A four-day-old Malayan tapir in its enclosure at Bandung Zoo, which was ordered to close on Aug 6, in Bandung, West Java, on Nov 17. - Photo: AFP
WEST JAVA, (Indonesia): More than 700 animals at the Bandung Zoo in West Java are at risk of going hungry as the facility grapples with a severe financial crisis triggered by an unresolved legal battle between rival management groups.
Zoo spokesman Sulhan Syafi’i said the remaining funds for animal feed will only last until Wednesday (Dec 10), and, so far, the zoo has received no emergency assistance from either the Bandung administration or the central government.
“Salaries for our workers were still covered last month, but our animal feed budget will only last until Dec 10. We simply have no money left,” Sulhan said on Thursday (Dec 4) as quoted by Kompas.com.
The Bandung administration ordered the zoo closed to visitors on Aug 6 after two competing factions each claimed the legal right to operate the facility, the land of which belongs to the local government.
With the gates shut for the past four months, the zoo has had no ticket revenue, while daily operational costs continue, eventually plunging it into severe financial crisis.
According to Sulhan, the zoo needs about 415 million rupiah (S$32,000) a month to feed its animal population, which requires 37 different types of food.
Carnivores such as lions and tigers each consume around 6kg of chicken and beef a day, while an elephant needs roughly 1.5 tonnes of grass and 1.1 tonnes of bananas every four days.
Operational expenses, including water, electricity and salaries for roughly 100 employees, add another 800 million rupiah a month.
Sulhan said that despite the zoo’s financial crisis, the staff had not reduced the animals’ daily food portions.
“To save money, we’re adjusting the type of food, not the amount,” he explained. “For example, carnivores that eat 5-6 kg of meat a day used to get a 50-50 mix of beef and chicken. Now we give them 1kg of beef and the rest chicken. The total amount of food stays the same.”
He added that zoo employees had recently begun donating part of their own salaries to help keep the animals fed, collecting around 15 million rupiah so far.
The zoo has also opened a public donation line at +62 811-2347-733.
Still, Sulhan emphasised that the long-term solution is for the Bandung administration to allow the zoo to reopen so it can restore its income and maintain its operations.
“We urgently hope the city will reopen Bandung Zoo. Who will take responsibility if the animals starve and die?” he said.
Head of the Bandung Finance and Asset Agency (BKAD) Agus Slamet Firdaus said the decision to close Bandung Zoo was taken to maintain order and ensure clarity over the management of the city-owned land on which the facility operates.
“The Bandung administration does not wish to intervene in internal disputes. Our responsibility is simply to ensure that the land owned by the city is managed properly, both administratively and legally,” Agus said, as quoted by Kompas.id.
He added that the city administration continued to encourage the disputing factions to reach a peaceful resolution so the zoo can reopen to the public.
Agus also said the city had sent a letter to the Forestry Ministry, which oversees conservation permits for zoos, to seek clarification and guidance on the issue.
Bandung Zoo is home to a diverse collection of animals, including Bengal tigers, lions, leopards, eagles, peacocks, orangutans, camels, hippos, zebras, alligators, giraffes, tapirs, binturongs, Javan langurs and cassowaries.
Since March, seven animals, including a pelican and a binturong, have reportedly died amid ongoing conflicts within the zoo’s management.
The disputes have led to a decline in animal care and changes to enclosure layouts, causing additional stress to the animals. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
