Criticism of Indonesian zoos is high, with frequent circulation within the media and social media of facilities that are listed as some of the worst zoos in the world. Wild Welfare partners with Indonesian zoos, tackling animal welfare issues and instead of allowing the distressing images and conversations to detract from efforts to help animals, we create positive relationships that can lead to welfare improvements.
Indonesia is a country of more than 2,000 individual islands, which together represent some of the planet’s most important biodiversity hotspots. There are more than 60 captive wild animal facilities registered with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, spread across the islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, more than 50 of which are members of the country’s regional zoo association – the Indonesian Zoo Association (PKBSI).
Wild Welfare partners with PKBSI to improve welfare for the country’s zoo animals, through training, zoo assessments and ongoing practical support to individual facilities. We provide behavioral management and veterinary through workshops delivered directly to zoo staff.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry and PKBSI have established a grading system for wild animal collections, which includes zoos, safari parks and aquariums and the main issues associated with the prevalence of facilities that grade low, is a result of outdated animal enclosure design (many zoos are the original ones from Dutch colonial times) and poor levels of professional standards, leading to the very poor standards of animal welfare.
Wild Welfare has offered support to Bandung Zoo, Ragunan Zoo and Surabaya Zoo, giving recommendations. In 2019, Wild Welfare US Executive Director, Margaret Whittaker, joined Wild Welfare’s Field Director, Dave Morgan, at the Lampung Zoo to deliver a workshop focused on animal welfare concepts and the application behavioral management, and veterinary practices for veterinarians and managers. This was supported by a partnership with The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education – part of the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in the UK, the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (PDHI) and PKBSI, offering veterinary training to veterinarians from PKBSI zoos.
Our work in Indonesia is focused on practical animal welfare training and capacity building, so facilities across the country can improve their care and welfare standards for the future, and our projects have a positive overlap with our collaboration with the South East Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association (SEAZA), as several Indonesian zoos are SEAZA members and are committed to meeting and exceeding the high animal care and management standards their welfare certification program will set out.