T

he Bandung Zoo has been deemed neglectful in its conservation function as it reportedly failed to prevent inbreeding among its Sumatran tigers, one of six tiger subspecies listed as extremely endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

'If we're called negligent, that's OK as it's the reality. It is what happened; we can't cover it up,' said zoo spokesman Sudaryo in Bandung on Tuesday when announcing the birth of a Sumatran tiger.

He revealed that the cub was the seventh of a 21-year-old female Sumatran tiger named Wage and the first with her new partner Manik, which was donated by former West Java Military commander Maj. Gen. (ret) Iwan Sulanjana.

'The cub was born on March 28,' Sudaryo said, adding that the Bandung Zoo currently had 11 Sumatran tigers and one Bengal tiger.

Previously, Wage gave birth to her sixth cub after mating with a 14-year-old male called Meilino, which is her own offspring, he disclosed.

Meilino, added Sudaryo, was the first cub of Wage and Budi, which both came from the Gembira Loka Zoo in Yogyakarta.

From the pairing, Wage gave birth to Marta and Marti in 2001, followed by Fitra and Fitri in 2003.

'After that, Budi, died from an illness. We no longer had any other [unrelated] male studs. Wage then mated with Meilino and had Yopi on May 26, 2011,' said Sudaryo.

Inbreeding between Sumatran tigers at the Bandung Zoo, added Sudaryo, could not be prevented due to a lack of studs, as efforts by the zoo management to obtain male tigers from other conservation institutions had proven futile.

Inbreeding in a conservation institution should be prevented. Indonesian Zoo Association (PKBSI) secretary-general Tony Sumampauw said the government had clearly regulated matters pertaining to breeding in Government Regulation No. 7/1999 on the preservation of flora and fauna.

In Article 16, it stipulates that flora reproduction and fauna breeding outside their natural habitats is carried out to increase their populations to stop them from becoming extinct. Breeding activities are carried out by maintaining species purity and genetic diversity.

The government also issued Government Regulation No. 8/1999 on the utilization of plants and wildlife species. Article 1, Paragraph 3 stipulates that breeding is an effort to conserve protected species by maintaining their purity.

'Everyone must refer to them, as does PKBSI,' said Tony, adding that conservation methods by conservation institutions, such as zoos, must abide by World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Conservation Strategies and IUCN guidelines regarding wildlife breeding efforts.