are going

to shoot them or trap them again, " said French volunteer Cyril Blin. –

Reuters