Pay to Play with a Tiger Cub

August 31, 2017

By : JG | on 7:43 PM August 31, 2017
Category : Snapshots, Multimedia, Photos

Asmira, a Bengal tiger cub, being carried by her 'foster mother' Lena in the garden of Bandung Zoo in West Java on Thursday (31/08). The zoo introduced the foster parent program for rare animals to provide opportunities for animal lovers to care for animals for a year, while also raising awareness and teaching them the importance of animal rescue. (Antara Photo/Agus Bebeng)

http://jakartaglobe.id/snapshots/tiger-mom/

Tiger Cub Formula Arrives at CEE4Life in...Australia?

22August2017

Tiger Cub Formula Arrived

Cee4ife

The life saving formula for the rejected tiger cubs has arrived. We will be delivering it to Bandung Zoological Gardens soon. Stay tuned!

Thankyou to all who supported this effort

NOTE FROM BLOG AUTHOR: We have been unable to confirm that the formula was delivered to the tiger cubs in Indonesia within the crucial 2 week period.

CEE4Life Announces Tiger Cubs Rejected: Launches Fundraiser for Formula

August12, 2017

The takeaways:

1. CEE4Life announces that Silla (Syla) has rejected her cubs.

2. CEE4Life lists numerous reasons that could contribute to the rejection, including disturbance, stress and / or anxiety. Note: on Aug 3, 2017 - the cubs were removed from the Silla for presentation to the media. 

3. CEE4Life states that the cubs were "unexpected", despite being the result of an intentional breeding.

4. CEE4Life indicates that a special formula is urgently needed within the next two weeks.

5. CEE4Life indicates that they have sourced the needed formula in Australia and will deliver it on a mercy flight.

6. CEE4Life announces a fundraiser to secure enough support to care for the tigers for 2 years. https://chuffed.org/project/urgent-appeal-for-rejected-tiger-cubs

7. CEE4Life claims to secure funds for a four month supply of formula ($250) in 24 hours.

Tiger Cubs In Need

Syla with Asin and Maharani prior to rejection

This year on Eid al Fitr (the religious holiday celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of Ramadan), the female Bengal tiger, Syla, gave birth to the beautiful cubs Asin (male) and Maharani (female). The birth went smoothly and both mother and cubs were very healthy.

All was going well, but then one day Syla began to show aggressive behavior towards the cubs. Her behavior became very unsettling and it became obvious that it was too dangerous to leave the cubs with her. Asin and Maharani had to be removed quickly from Syla.

It is not uncommon or unheard of in the animal world, (wild or captive), that aggressive behavior or even infanticide occurs. Studies have found that some of the reasons big cat mothers (and other species) can reject their new born’s are as follows:

* inexperience,
* disturbance,
* scientific literature on parental infanticide suggests its part of maternal behavior where a female may adjust her litter size to suit her ability to raise offspring,
* illness in a cub,
* lack of interest,
* stress and anxiety factors, and
* lack of food

For more on rejection and infanticide, please see the following articles
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140328-sloth-bear-zoo-infanticide-chimps-bonobos-animals/#close
https://bigcatrescue.org/why-big-cats-kill-their-cubs/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/baby-animals-rescued-mothers/

By all accounts, Syla, who was born in the Maharani Zoo, Indonesia, is in very good health for a 9 year old robust female tiger. By all accounts, she has lived a relatively serene life. While a case could be made regarding stress factors upon animals within a captive environment, especially those who are not receiving correct diet, incorrect enclosure sizes, lack of enrichment, or are being used in exploitation for tourist selfies and man handling etc, Syla has never been subjected to any of those things. The cases of infanticide and rejection are common both in the wild and in captivity. While Syla is in perfect health and has never previously shown any negative or stereotypical behavior, it currently remains a mystery as to why she became aggressive to her new born cubs.

Asin and Maharani have now been removed and are being cared for under 24/7 specialist care by the Bandung Zoological Gardens Veterinarians. 

