Coronavirus: Indonesian zoos appeal for funds to feed and care for hungry animals

A Sumatran elephant at Lembah Hijau Zoo in Lampung, Indonesia. PHOTO: INDONESIAN ZOO ASSOCIATION (PKBSI) via The Straits Times

JAKARTA — In a desperate bid to save hungry animals from being killed and fed to one another, the Indonesian Zoo Association has kicked off a fund-raising drive as the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on zoo coffers.

Closed since mid-March, the 57 zoos across the country had enough funds to last only three to six months, mostly to feed and provide vet care for 70,000 animals and paying the wages of 22,000 employees, association chairman Rahmat Shah told The Straits Times.

The zoos, whose income largely depended on ticket sales from the 50 million annual visitors, make around $10 million a month in total. Some $6 million go towards their upkeep and operations.

“The zoos may be closed, but the animals still need to be fed and cared for, and their cages cleaned,” said Dr Rahmat. “Our priority is to keep the animals healthy, look after their welfare and make sure their care and maintenance can run normally.”

The association wrote to President Joko Widodo two weeks ago seeking financial assistance, but has yet to get a response.

On their part, the zoo operators have used cheaper feed substitutes, shortened the work hours of staff and even slashed their salaries by up to 50 per cent to cut costs.

The fund-raising drive, called Food For Animals, launched last Saturday (May 2), was the association’s latest attempt to ensure the animal’s survival.

Some $50,000, including a contribution from Dr Rahmat’s own pocket, has been raised so far.

Pleading for more support from the government, community leaders, businessmen and animal lovers in Indonesia and around the world, Dr Rahmat said: “We are fighting hard and desperately. We need all the help from various groups.

“We are in crisis and the situation is worrying. If we get no donations by the end of May, the lives of the animals will be threatened.”

Ask what would be the worst-case scenario, he said the last resort would be to euthanize the old and sickly animals.

The meat that is fit to be eaten, as well as that from animals which are abundant such as deer, would be fed to fitter animals and endangered species such as the Sumatran tigers and Javan leopards.

“We are the last bastion of endemic endangered Indonesian species,” he said.

“But that’s the last, last, last resort,” he added. “What choice do we have? Let’s say we have 500 animals, and 100 of them are endangered.

“If we are not allowed to kill, all the 500 will die. We have nothing to lose from killing the others because we can get them again anytime anywhere.”

According to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Waza) website, euthanasia is allowed under the code of ethics and animal welfare when all options have been studied, but it must be carried out in a manner that ensures a “quick death without suffering”.

“Euthanasia may be controlled by local customs and laws but should always be used in preference to keeping an animal alive under conditions which do not allow it to experience an appropriate quality of life,” Waza said.

For now, Dr Rahmat as well as animal groups interviewed are only hoping for the coronavirus pandemic to end.

He said: “We all hope that the pandemic will pass quickly, and we can go back to living normal lives as we should, and people can return to the zoo to see the animals with their loved ones.”

For more information on Food For Animals fund-raising drive and to donate, go to its Facebook page.