Coinciding with the visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Ragunan
Zoo, South Jakarta, Thursday (29/6), an international online media, The Dodo,
released a video reporting the condition of animals in many zoos in Indonesia were
in crisis condition. In the video that has been watched by more than 1 million
people aired the suffering of animals in various zoos in Indonesia, such as
Bandung Zoo and Surabaya Zoo. Check out the video here.
In the video posted on The Dodo website, it was mentioned that the video
recording came from animal rights advocacy organization in Indonesia, Scorpion
Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group.
The Director of Wildlife Investigation Division, Marison Guciano said,
thousands of animals in Zoos in Indonesia live in wretched conditions, confined
in small cages without being able to behave naturally.
"Many of them are even subjected to violence and exploitation, others
are placed without access to food and drinking water," he told RMOL on
Friday (30/6).
According to Marison, animals in the zoo need more than food. They should
be given opportunities to behave naturally, free of stress and depression, free
from pain, injury, illness, free from discomfort, and free from hunger and
thirst.
Although often highlighted on the issue of low animal welfare, to date, the
government does not have standard animal welfare in the Zoo. Government data in
2015 alone mentions, there are only four of 58 zoos in Indonesia are in decent
condition, the rest is less feasible and bad.
Marison hopes, the problem of low animal welfare in the zoos became the
attention of President Jokowi.
"Highlights related to the low welfare of animals have made bad image
in the eyes of the world community," he concluded.
