No money, no more conservation center

Wahyoe Boediwardhana ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Malang, East Java   |  Wed, 06/18/2008 10:44 AM  |  National

Lack of funding led to the indefinite closure early this month of the Petungsewu Wildlife Rescue Center (PPS) in East Java's Malang regency, an official from the center said.

"The Forestry Ministry neglected to provide funding for the center this year. I don't know why," Iwan Kurniawan, the PPS project manager, said Monday.

"Last year, we received Rp 35 million (US$3,763) per month. We managed to save some of the money for this year's operational costs, but there's nothing left now."

There are six other wildlife rescue centers in Indonesia. These are located in Tegal Alur in West Jakarta, Cikananga and Gadog in West Java, Tabanan in Bali, Tasikoki in Sulawesi, and in Yogyakarta.

The centers were established by the Forestry Ministry and the Gibbon Foundation, a primate conservation group, in August 2001, and work in partnership with the ministry's forest protection and natural resources conservation unit.

The main task of each PPS is to rescue wild animals from illegal trade and hunting. The centers also cooperate with the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) in treating sick animals and releasing them back into their natural habitats.

The closure of the Petungsewu PPS has forced the relocation of animals being held there to the Safari Park in Prigen, Pasuruan regency. These include two New Guinea crocodiles (Crocodylus novaeguineae), five black gibbons (Symphalangus syndactylus) and several Papuan parrots (Eclectus roratus).

Dozens of other protected animals have been sent to zoos in East Java and West Sumatra.

At present, the center still houses 16 Javanese langurs (Trachypithecus auratus), four black gibbons, three Pagai Island macaques (Macaca pagensis), three cockatoos (Cacatuidae) and four cassowaries (Casuarius).

The center has also had to reduce the number of staff from 13 to two.

"Only the animal keeper and myself remain," Iwan said.

He urged the government to resume funding, and said the center only needed Rp 50 million per month, most of which would go toward feeding and care of the animals.

Rosek Nursahid, chairman of the wildlife conservation group ProFauna Indonesia, said the government, as a signatory of the 1978 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), should be fully accountable for the center.

"The government should have allocated funds for the center to prevent such a travesty occurring," he said.

ProFauna is poised to take over the management of the Petungsewu PPS, pending approval from the Gibbon Foundation.

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