The male tiger cub “Asin” The female tiger cub “Maharani” 

With these unexpected new arrivals and turn of events, a rush of activity has occurred to accommodate these beautiful little bengal’s and ensure they remain in the best of health. At this point, the cubs are being monitored around the clock and being fed throughout the day and night. For all baby mammals, the main source of their diet in the early months is the milk from their mothers. When baby mammals have been abandoned or rejected, such a Asin and Maharani have, then a specially made formula is required to replace all the vitamins and minerals which their mothers would have naturally provided. Thankfully, Asin and Maharani had the benefit of receiving Syla’s colostrum, which is vital to provide the cubs with immune protection, colostrum has a mild laxative effect and helps the babies to pass their first stools, and colostrum helps to establish a healthy gut microbiome.

As Syla can no longer feed the cubs, Asin and Maharani, must be given a tiger milk formula to ensure they continue to flourish.

As of now, some of this tiger milk formula has been sourced from another sanctuary, however as this formula is not made in Indonesia it must be sourced from elsewhere. This unexpected situation means that there is now an urgent need to get more supplies within the next couple of weeks.

Cee4life has been able to source this formula within Australia via “Wombaroo” and “Not Just Natives” and we have ordered 40kg of the formula which we will deliver on a mercy flight in the next weeks. In a few months, as the cubs grow older, they will begin to be introduced to meat and they will continue to have milk in their diet until they are comfortably weaned. A carnivore supplement (which will also be sourced in Australia at this time) will be introduced to ensure they receive the correct vitamins and minerals that a wild tiger would normally have naturally in their diet. The young tigers will have to have this included in their diet for the rest of their lives.

At this moment, the formula is of urgent need.

We created a fundraiser via Chuffed to help raise the funds for the dietary needs of these two precious babies and to see them through to 2 years old. We thought it would take a while to raise these funds, but over 24 hours, two lovely people contacted us and now the cubs have 4 months supply!!! Amazing and wonderful!

If you would like to support the work of Cee4life please go to http://www.cee4life.org/supporters or our Paypal – cee4lifeinc@outlook.com

We will continue to update regularly on the progress of Eshen and Maharani, and look forward to seeing them grow into big and strong magnificent Bengal tigers.

Thankyou

http://www.cee4life.org/tiger-cubs-of-bandung-zoological-gardens/

A Visitor's Mini Vlog of Bandung Zoo Six Week Old Tiger Cubs

August 8, 2017, an individual posted this video of their visit to Bandung Zoo. Note at the 1:10 mark, zoo visitors playing with the tiger cubs.

Bengal Tiger Cubs Introduced to Media in Bandung

The takeaway...

1. The cubs were born around June 26, 2017
2. Silla is impregnated in approx March, 2017
3. As of August 3, 2017 the cubs are still being breastfed by their mother.
4. Cubs are not yet names as foster parents, who provides "milk and food" for a year, will name them.
5. Cubs "will be breastfed for two months".
6. After two months, they will be given "additional" milk that is to be imported from Austraila.
7. Zoo plans to breeds leopards.

Foster parents sought for Bengal baby tigers in Bandung

·         The Jakarta Post 3 Aug 2017 Arya Dipa

 Cute carnivores: Veterinarians hold two 39-day-old Bengal tiger cubs at the Bandung Zoo in West Java on Wednesday. The Bandung Zoo in West Java, which has drawn global outrage recently following a series of animal cruelty allegations, is now looking for foster parents for its two newborn Bengal tigers.

Bengal tigers are one of the world’s five tiger species facing extinction. The other four are the Siberian tiger, the Indochinese tiger, the Malayan tiger and the Sumatran tiger. “The birth process normally follows a 111-day pregnancy,” veterinarian Dedi Trisasongko, who heads of the zoo’s conservation division, said on Wednesday. The two 39-day-old baby tigers have different sexes.

The male one weighs 4.5 kilograms while the female one weighs 4.9 kg. Both are in a healthy condition and are still breastfed.

The zoo previously only had a 15-year-old male Bengal tiger, named Shah Rukh Khan, in its collection. Its mate, eight-yearold tiger Silla, was brought to the facility from Maharani Zoo Lamongan in East Java through a breeding loan program.

Bandung Zoo’s marketing communications officer Sulhan Syafi’i said the zoo had deliberately not yet given names to the two newborn tigers because it was waiting for foster parents for both of them.

He said the foster parent program was open to the public. A foster parent, he said, was given the exclusive right to name the respective animal and visit it. To become one, they only need to provide the animal with milk and food for a year.

