Seventy-nine animals were exhibited in the parade held on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20, including tigers, elephants, several species of birds and snakes, and camels.

Taman Safari spokesperson Yulius said the animal parade was an annual event and was held not only to entertain the park's visitors, but also to encourage them to care more about animals, especially species endemic to the Indonesian archipelago.

Ahead of Independence Day, TSI announced that 54 species had been born in 2017 at its conservation center, including a Kalimantan orangutan. The park is now awaiting the birth of a calf of the Javanese wild bull, which was conceived through artificial insemination.

TSI director Jansen Manansang said that of the 54 animals comprising exotic and endemic species successfully bred at the conservation park, 16 were rare and protected species: a Komodo dragon, a Javan hawk-eagle, a lesser bird-of-paradise, a Malay tapir, Goffin’s cockatoos and Javan green magpies.

Jansen said announcing the successful breeding of these species was more special because it coincided with Independence Day. Taman Safari could thus show its contributions to developing the country through the conservation of endemic species, he added.

TSI’s conservation activities began in 1980, when it took part in efforts to mitigate elephant-human conflicts, including initiating the establishment of Indonesia’s first elephant training center in Way Kambas, Lampung. (ebf)

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