74 These Protected Animals Finally Return To 'Home' In The Cycloop Mountains Nature Reserve In Papua

King cockatoo, endemic to Papua, released into the Cycloop Mountains Nature Reserve in Jayapura, Papua Province/Via ANTARA

PAPUA - The Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center released 74 protected animals into their natural habitat in the Cycloop Mountains Nature Reserve.

Protected animals released in a forest area in Asei Kecil Village, Jayapura Regency, are evidence deposited from the Papua Police Special Criminal Investigation Directorate and animals transferred from the East Java BBKSDA working area.

The animals entrusted by the Papuan Police include three king cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus), two chef's cockatoos (Cacatua Galerita), 13 black-headed cockatoos (Lorius lory), two small yellow bird of paradise (Paradisaea minor), six parrot parrots (Eclectus roratus), and eight brown parrot (Chalcopsitta duivenbodei).

Meanwhile, the animals transferred from the working area of the BBKSDA East Java include two green monitor lizards (Varanus prasinus), two blue-tailed monitor lizards (Varanus doreanus), 19 panana lizards/blue tongue lizards (Tiliqua scincoides), three Papuan tree boas (Candoia carinata), and 14 green pythons (Morelia viridis).

According to the Head of the Planning, Protection and Preservation Section of the Papua BBKSDA, Lusiana Dyah Ratnawati, before being released into the wild, all animals had undergone a habituation process in the Buper Waena animal transit cage, Jayapura City.

"All animals released to the Cycloop Mountains Nature Reserve are in good health and are ready to be returned to their natural habitats," he explained in a press release from the Papua BBKSDA received in Jayapura, Antara, Thursday, August 4.

The Acting Head of the Papua BBKSDA, Abdul Azis Bakry, said that the large number of endemic animals that became evidence of crimes and were moved from other areas showed that illegal hunting and trade of animals was still going on.

"So, on this occasion I urge all parties to stop hunting and trading of native Papuan wildlife. This is important, because illegal acts of wildlife have very big consequences and losses. Let's protect Papuan wildlife," he said.