Indonesia - Europe Vow To Conserve Endangered Endemic Species

Bogor, Nov 11 (Antara) - Indonesia and Europe inked a cooperation agreement to save Indonesia`s endangered endemic species such as the Java bull (Bos javanicus), anoa (Bubalus quarlesi), and hog deer (Babyrousa babirussa). "The cooperation is manifested through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Indonesian Zoo Association (PKSBI), Ministry of Forestry, and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)," Secretary General of PKSBI Tony Sumampau stated here on Tuesday. The MoU was signed during a workshop on zoo management participated by the directors of zoo/wildlife parks in Indonesia, PKSBI, and a Forestry Ministry official in Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) Zoo in Cisarua, West Java, on November 6, 2014. He explained that the purpose of the meeting and workshop was to discuss ways to improve zoo management and animal welfare. The workshop was also attended by participants from abroad: James Burten from Intemational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Kristin Leus (EAZA), Christian Kern (Berlin Park), Francis Cabana (Animal Asia Foundation), Rebecca Willers (Curator Shepreth Wildlife Park), Erin Ivory (Animal Management Supervisor North Carolina, Amerika Serikat), and Jake Veasey (Canada Zoo). According to the Forestry Ministry`s Director of Biodiversity Conservation Bambang Dahono Adji, some zoos in Indonesia have not yet implemented the breeding program, and in view of that, the cooperation is really necessary. As an additional initiative to save the endangered endemic species, the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation had urged all conservation agencies to focus their efforts on breeding one model species, he added.