Surabaya Zoo, Indonesia
You all may have heard of the recently exposed horrendous conditions of over 4000 animals in Surabaya Zoo. Here is the link for those of you who missed it.
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I wrote to a friend of mine, Mr Tony Sumampau, who is the Secretary General in Indonesian Zoo’s and Aquaria Association. What is needed is for registered NGO’s and conservation orgs to write professional letters to urge the relocation to other zoo’s.
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Surabaya zoo is an old zoo established by Dutch in 1916. Most of facility was build between 1920 – 1970 and there has been no improvement since then. There are 4,023 animal flock in a 14 ha of land. Many surplus animal in Surabaya zoo and most of them are inbreed. 50% of the animal are not healthy and numerous are “stuffed” into small cages. 20% of the animal are old and the have no Species collection plan. There is terrible managment since 1980, but it got worse during 2008-2010. By the middle of 2010 the Minister of Forestry, Governor of East Jawa and the Mayor of Surabaya city took over the management of the zoo. My friend Tony, The Secretary General in Indonesia of Zoo’s and Aquaria Association with the expertise in managing one of the best zoo in Indonesia(the Taman Safari) was asked to help the manage Surabaya Zoo. They did so, all as volunteers.
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However, Since the change of the Surabaya Mayor last year, they have found it increasingly difficult to help the zoo. The reason for the difficulty is a member of the old zoo management and friend of the new Mayor of Surabaya, has used the Mayor against the Secretary General of Indonesian Zoo’s and Aquaria, to derail all positive efforts that were being made. In effect, the Zoo’s and Aquaria of Indonesia are being blocked from helping because of disgruntled allies of the old managment. Due to the the old managements connections to the current City Mayor, the Mayor is saying the the old management of zoo and the staff are capable to run the zoo and this has caused GREAT conflict between the Governor and Central government. Zoo’s and Aquaria Indonesia against the Mayor of Surabaya city.
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My NGO friends, we must unite together and help. We are being asked for help. Lets Help. All you need to do is write. Here is Tony’s words.
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“The main problem for Surabaya zoo is to rebuild the old zoo facility to totally new environment exhibit for the animal. taken out the surplus animal to other zoos or others which has a good facility to keep them, release some of the endemic species of birds that are surplus in the zoo to their nature habitat……. . But my suggestion was against by all this people who do not understand about the conservation including the new Mayor of Surabaya city.
So, what we need as a volunteer that help the zoo is supporting letter from all the NGO that surplus animal is not a good management for zoo, The staff have to be professional and dedicated to work with the animal, the old small cages and the exhibit that can not meet the animal welfare have to be removed and rebuild.
I don’t think we need any funding for the time being and what we need is to push the City mayor to have a same vision for conservation and the good zoo has to be manage by a team of professional not civil servants or bureaucrat.”
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So I am asking all of the NGO’s CEO’s to write.
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Please use your letterhead of your organisation, address it to the Mayor of Surabaya, and forward it to me and I will pass this onto Tony. I do not want to give out his email address at this point, until he ok’s that. For all others that wish to write, please send me your written letters via email (POLITE and PROFESSIONAL) and I will forward them also.
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We MUST work together on this, we CAN make a difference for these creatures.
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Sybelle Foxcroft
CEO Cee4life
sybelle@cee4life.org
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