“Programs like this are also conducted by other conservation institutions,” Sulhan said.

He said the two newborns would be breastfed for up to two months. Then they will receive additional milk. “The canned milk has to be imported from Australia,” said Sulhan, adding that a can of milk cost Rp 400,000 (US$30) and could last for a week.

Sulhan said the birth of the two Bengal tigers was the result of cooperation between the zoo and conservation institutions that were willing to lend their animals to the zoo for the breeding program.

The zoo will take care of the animals for three years. The babies born in the program will be taken care of by Bandung Zoo and the institutions involved in the loan, Sulhan said.

Dedi said the new baby tigers would only be able to be touched and medically evaluated after being exclusively breastfed for a month.

“If they are touched right after the birth the mother usually refuses to breastfeed them,” Dedi said.

He said with the success of the breeding loan program, the zoo was now looking forward to having a leopard born in the facility.

He said the zoo currently had a female and two male leopards in its collection.

“We have been working on the leopards, putting a pair of them in one place together,” he said.

Other collections at the zoo include a male and three female Sumatran tigers as well as two male and two female lions.

The zoo has come under fire recently after a video showing undernourished honey bears begging for food from tourists went viral earlier this year.

https://www.pressreader.com/indonesia/the-jakarta-post/20170803/281689729894859

CEE4Life Launches Targeted Harassment / Extortion Campaign Against One Animal World

August 2018, CEE4Life's representatives (Sybelle Foxcroft, Celia Athumani and Briony Wolf) launch and maintain (3/2018) a targeted cyber harassment campaign against Rodriguez of One Animal World and her associates, demanding money for Bandung Zoo, despite Bandung Zoo's refusal to meet with One Animal World or entertain their offer for assistance.

After months of harassment via more than a dozen blogs and social media pages aimed at libeling Rodriguez and demanding money, One Animal World serves Cease and Desist documents to all parties (www.animalrescuedeceivers.com). Additional legal action is underway (3/2018).

CEE4Life Demands Money from One Animal World - Again

On July 15, 2017, despite One Animal World's expressed refusal to work with CEE4Life,  CEE4Life posts a "counter offer" to One Animal World, on the CEE4Life Facebook Page, asking for "$900 a month for 1‐6 months". Rodriguez did not respond.

continued...

Tiger Cubs are Born

Two tiger cubs, one male / one female, are born into a life of captivity / exploitation on approx June 26, 2017. They were born under an "animal loan / breeding program" at Bandung Zoo.

Not the actual tiger cub of Bandung Zoo.

OAW Offers Help - Again. Bandung Zoo Does Not Respond - Again.

On June 25, 2017, One Animal World made an offer to Bandung Zoo. The zoo did not respond. Because Bandung Zoo ignored Rodriguez's offer, she committed the funds raised to other animal groups and efforts in Indonesia. Which included, but was not limited to, building a reading house in Sumatra that would educate the community about animals and helping to form a new NGO that would focus on humane education throughout the country.

Mia Visits Bandung Zoo and talks with CEE4Life, Bandung Zoo's "NGO Partner"

June 23, 2017 Mia of MiaWorldTV visits Bandung Zoo. CEE4Life, Bandung Zoo's NGO partner, makes a commitment to helping improve conditions for the animals. Even a child can see that the people are not taking care of the animals and that the enclosures are inadequate. Notice Mia's response to the how the animals are kept. Starts at 05:30

Sybelle Foxcroft / CEE4Life Provides Tiger Enclosure Update - Foreshadows Tiger Cubs

June 19, 2017

Rebecca Rodriguez of One Animal World Arrives in Indonesia

1. June 2017, Rodriguez arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia along with a group animal professionals. They all traveled to Bandung and met with the government official that oversaw matters related to the zoo and was granted permission to offer help at Bandung Zoo. The government official stressed that Rodriguez was to NOT to simply  hand over money and that the zoo was to be held accountable for any assistance given.

2. Shortly after permission was granted (approx fifteen minutes), permission was withdrawn, thus denying Rodriguez the opportunity to assess and confirm the needs of the animals.

3. Rodriguez's photograph was found to be posted at the entrance of the zoo, along with a statement to deny her entry and refuse her help.

