Animal cruelty still plagues Indonesia’s zoos despite outrage voiced on social media, and government’s pledges to do better
- Activists say animals are underfed, kept in poor conditions and exploited for entertainment by performing circus acts for money
- Government attempts at regulation and supervision have also fallen short so far
Indonesia is a country with a rich biodiversity. It is estimated more than 300,000 wildlife species – 17 per cent of the world’s total, and many of them endemic – live in the archipelagic nation.
“According to a search by wildlife monitoring group the Scorpion Foundation in 2017, around 90 per cent of zoos in Indonesia are unfit for habitation,” says Marison Guciano, of the Indonesia Animal Welfare Society. “I think the situation has not changed much now.”
Indonesia has at least 84 zoos, not counting those that are unregistered or operate illegally. Guciano, formerly an investigator for the Scorpion Foundation, says its assessment was based on five animal-rights principles. The animal must be free from hunger and thirst, free from pain and injury, free from discomfort, free to behave wildly, and free from stress. “Most zoos have not met all of these criteria,” he says.
Various cases of violence against animals in zoos in Indonesia have been exposed, raising concerns about the fulfilment of animal welfare in these so-called conservation institutions. This summer saw a series of cases exposed through social media, sparking public outrage. In June, an internet user uploaded a video of a painfully thin sun bear kept in a zoo in Singkawang, a city in West Kalimantan. The video was retweeted more than 2,500 times, provoking responses of dismay and anger.
The West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency issued a statement saying that the bear was in an unhealthy condition when the video was taken, but failed to offer details. The agency said the zoo’s manager would continue to monitor and guarantee the welfare of the bear.
