Jakarta Globe, Kriti
Aggarwal, August 3, 2013
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| Surabaya Zoo, which is home to almost 3,000 animals, has come under fire for its gross negligence and mistreatment. (Photo courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network). |
A tiger
that tips the scales at 40 kilograms, a Javan warty pig found dead with traces
of cyanide in its blood, and the tragic loss of a giraffe after consuming 20
kilograms of plastic are just some of the horror stories coming out of Surabaya
Zoo.
The zoo,
which has become notorious for numerous cases of animal mistreatment, is back
in the news and has been making waves on social media — this time for the
distressing pictures of a starving tiger, Melani, who is almost half the weight
of a healthy adult tiger.
Dian
Paramitha, an animal lover and animal protection activist, has found a way to
call for action rather than wait for change to come.
“Seeing the
condition of Melani the tigress broke my heart,” she says. “I decided I had to
speak up for these animals that don’t have a voice.”
In response
to the mistreatment at the zoo, Dian, who studies business and economics at a
university in Yogyakarta, launched a petition directed at President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, calling for a National Commission for the Protection of
Animals to be set up.
Initially,
Dian created a petition to close down Surabaya Zoo, which is now the
second-largest petition on Change.org Indonesia. But Dian decided to scrap that
idea.
“Shutting
down the zoo would create even more issues,” she says.
“There are
almost 3,000 animals in that zoo. If we closed it down where would they go?”
Rehabilitation
for release into the wild is not an option, as the zoo does not have the
necessary facilities and resources for that.
“Change.org
seemed like the best option for me,” Dian explains.
“I could
get many people to sign and show their support. This gave me the courage to
eventually go up to the president and make my case.”
Dian admits
that animal welfare is not just an issue at Surabaya Zoo, and that it should be
dealt with on a national level. “If my petition goes through, I hope it can
help set the standards for animal welfare in Indonesia, in zoos, farms and even
on a domestic level,” she says.
Arief Aziz,
communications director at Change.org in Indonesia, explains why it’s important
to have petitions like the one started by Dian. “Recent events such as cruelty
in zoos and dolphin circuses show that we are facing a state of animal emergency,”
he says.
“We didn’t
think animal issues would be this popular. Petitions like Dian’s are crucial to
shedding light on these hidden issues.”
 |
| (Photo courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network). |
In fact,
according to Medina Kamil, host of the nature travel show Petualangan, the
transfer has done more harm than good.
“It’s not
that the zoo doesn’t have the money or resources to feed the animals. The truth
is that with the transfer, they’ve become politically affiliated, which has led
to graft.”
“The money
that the government spends on the animals doesn’t reach them. The staff take
the meat and the vegetables meant for the animals. The cages of the animals are
rented out for people to live in to generate even more money for themselves,
while the animals roam free and unprotected.”
Medina
advocates the petition wholeheartedly, with hopes that the National Commission
will bring some law and order into the functioning of the zoo.
“The
implementation of a legal system and a formal set of rules will result in fears
of penalty, which will drastically reduce the cases of mistreatment of the
helpless animals,” she says.
Amrita
Mann, a Jakarta International School graduate and animal lover, is convinced
that this petition can be an effective tool to promote knowledge and awareness
of Indonesia’s biodiversity.
“This is an
excellent step to regulate the handling of endangered species in Indonesia,
which we currently lack,” Amrita says. “I would definitely invite everybody to
sign this petition!”
Coming
together will prove to be a big force. As Dian’s petition says, “Let’s speak up
for those who cannot speak.” Your signature can change the life of Melani and
countless other animals throughout Indonesia.
If you
would like to see the full petition or add your signature, please visit
www.change.org/komnashewan.
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