4. Prior to Rodriguez's arrival and documented in CEE4Life's posts, CEE4Life informed Bandung Zoo that Rodriguez would not “join in to help the zoo” and that she was “not giving them  money”.

5. The next day, Bandung Zoo, along with the Indonesian based Zoo and Aquarium Association, held a press conference and accused Rodriguez of refusing to help the animals at Bandung Zoo and of committing fraud.  http://indonesiaexpat.biz/topreads/bandung-zoo-accuses-fundraiser-fraud/

6. Bandung Zoo publicly demanded that Rodriguez turn over the money she had raised.

7. CEE4Life publicly demanded that Rodriguez turn over the money she had raised.

8. Rodriguez began getting threatening messages on social media and it was discovered that she had been followed when photographs of her entering the government office, appeared on CEE4Life's social media page.

9. It was then reported that Rodriguez's photograph, along with instructions to deny entry and refuse assistance, had been sent to every zoo in the country by the Indonesia Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

10. Rodriguez left the country in fear for her safety but her team stayed behind to attempt to push through their agenda.

https://www.gofundme.com/sunbearsindonesia

A Visitor's Video: "Meet the Skinny Sun Bears and the Smoking Orangutan"

April 16, 2017 a video is taken at Bandung Zoo showing the elephants chained, the undernourished Sun Bears and an Orangutan smoking a cigarette (3:30)

"Silla" the Bengal Tiger is Impregnated

Based on gestation dates, Silla, the Bengal Tiger on loan from Maharani, was impregnated in March 2017 (date is unconfirmed).

One Animal World Makes Plans Travel to Indonesia and Offer Assistance

1. In March 2017, Rodriguez launched a crowdfunding campaign with a U.S. based company called GoFundMe, to attempt to help the animals in Indonesia, including but not limited to the Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo, who had been reported by several international news outlets, as being starved by the zoo owners. 

2. April 2017, CEE4Life, an Australia based non‐profit, contacted Rodriguez and requested the money Rodriguez had raised.  CEE4Life claimed to be working in partnership with the Bandung Zoo in Indonesia. Rodriguez offered to meet with CEE4Life, once in arrived in Indonesia.

3. During initial conversations, Sybelle Foxcroft of CEE4Life vehemently defended the zoo claiming that the animals were loved and cared for.

4. Rodriguez discovered the Foxcroft began contacting her GoFundMe donors through social media and asking them to pull their support.

5. Sybelle Foxcroft of CEE4Life and various CEE4Life volunteers, began commenting on Rodriguez's fundraising campaign and Poh's petition, stating that it was based on lies. Despite this, CEE4Life still wanted the funds Rodriguez had raised.

6. After the unprofessional actions by CEE4Life, Rodriguez was no longer interested in working with CEE4Life and sought to offer assistance directly to the zoo, outside of CEE4Life's involvement.

7. Rodriguez made arrangements, with the assistance of an Indonesia‐based NGO,  to meet with the Minister of the Environment in Bandung to ask permission to assist the animals at  Bandung Zoo.

Sun Bear Expert Notices Lactating Sun Bears - No Mention of Cubs Present

WATCH: Appalling Video Of Sun Bears Begging For Food At Bandung Zoo, Indonesia

7 February 2017, 10:30 am EST By Arrianne Del Rosario Tech Times

A disturbing video of painfully thin sun bears at the Bandung Zoo in West Java, Indonesia has made waves online, sparking an uproar among millions of animal activists and ordinary concerned citizens alike.

The Sun Bears Of Bandung Zoo

In the one-minute clip, the almost-skeletal animals can be seen begging visitors for food, standing on their hind legs with their arms open, and scrambling to the ground for candy, cake, and other scraps of junk food that people are tossing into their enclosure.

Worse, there is also a video showing one of the starving sun bears answering the call of nature and eating his own feces after.

The pitiful plight of the bears of Bandung Zoo has caught the attention of news outlets and netizens worldwide after Indonesia-based organization, Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group, uploaded a series of videos exposing the bears' heartbreaking situation. As of today, the video has been viewed more than half a million times already.

