KLHK Releases Three Berang-Berang In Sungai Ciliwung

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JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) together with the Depok Ciliwung Community released three small clawed otters or Aonyx cinereus in the Ciliwung River, Depok City, West Java. This activity coincided with World Environment Day.

Director of Biodiversity Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems (KSDAE) Indra Eksploitasia said that the younger generation should always protect and preserve state-owned wildlife in natural habitats.

Indra said that this activity is not just releasing, but it is a consequence of the responsibility for all in the Ciliwung community to keep these otters able to live naturally and breed.

"We hope that this activity is not just a ceremony, but that all of us can live and practice the meaning of environmental day in our daily lives and preserve our animals as part of the earth's contents, living side by side with animals by carrying out their respective functions. The Ciliwung River can become a good habitat for animals and a support for human life," said Indra in his written statement, Sunday, June 6.

Three male otters were released, each named Tegal (8), Alur (7), and Onyx (5). These three beavers are the result of the community's voluntary submission to the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) DKI Jakarta.

This carnivorous species has undergone a series of rehabilitation processes at the Tegal Alur Animal Rescue Center (PPS) for more than a year until it was finally declared healthy and ready to be released into the wild.

Indra further explained, this is a sign that the Ciliwung ecosystem has become good, with the presence of otters, meaning that there are plenty of fish as food.

The Ciliwung River was chosen as the release location because the river, which has a length of 120 kilometers, is a suitable habitat for otters who really like wet areas with lots of water, especially river flows and also the coast.

"The Ciliwung River, especially the one that passes through Depok City, has good vegetation with various types of tree stands such as Loa, Breadfruit, Banyan, Benda, and Bamboo species. The most important thing is that the Ciliwung River still provides adequate carrying capacity for the survival of the beaver. because the availability of feed in the form of fish is still quite abundant," he explained.

Small clawed otters are an unprotected animal. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species categorizes the small clawed otter into a vulnerable group because of the tendency for its population in nature to decrease.

In addition to ongoing habitat degradation, poaching is also a factor in the decline in the population of this type of otter.