Indonesian NGO calls for release of undernourished sun bears in zoo after viral video

Record ID: 164933

  • Title: Indonesian NGO calls for release of undernourished sun bears in zoo after viral video
  • Date: 19th January 2017
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JANUARY 19, 2017) (REUTERS) SENIOR INVESTIGATOR FOR SCORPION WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING GROUP, MARISON GUCIANO, SITTING AT DESK GUCIANO LOOKING AT LAPTOP SCREEN SHOWING SUN BEAR BEGGING FOR FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) SENIOR INVESTIGATOR FOR SCORPION WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING GROUP, MARISON GUCIANO, SAYING: "The first and most important step is we check their health, if they're sick we should treat them. Now, looking at the background of this case, which has been ongoing for six months, we hope that these bears can be released from the cages of Bandung Zoo."
  • Embargoed: 2nd February 2017 10:33
  • Keywords: Bandung zoo sun bears Indonesia undernourished animal rights bear
  • Location: JAKARTA / BANDUNG, WEST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA
  • City: JAKARTA / BANDUNG, WEST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA0025ZQX745
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: An Indonesian wildlife group on Thursday (January 19) called for authorities to release captive sun bears it alleges are undernourished in a zoo close to the capital Jakarta, the latest in a string of alleged animal cruelty cases in the country.
    A video released by Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group went viral this week after showing seemingly emaciated sun bears waiting for visitors to throw food into their concrete enclosures. Sun bears are listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s "Red List".
    "The first and most important step is we check their health, if they're sick we should treat them," said the group's senior investigator Marison Guciano. "Now, looking at the background of this case, which has been ongoing for six months, we hope that these bears can be released from the cages of Bandung Zoo."
    Bandung Zoo, which is privately-owned and located in Indonesia's third-largest city, has denied the allegations. "We have had people from the National Conservation Agency come to check the bears this morning, they photographed all 11 bears, and all of them are said to be healthy," the zoo's spokesman, Sudaryo, told reporters on Thursday.
    One visitor, Arna, thought otherwise; "It's so sad to see the bears in this condition, they're skinnier than the ones in Taman Safari or Ragunan Zoo. You can also see their ribs when they stand up."
    The illegal wildlife trade is rampant in Indonesia, and wildlife activists frequently blame lax law enforcement.
    "The result of our monitoring is that we found cases of animal cruelty by zookeepers in a lot of zoos in Indonesia," Guciano said.
    Bandung Zoo was in the spotlight just last year when an elephant, known as Yani, allegedly died due to neglect.
    Dozens of animals allegedly suffered the same fate in a zoo in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, which has since become known as the 'zoo of death'.
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