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Carol Gorham

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Hi, I want to help Sumatran zoos. I have had success in freeing an animal in Sumatra and will traveling back to see this animal this year. So now onto helping other animals who so need it. if anyone has ideas how I can connect those people who can help me in improving the zoos in Medan and Bengkulu, please let me know.
 
Hi Carol, Welcome to ZooChat!

Hearing about your work freeing an animal in Sumatra would be a great way to introduce yourself to our community - just start a thread in the Indonesia forum (or perhaps the Wildlife & Nature Conservation forum if a zoo is not involved), and let us know what sort of animal you helped, and the situation, etc. A lot of people on here would be very interested to hear about this!
 
Carol Gorham said:
Hi, I want to help Sumatran zoos. I have had success in freeing an animal in Sumatra and will traveling back to see this animal this year. So now onto helping other animals who so need it. if anyone has ideas how I can connect those people who can help me in improving the zoos in Medan and Bengkulu, please let me know.
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Not an easy task for a passing by visitor - as I know from own experience.
You could try to contact JAAN (Jakarta Animal Network) for connections.
Or "Jacky's friends" at facebook. She is, if I remember right, an Australian who started her efforts after being on a visit to Bali Zoo.
Probably the best is first to focus on only one animal at the zoos concerned, as even the veterinarians there have a hard time to introduce changes. At least that I was told by one of them on Sumatra.
I would be much interested to hear about your progress.
 
Carol Gorham said:
Hi, I want to help Sumatran zoos. I have had success in freeing an animal in Sumatra and will traveling back to see this animal this year. So now onto helping other animals who so need it. if anyone has ideas how I can connect those people who can help me in improving the zoos in Medan and Bengkulu, please let me know.
Click to expand...
when you say "freeing an animal" what do you mean? To the wild, or to a zoo from a private individual? (e.g. an illegally kept orangutan being "freed" to either a rehabilitation centre or to a zoo). If it is to the wild I can't see how you would go see it again.

For the Medan Zoo you should get in touch with NSAW (North Sumatra Animal Welfare) who are doing their best to improve the conditions at the Medan Zoo. Apart for the monkeys however, the Medan Zoo is a heaven compared to the Bengkulu Zoo and the Bukittinggi Zoo. There are quite a few terrible zoos in Indonesia.....
 
Chlidonias said:
the Medan Zoo is a heaven compared to the Bengkulu Zoo and the Bukittinggi Zoo. There are quite a few terrible zoos in Indonesia.....
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It was in fact Bukittinggi where I tried without much success.
As the North Sumatra Animal Welfare with a zookeeper from Medan probably wouldn't be of much help, do you know by chance somebody over there with similiar goals for improvement concerning Bukittinggi?
 
I know COP (Centre for Orangutan Protection) has been active with Bukittinggi but obviously their scope is limited. I think the group campaigning against the Surabaya Zoo also target Bukittinggi Zoo.

What is really needed though is not spot efforts but an overall welfare for zoo animals in the country. That is what people should be working towards because then you've got some teeth to actually improve things properly and (ideally) permanently. You can "save" an orangutan from a cage but it will just be replaced next month, and what of the dozens of other animals in just as bad a need?

Perhaps best would be to contact SEAZA (the South East Asian Zoos Association) and, although it is not directly related to Indonesia, SAZARC (the South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation).
 
Chlidonias said:
What is really needed though is not spot efforts but an overall welfare for zoo animals in the country. That is what people should be working towards because then you've got some teeth to actually improve things properly and (ideally) permanently. You can "save" an orangutan from a cage but it will just be replaced next month, and what of the dozens of other animals in just as bad a need?

Perhaps best would be to contact SEAZA (the South East Asian Zoos Association) and, although it is not directly related to Indonesia, SAZARC (the South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation).
Click to expand...

At the time when I was trying (a few years back) the head of SEAZA was the director of the infamous Surabaya Zoo.
But you are right, it could be worth a try to contact organizations and ask them what they actually do about improving legislations for zoos and their animals.
I wonder who brought at last some movement into the dealing with conditions at Jakarta Zoo. According to Jakarta Post the goal is now to convert it into a zoo that equals Singapore. No joke..
And they start to have a visitor free day each week for the animals to recover.
 
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