Govt told to leave Taman Safari out of orangutan repatriation

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Govt told to leave Taman Safari out of orangutan repatriation

 

The Jakarta Post, Malang, Jakarta

 

Four foreign non-governmental organizations specializing in wild animal

protection have reportedly urged the Indonesian government to review the

involvement of Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) in the planned repatriation of

41 orangutans from Thailand.

 

Asep R. Purnama, chairman of ProFauna Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post in

Malang, East Java, on Monday the four foreign NGOs were International Fund

for Animal Welfare (IFAW) from Australia, World Society for the Protection

of Animals (WISPA) of Britain and the International Primate Protection

League (IPPL) and Humane Society International (HSI), both from the United

States.

 

The Indonesian orangutans were discovered in Thailand in 2003 after an

investigation by environmental groups. DNA tests established that 48

orangutans in a Bangkok wildlife park and five in Chiangmai Night Safari

originated from Kalimantan. Only 41 of the animals will be shipped back to

Indonesia because seven have to undergo medical treatment for hepatitis B.

 

The four NGOs have sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,

expressing their disappointment over the involvement of Taman Safari

Indonesia in the repatriation of the apes. According to the groups, Taman

Safari is involved in the promotion of animal shows.

 

" The participation is deplorable and is feared to tarnish Indonesia's

credibility in the international world because at a time when animal shows

are being put in the spotlight, Indonesia is involving TSI in its

repatriation work, " Asep said.

 

If the Indonesian government insists on involving Taman Safari in the

repatriation, ProFauna will raise the issue internationally, he promised.

 

He said Indonesia could expect criticism from nations like Britain and the

United States, which are active in animal conservation and protection.

 

Asep said that in addition to Taman Safari's promotion of animal shows, the

park has not been directly involved in efforts to repatriate the 41

orangutans from Thailand.

 

Those involved in the repatriation, according to Asep, have been Greenpeace,

ProFauna International, Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS), Nature Alert and

several other NGOs.

 

Tony Sumampau, a director at Taman Safari Indonesia, told the Post on Monday

that despite the criticism TSI would continue to provide its expertise in

the repatriation of the orangutans as long as it was asked to remain

involved by the government.

 

" Our involvement in the planned repatriation of the orangutans is based on a

request from the Forestry Ministry, " Tony said.

 

He added that Taman Safari was well versed in all aspects of the protocol

surrounding the repatriation of apes, from the medical steps necessary to

how to put the apes on board a plane.

 

" Our involvement is genuine ... as long as the state asks us to be involved

we will be, " he reiterated.

 

A military coup d'etat in Thailand last week has indefinitely delayed the

return of the 41 orangutans, initially scheduled for last Saturday.

 

The Indonesian government originally planned to use a C130 Hercules military

transport aircraft to pick up the orangutans.

 

The Forestry Ministry is considering returning the orangutans directly to

their original home in Central Kalimantan without a stopover in Jakarta.