The Ministry Of Environment And Forestry Helps Improve Animal Management At The Abandoned Medan Zoo To 3 Dead Tigers

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) also intervened to help improve the management of animals at the Medan Zoo located in Medan City, North Sumatra (North Sumatra).

Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, said that one of the problems currently being experienced by Medan Zoo is finance, which has an impact on animal management that does not meet standards.

"KLHK together with the Zoo Association throughout Indonesia are providing assistance (in the context of coaching) as well as efforts to improve animal management at the Medan Zoo," Satyawan said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, January 17.

The form of assistance provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with the Association of Zoos throughout Indonesia (PKBSI) is especially in support of the provision of feed, medical personnel (keperdan veterinarians), improvement of resilience, animal health examination, medical care/treatment, and facilitation of experts/prectition of conservation institutions.

Satyawan explained that Medan Zoo is a conservation institution regulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Number P.22 of 2019.

Conservation institutions are institutions engaged in plant and wildlife conservation outside their habitat (ex-situ), both in the form of government agencies and non-governmental institutions.

Conservation institutions consist of conservation institutions for the public interest (animal parks, zoos, safari parks, and others) as well as conservation institutions for special purposes ( animal rescue centers, animal rehabilitation centers, animal conservation centers, and others).

Management of conservation institutions must be carried out based on the principles of animal ethics and welfare.

Therefore, Satyawan said, the emphasis of the management of conservation institutions is to encourage conservation institutions to continuously improve management and maintain the quality of management. Then establish, maintain, and improve operational standards for managing conservation institutions; and improve animal welfare in particular.

"We hope that Medan zoo management with the support of the local government and other stakeholders can immediately take various necessary improvements for the sustainability of Medan Zoo management," Satyawan said.

Medan Zoo is a zoo in Medan City and has been established since 1952. As one of the oldest zoos in Indonesia, Medan Zoo has an area that includes a variety of natural habitats and houses various animal species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibious.

Currently, Medan Zoo is in the public spotlight due to the deaths of two Sumatran tigers and one Bengal tiger in December 2023.

The Medan City Government (Pemkot) revealed that the financial crisis had an impact on animal feed debt and paid the employees who manage the zoo.

Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution continues to encourage RANS Entertainment to realize investment plans in developing the Medan Zoo area.