Jakarta Globe: "Bandung Zoo Closed as Sumateran Elephant Dies from Neglect"
Bandung. A 34-year-old Sumateran elephant mysteriously died at the Bandung Zoo in West Java on Wednesday afternoon (11/05). The elephant, named Yani, had lain prone on the ground for more than a week and was found dead with bruises on its body. The zoo has now been temporarily closed as officials began an investigation into the mysterious death.
West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency head Sylvana Ratina told reporters the Sumateran elephant died at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The agency will conduct an investigation and perform an autopsy on the elephant while the zoo is temporarily closed, she said.
“If they [the zoo management] reported the case to us earlier, we would've sent in our veterinarians. This is a clear case of neglect,” Sylviana said. Bandung Zoo spokesman Sudaryo defended the zoo, saying that its own veterinarian had resigned last year and that they have not been able to find a replacement with experience in handling wild animals.
Yani the elephant, who was born and raised at the Way Kambas National Park in Lampung, was relocated to Bandung Zoo when she was 12 years old. Later, the Sumateran elephant gave birth to a baby elephant named Yamon in the zoo.
The conservation agency also plans to perform medical check-ups to all the animals in Bandung Zoo after they ascertain the cause of the elephant's death, said Sylviana.
The Bandung Zoo stands on 14 hectares of land and has more than 930 animals from 200 habitats in its collection. The zoo is operated by private firm Marga Satwa Taman Sari, which was recently criticized by Bandung mayor Ridwan Kamil for its incompetent management.
Writing by Edo Karensa
Yani the elephant, who was born and raised at the Way Kambas National Park in Lampung, was relocated to Bandung Zoo when she was 12 years old. Later, the Sumateran elephant gave birth to a baby elephant named Yamon in the zoo.
The conservation agency also plans to perform medical check-ups to all the animals in Bandung Zoo after they ascertain the cause of the elephant's death, said Sylviana.
The Bandung Zoo stands on 14 hectares of land and has more than 930 animals from 200 habitats in its collection. The zoo is operated by private firm Marga Satwa Taman Sari, which was recently criticized by Bandung mayor Ridwan Kamil for its incompetent management.
Writing by Edo Karensa
________________________
Huffington Post: 'Heartbreaking Moment Elephant 'Sheds Tears' Before Dying At
Indonesia's Bandung Zoo"
'Bandung Mayor posts Instagram shots with elephant before it dies.'
12/05/2016 18:18 BS Steven Hopkins, Assistant News Editor
TIMUR MATAHARI VIA GETTY IMAGES
Yani the Sumatran elephant appeared to shed tears before she died at Indonesia's Bandung Zoo
This is the heartbreaking moment an elephant appeared to shed tears as it died in
squalor at Indonesia's Bandung Zoo.Yani the 34-year-old Sumatran elephant died on
Wednesday night while laying on the ground in chains at the zoo in West Java.
Zookeepers were said to have moved Yani from her cage, where she had spent
most of her life, after she fell ill last week. An investigation has been launched but the
cause of Yani's death has not yet been established.
Keepers at the zoo insisted they did all they could, providing the animal with
medicine and consulting vets, the Mirror reported, but it has since emerged that
the zoo has been without a resident vet for almost a year.
The West Java Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA) slammed the zoo for not
assigning a vet to Yani, according to Merdeka.com.
“Having a vet is mandatory [for a zoo]. They haven’t had one for a year,” said
Sylvana Ratna, head of West Java BKSDA. Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil visited
Yani in her dying days and posted a picture on his Instagram account feeding and
patting the animal.
Following the visit he said: "If they don't have the budget to manage (the zoo),
they should seek support." More than 10,000 people are said to have signed a
petition calling for the zoo to be cleaned up.
Femke den Haas of the Jakarta Animal Aid Network has been quoted as saying
the rules governing Indonesian zoos are not clear enough, and that Yani's case
is "really just the top of the iceberg".
The WWF estimates there are between 2,400 to 2,800 Sumatran elephants
left in the wild. The animal is classified as critically endangered by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature.
