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Medan Zoo swaps Sumatran tigers for Kalimantan orangutans
The Medan Zoo plans to add dolphins in the near future.
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Zoo workers welcome Kalimantan orangutans, Hamidah and Diimbah, which had just arrived from Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta, on Wednesday. The pair has been swapped for a pair of Sumatran tigers. (JP/Apriadi Gunawan)
T
he Medan Zoo in North Sumatra exchanged a pair of Sumatran tigers for a pair of Kalimantan orangutans from Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta.
Putrama Alkhairi, the president director of the region-owned PD Pembangunan Medan, which manages the zoo, said the management would continue the exchange program with other zoos across the country.
“We offer animals that we have a lot of for those we don’t have yet,” he told The Jakarta Post while welcoming the orangutans, Hamidah and Diimbah, on Wednesday.
According to Putrama, the Medan Zoo has 157 species, most of which were fowls. The zoo also has 14 tigers, comprising nine Sumatran tigers—including the two that were transferred to Ragunan Zoo--and five Bengal tigers.
Putrama said the Medan Zoo had planned to breed the orangutans that they received from Ragunan Zoo. A number of veterinarians are ready to monitor Hamidah and Diimbah, he added.
“Our vets are experienced with orangutans,” Putrama said, adding that the zoo also planned to add dolphins in the near future.
Sucitrawan, a veterinarian with the Medan Zoo, said the zoo once had an orangutan, Pongky, that was transferred to the zoo by the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) for further care in 2016. After it was declared ready, Pongky was released to its natural habitat.
The population of orangutans in Sumatra is estimated at 5,000 individuals, while Kalimantan has around 7,000 individuals. (swd)
