ID :
48297
Sun, 03/01/2009 - 05:06
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/48297
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POPULATION OF JAVA EAGLES THREATENED
Lebak, Feb 28 (ANTARA) - The population of Java eagles (Spizaetus Bartelsi) in Cibeber in the Halimun-Salak Mountain National Park (TNGHS) in Lebak, West Java, is now threatened due to poaching and forest destruction.
"Right now only eight Java eagles are found in the Cibeber Block of the TNGHS," the head of nature conservation and forest protection section of the forestry service of the Lebak district, Noerly Edlimar, said here on Saturday.
Noerly said his office and park rangers were periodically monitoring the birds' conditions with a view to preventing them from becoming extinct.
Acccording to data collected in 2006 the birds' population was 19 or down from 200 before, he said.
He blamed poaching and illegal gold mining activities as factors that had helped damage the forest and thus reducing the population of the birds.
He said the protected birds had possibly migrated to other places after the forest which was the source of their food had depleted.
He said several population centers of the birds had also vanished porbably as a result of illegal logging activity by local villagers as well as illegal sale of poached birds.
He said the existing Java eagles could now still be found spreading in Cikaniki, Block Water and Endut Mountain in Lebak disrict.
"We are very concerned that only eight Java eagles are found in Cibeber," he said.
He said to prevent the birds from extinction his office had so far conducted awareness campaign among villagers living around the forest.
The TNGHS covering an area in three districts in West Java namely Lebak, Bogor and Sukabumi is home to many protected animal species such as Javan silvery gibbon, leopards and Java eagles.
Several organizations of nature lovers in Lebak also expressed concern over the development. "We hope the government will act firmly against poachers and activities that cause environment destructions including the illegal mining activity," Bachtiar from the La Tansa Mashiro institute in Rangkasbitung said.
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"Right now only eight Java eagles are found in the Cibeber Block of the TNGHS," the head of nature conservation and forest protection section of the forestry service of the Lebak district, Noerly Edlimar, said here on Saturday.
Noerly said his office and park rangers were periodically monitoring the birds' conditions with a view to preventing them from becoming extinct.
Acccording to data collected in 2006 the birds' population was 19 or down from 200 before, he said.
He blamed poaching and illegal gold mining activities as factors that had helped damage the forest and thus reducing the population of the birds.
He said the protected birds had possibly migrated to other places after the forest which was the source of their food had depleted.
He said several population centers of the birds had also vanished porbably as a result of illegal logging activity by local villagers as well as illegal sale of poached birds.
He said the existing Java eagles could now still be found spreading in Cikaniki, Block Water and Endut Mountain in Lebak disrict.
"We are very concerned that only eight Java eagles are found in Cibeber," he said.
He said to prevent the birds from extinction his office had so far conducted awareness campaign among villagers living around the forest.
The TNGHS covering an area in three districts in West Java namely Lebak, Bogor and Sukabumi is home to many protected animal species such as Javan silvery gibbon, leopards and Java eagles.
Several organizations of nature lovers in Lebak also expressed concern over the development. "We hope the government will act firmly against poachers and activities that cause environment destructions including the illegal mining activity," Bachtiar from the La Tansa Mashiro institute in Rangkasbitung said.
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