"When my team visited the zoo last week there was no grass or live trees on the floor of their cage. We saw a sun bear eating its own dung but when we contacted the zoo's officers they told us the bear was medicated and we weren't allowed to see it," Gunung Gea, the director of Scorpion, said.

Since January 2017, several online petitions have surfaced asking Indonesian President Joko Widodo to shut down Bandung Zoo immediately.

Video removed from the post as it is shared elsewhere on the blog. BA

Expert: Sun Bears' Behavior A Cause For Concern

"There seems to be a lot amiss with the sun bears' behavior," sun bear expert Gabriella Fredriksson told the National Geographic.

Fredriksson, who also runs the Sun Bear Center in Borneo, explained that the begging means the sun bears are used to receiving food from the zoo visitors, which is not only unhealthy for the animals but is indicative of poor zoo management, too.

She also noticed that two of the bears seem to be lactating. Fredriksson said this suggests that uncontrolled breeding is happening among the bears, which is not ideal as this results in baby cubs being killed and eaten by adults.

The sun bear eating his own feces is a clear sign of absolute boredom. According to Fredriksson, these bears are used to an extremely active lifestyle in the wild and, as their name suggests, are used to basking in the sun. She says providing the sun bears adequate climbing structures with access to sunshine is highly recommended.

Fredriksson also doesn't approve of the concrete confinement, which most of the sun bears at the Bandung Zoo share, noting that bears are solitary creatures and that they have delicate footpads that get irritated and infected with frequent contact to cement.
The Sad State Of Indonesian Zoos

The video has brought front and center the miserable condition that animals held in captivity are suffering from.

Unfortunately, the sad story of the sun bears at the Bandung Zoo is not the first. Through the years, Indonesia has gained notoriety for having some of the worst zoos in the world. The Surabaya Zoo, popularly known as the Zoo of Death, and the Medan Zoo are infamous for their cruelty to animals.

In 2015, Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry revealed that only four of the country's 58 registered zoos — Taman Safari Cisarua in West Java, Taman Safari Pasuruan in East Java, Taman Safari Gianyar in Bali, and Sea World in Jakarta — were deemed decent and proper by the agency.

The accreditation process is done once every five years by representatives from the government, veterinarians, and other experts who evaluate Indonesian zoos based on animal welfare, animal death rates, and state of facilities.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/196049/20170207/watch-appalling-video-of-sun-bears-begging-for-food-at-bandung-zoo-indonesia.htm

Maharani Zoo Loans Bengal Tiger to Bandung Zoo for "Breeding Program"

February 2017 (unconfirmed date)

"Silla", a female Bengal Tiger, is moved to Bandung Zoo from Maharani Zoo Lamongan in East Java for breeding.

Zoo Denies Sun Bears Are Starving

"Anyone With Eyes Can See That These Bears Are Starving, But The Zoo Says Otherwise

JANUARY 24, 2017 — By Corinne Sanders

When we go to zoos, we expect to see healthy animals in good living conditions, but sadly, this isn't always true.

One zoo in Bandung, Indonesia, has been accused of animal cruelty and neglect and for good reason. The Bandung Zoo -- where an endangered Sumatran elephant died in chains after being sick for a week and not receiving proper medical treatment last year -- now has emaciated sun bears begging visitors for food in a concrete enclosure.

The worst part is that zoo officials deny that they're starving. The secretary general of Indonesia's Zoo Association even said on January 18 that he had visited the zoo and found that the animals were healthy, even though it's completely obvious that they aren't.

“Does being thin mean being unhealthy or not having enough food? On the other hand, looking fat does not mean an animal is healthy," said Sudaryo, a spokesman for the zoo's operator, Yayasan Margasatwa Tamansari."


http://www.viralnova.com/starving-bears-bandung-zoo/

Wild Welfare Issues Response to Starving Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo

WILD WELFARE RESPONSE TO STARVING SUN BEARS AT BANDUNG ZOO, INDONESIA

Animal Welfare, News, Zoo's & Parks

WILD WELFARE RESPONSE TO STARVING SUN BEARS AT BANDUNG ZOO, INDONESIA.

