Jakarta cats

[Guest guest]

There are some glaring errors in this article pertaining to

cats and H5N1 risk. See next e-mail.

 

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ANTARA Monday, February 8, 2010 18:49 WIB

 

Jakarta`s stray cat population potential health hazard

by Crystall Clancy

 

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Wild and stray cats are ubiquitous in

Indonesia`s capital of Jakarta, a sprawling metropolis inhabited by

12 million people.

 

And though most of the felines in the urban jungle show obvious signs

of suffering by lack of food, illness and neglect, they are

multiplying at a rate that may eventually pose a public health hazard.

 

The issue is not only the increase in number of this stray species,

but also the inhumane solutions municipalities utilize in an attempt

to control the car population in their areas, said Karin Franken,

co-founder of the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), over the

week-end at JAAN`s clinic in Kemang, South Jakarta.

 

Disease is rife among them, with recent studies uncovering the avian

flu (H5N1) virus residing in a large percentage of these cats. The

problem has spread from a national animal welfare issue to a global

health risk. A humane, tried, tested and proven solution to this

issue must be embraced and enforced at both a local and national

level.

 

The population of stray cats in Jakarta is vast. JAAN, a

non-government animal welfare organization wants to help reduce the

street cat population by conducting sterilization activities, thus

minimizing the number of cats added to an already overwhelming

population.

 

" We have to control the stray cat population if we want to improve

their welfare, " Karin Franken, said.

 

Since mid October 2008, JAAN has worked with volunteer veterinarians

to provide free spaying and neutering services for homeless cats, it

has taken sterilization action for stray cats in various locations

around Jakarta and also on Pramuka Island (capital of the One

Thousand Islands district).

 

The system, adopted in many regions internationally, is the

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) which is a full management plan where stray

and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns, and rural

areas are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by

veterinarians. Kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes.

Healthy adult cats too wild to be adopted are returned to their

familiar habitat, she said.

 

Small-scale sterilization drives performed by JAAN are incredibly low

budget and performed in a minimum of conditions. But Karin says they

are committed to continue the spaying and neutering program on a

monthly basis. This involves working with volunteer veterinarians and

vet assistants to provide capture, spaying and neutering,

rehabilitation and release services for homeless cats.

 

" Vets from abroad have donated their time and money which has been

very helpful " , said Karin.

 

JAAN continually attempts to work with government so that this humane

process can be embraced in each area. There have been small changes

at a government level, with some state facilitated sterilization

drives operating; Karin says this shows " Some good will from the

government side " . Other non government organizations are also

involved with these sterilization drives and there has been

`increased community involvement, said Karin adding that she also

highlighted public participation as one of the most important factors

in the effort to improve street animals` welfare.

 

According to the Directorate General for Animal Husbandry in Jakarta,

responsibility for controlling these stray populations lies with

specific district municipalities. Ibu Titik, a spokesperson for the

directorate says the central government provides no funds for

controlling the problem, even for the euthanisation of diseased cats.

 

Jakarta`s main post for animal husbandry is in Ragunan, where the

central government pound is located. Apparently some municipalities

are bringing unwanted stray cats from their area to Jalan Harsono in

South Jakarta, to the Ragunan Dinas Peternakan building, where they

will be inhumanely terminated.

 

It is alleged, at present, cats are captured and relocated to the

cages there prior to termination, where they kill each other, are

poisoned or even starve to death. When organizations or government

are convinced that euthanization is the only way, JAAN insists it

must be done in a humane manner. One area cited by JAAN as being

responsible for this cruelty is the Ancol Recreation Area management.

 

JAAN has offered Ancol cooperation in order to strive for a humane

solution option but they still choose to just continue with the mass

culling of stray cats. The Ancol management declined to comment on

the allegations.

 

It isn`t just the Ancol management but many other institutions in

Jakarta fail to overcome the cat population problem in a humane way.

Besides causing unnecessary suffering to the animals, the mass

culling doesn`t provide a solution to the vast number of stray cats

in the Indonesian capital. " This mass culling will not reduce the

stray cat population as other cats will eventually take over the

territories of the cats that have been `removed " , said Karin.

 

" The cat situation is still very bad " , she said, " We try to

continuously sterilize the street cats to help mitigate the problem. "

 

" Our experience has shown that the large-scale culling of stray

animals doesn`t work in the long-term and that the methods used can

be very cruel. Effective long-term management can only be achieved

through working with the local communities to encourage responsible

ownership. At JAAN we are really driven to educate " , said Karin.

 

Through education about responsible pet ownership, identification,

vaccination, neutering and pet care, fewer animals will end up on the

street.

JAAN recently completed a pilot project in the vicinity of the One

Thousand Islands to measure the results of their sterilization

drives. Karin said upon return `the change was obvious`.

 

A fertile female cat with an average lifespan of 7 years could give

birth to at least 28 kittens. " Changes are not dramatic but

eventually things will change " , she said adding that the survival

rate of these cats was quite high. Given all the litter that Jakarta

residents often leave on the streets, especially in residential

areas, reducing the number of stray cats could take decades. However,

the effort was made in Holland and it was successful.

 

If the Indonesian government were to embrace the TNR method, the

issue could be solved in a more timely manner. It should consider the

wide repercussions of the problem, including the spread of disease

that affects business, livestock and the health of its citizens.

 

Recent studies have revealed that cats can contract the avian

influenza virus and that there is no evidence that only migratory

birds are responsible for the spread of the disease. A study

conducted by the Indonesian Environment Information Center (PILI) in

Yogyakarta found that stray cats had caught the H5N1 virus through

contact with infected poultry at traditional markets. Scientists are

worried the virus will mutate into a form where it could spread

through human-to-human contact, which could trigger a global pandemic

capable of infecting millions of people in a short period of time.

 

Avian Flu represents a potential global threat and is a matter of

high priority for member countries of the Association of South East

Asian Nations (ASEAN).

 

The Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) announced its

support, in principle, for the development of a Universal Declaration

on Animal Welfare (UDAW) at its Annual General Meeting on 14th August

2009, demonstrating its strong commitment to animal welfare.

 

The Centre for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS) has

embraced, and begun participating, in the cat sterilization program

held by JAAN which is a positive sign for future cooperation. " With

this program in hand, we hope in the future we will see no more

abandoned cats on Jakarta`s streets " , said Karin.

 

Elimination of stray animal populations is neither realistic nor

essential for animal welfare on a global scale. Rather, the goal is

for all countries to use methods of population management such as

JAAN`s TNR method that minimizes unwanted and stray animal

populations and the welfare problems they experience.

 

What is needed in Indonesia is stronger commitment and understanding

that animal welfare has a strong link to human welfare and

development issues; in particular human health, poverty and disaster.

 

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--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

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