The Wild Side of Jakarta

You won’t be charged by elephants, attacked by mosquitoes or have yet another majestic landscape thrust into your face. But Jakarta’s wild escapes (not *that* kind of wild escape) still offer their fair share of fun. Some of these places also need your help, writes Shanty Syahril.

Over the years, Jakarta’s green space has rapidly fallen prey to the gargantuan appetites of shopping mall investors. With their manicured and air-conditioned spaces, malls feel like the perfect escape from the tropical heat and humidity of Jakarta, not to mention the air pollution and lack of outdoor playgrounds. No wonder so many parents bring their children to the shopping mall practically every weekend.

Malls (little did you know) are also a showplace for concentrated materialism and consumerism, where "owning" is a fundamental goal — regardless of whether you need stuff or not. It’s also painful for me to see the amount of paper, plastic and Styrofoam waste generated just by the food courts.

According to Nirwono Joga, in his book The Lenong Comedy: Green Space Satire (2007), just over 9 percent, or 6,900 hectares, of Jakarta’s land is dedicated to green spaces, short of the city’s target of 13.9 percent -- and far below the recent national standard of 30 percent.

We should all ask ourselves when we last went on a green trip. I don’t mean the kind of expedition where you escape from the city and head into the wilderness — just a trip on an ordinary weekend around the city, in an environmentally friendly way. There are still many options for activities that simultaneously support the city ecologically, economically and culturally. Perhaps then you will realize that Jakarta has so much more to offer than malls.

Get back to your ancestral roots

As the mother of a 4-year-old boy, we have visited the Schmutzer Primate Center more than once and I still get asked by the little guy to go back. The center is a shelter for various primates ranging from gorillas to macaques, and from orangutans to chimpanzees. The design of the enclosure resembles the primates’ original habitat, and also offers a pleasant green retreat for human visitors. Your ticket purchase goes toward the maintenance of this terrific exhibit for primate conservation. However, I don’t recommend coming on weekends because of the swarming crowds.

Jungle in the urban jungle

In North Jakarta is the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve, a forest area that offers a break from the bustle of the city. Located along the Jakarta Bay, this area is a sanctuary for Jakarta’s last mangrove forest as well as more than 90 types of birds and other wildlife. There are regular educational trips for individuals and schools in the reserve, organized by volunteers from the organization Jakarta Green Monster. But you’ll have to catch Muara Angke while you still can. From a healthy 2,000 hectares, the forest has been drastically reduced to only 25 hectares, as building complexes continue to gnaw into it (regardless of the reserve’s protected status).

Follow the green map

It is fun to explore Kemang and Menteng neighborhoods using the green maps developed by Green Map Indonesia. These maps feature icons that show the locations of green options, such as parks and shops that have environmentally friendly credentials.

Reclaim the streets

Don’t forget to walk or ride your bicycle along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin on the fourth Sunday of the month. The streets are officially closed to cars and motorcycles from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., which allows you a glimpse of life without a car – not as unimaginable as once thought. During the car-free days, you can experience Jakarta’s main thoroughfare filled with the chatter of children as they play games or ride their bikes.

So next week, instead of heading to the shopping mall, why not gear up for a green trip? Just slip on your walking shoes, fill up your reusable water bottle and food box, get on the busway and experience an entirely new Jakarta.

By doing this, we do our part to show the government we value the city ecologically and culturally. Perhaps this will send out a different kind of message to mall developers.

In practice

Schmutzer Primate Center: The center is located within Rangunan Zoo in South Jakarta. The zoo can be reached by the busway (Corridor 6). Details at www.primata.or.id (in Indonesian).
Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve: The reserve can be reached by taking a bus or train to Kota station, and then a taxi about eight kilometers along the airport toll road (Pantai Indah Kapuk exit). Jakarta Green Monster, a non-profit organization committed to cleaning up the reserve and generating awareness and social concern for the wetlands, provides well-guided tours. Details at www.jgm.or.id.
Green maps: Green maps for Jakarta and other cities can be downloaded at http://petahijau.greenmap.or.id/database/.

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