Animals at Gajah Mungkur park confiscated due to illegal paperwork

As many as 12 animals belonging to the Gajah Mungkur Dam amusement park were confiscated due to illegal paperwork. The animals are now being temporarily held at the Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) at the Taru Jurug amusement park and Magelang Zoo.
The animals included a crocodile, a reindeer, a black eagle, three peacocks, two porcupines, one cockatoo bird and three elephants.
Wonogiri’s Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports office head, Pranoto, acknowledged that the animals did not have the proper paperwork. He said he understood that the actions were taken as a precautionary measure.
“Government regulation No.8/1999 stipulates clearly states that wild animals and plants should be kept and displayed at a local conservation agency. We don’t have a BKSDA here and that is why
 the animals were confiscated,” he said.
Local councilor, Martanto,  regretted the confiscation, saying that the local administration had never brought the issue of building its own BKSDA to the local parliament.“We should discuss  this seriously and make the necessary efforts tobuild our own BKSDA,” he said.(dic)