Government Hires Out Endangered Animals

(Koran Tempo, 06 November 2008 edition)

Government Hires Out Endangered Animals

Deposit money to get preserve a tiger is one million rupiahsJAKARTA - Government is planning to hires out endangered and protectedanimals for animal devotee.

This step, as General Director of ForrestProtection and Natural Conservation, Darori noticed, to protect animals against illegal hunting and that also to breed them. Regulation of Forestry Ministry which straighten up that term is expected to be published in the end of this year.

“More difficult to preserve, more endangered, than it will much costly,”he said in Preparation of Natural Conservation Day workshop at Manggala Wanabakti yesterday. Darori gave an example, to keep a tiger legally, someone have to deposit a million rupiahs to the state and pay conservation tax too. Beside tiger,he also noticed that Jalak Bali and Orangutan as the protected animals.

“Now, if they bear children, the baby can’t be owned and it have to give back to government,” he said. All this time, he continued, conservation fund for protected animals is limited. The amount is less than 500 million rupiahs in five years.Besides, animal hunting and environment destruction occurs until the quantity of protected animals are decreasing.

Rudi Choirudin, a chef who has some protected animals, agreed with government plan. But, the value of deposit, he said, need to be compromised afterward. Because, the preservation cost may not as big as its deposited money.

He suggested that the government must focused to the wild animal hunters and traders. “This protected animals are sold in markets because of their act,” he stated. Rudy pointed that he don’t want to buy animal illegally. Since several past time, Rudy has some protected animals, such as black kakatoa, rangkong, and deer. “I buy them because I feel pity about their suffering,” he said.

A non-governmental organization Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP) says‘no’ to that government plan. If government need funds to the conservation, would be better that the wealthy persons who love animal asked for the funds. “This step would be much real for environment preservation widely,” COP Habitat Program Manager Novi Hardianto said.If the haves and animal devotee allowed to keep protected animal, he continued, usually only for fun.

Meanwhile, for the animal preservation efforts, they don’t care. Whereas, that protected animal properly have function for their wild environment.

According to Novi’s statement, with the donations from the haves, those animal which are captured and traded can be released in nature. He gave example, in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, there are 650 orangutan that have not released yet.