We have been following the news about the sun bears at a zoo in Indonesia closely. Last year Wild Welfare held a small veterinary and animal welfare training workshop at Bandung Zoo in Indonesia, in collaboration with the Indonesian Association of Zoos (PKBSI) and veterinary personnel from PKBSI member zoos. We are aware of welfare issues within the zoo, including the poor enclosures and responsive begging behaviours in the two groups of Sun Bears held there.

Wild Welfare has been working with PKBSI and the South East Asian Zoo Association (SEAZA) for the past two years, supporting the development of core veterinary and animal welfare training programmes and making improvements for animals in a number of Indonesian zoos, including Bandung Zoo. We believe by working with the authorities and the zoos themselves, we can provide more long-term improvements that will benefit all animals held in captivity in zoos and aquariums across Indonesia.

PKBSI recently confirmed to us that they have in fact been advising Bandung Zoo management since March 2016. In light of the recent publicity at the zoo the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry has asked PKBSI to help further. We are informed that PKBSI have mobilized a team of vets and animal care personnel from within their membership to assist Bandung Zoo.

Following on from this our own Wild Welfare team is arranging to return to the facility in the coming weeks and alongside the relevant authorities and PKBSI, will be discussing the situation further and identifying needs and requirements.

For more information on our work please see our Core Activities and Values

Image source BBC.com

http://wildwelfare.org/wild-welfare-response-to-starving-sun-bears-held-at-bandung-zoo-indonesia/

Minister of Environment and Forestry Issues Statement Regarding Starving Sun Bears

http://cecilspridenews.com/index.php/2017/01/20/update-cruel-zoo-responds-petition-starving-bears/

UPDATE SUN STARVING BEARS IN BANDUNG ZOO 

RESPONSE FROM Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Assigns a Team to Monitor Sun Starving Bears in Bandung Zoo (January 20, 2017)

The Minister of Environment and Forestry, Dr. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, MSc., sent a statement via Change.org petition of Scorpion Foundation pertaining to the sun bear issue in Bandung Zoo. Below is the statement in English version (translated by Scorpion staff).

Dear friends

I have received and read the petition submitted by friends from Scorpion Foundation. First of all I want to thank you for the report that was presented to me. This greatly helps us in monitoring the welfare of animals, particularly those in zoos.

Since knowing this problem, I’ve sent a team to the field to check directly the condition of the bears in Bandung Zoo as well as to collect materials and information which I will use to make the right decision. In addition, a doctor is also included in the team to perform a complete medical examination and welfare of animals, including the suitability of the condition of the place.

On Monday, we will be meeting to discuss examination results to determine what decisions I would take. I will inform you, our friends, further regarding the decision which will be make after hearing the report of the team and the results of the meeting.

Thank you,
Minister of Environment and Forestry
Dr. Ir. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, M.Sc.

Massive thanks to all who have signed and shared the petition following global reports of the immense suffering of the bears and other animals at Bandung zoo in Indonesia.
Your voice is being heard!

Please continue to make your voice heard by signing and sharing the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/president-widodo-shut-down-the-ban…
http://scorpionmonitor.org/…/Scorpion-Insists-the-Governmen…
http://scorpionmonitor.org/…/Minister-Siti-Nurbaya-Bakar-As…

Sun Bears Video and Petition Goes Viral

January 2017 the Starving Sun Bears Video and Petition goes VIRAL.

A Desperate and Hungry Binturong Struggles to Reach the Leaves Outside His Cage

November 28, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts a video showing a desperate Bintruong trying to reach food.

Deer Suffering from a Skin Condition at Bandung Zoo

November 28, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts a video showing deer in need of medical attention. 

Second Video of Elephants Chained and in Distress at Bandung Zoo

November 28, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts a  second video of three elephants chained and visibly distressed.

Elephants Chained and in Distress at Bandung Zoo

November 23, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts a video showing the elephants at Bandung Zoo, chaining and in distress. 

Starving Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo in Flooded Habitat

November 14, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts a video showing the second Sun Bears in a flooded habitat.

A Child's Perspective of Bandung Zoo

October 16, 2016 Lorelei and her family visit Bandung Zoo. Notice the enclosures and Lorelei's reaction to the chained elephants and the boar's pen.

Wild Welfare, NGO from United States, visits Bandung Zoo

2016 August, Wild Welfare visits Bandung Zoo, makes recommendations for Sun Bear Habitat renovations. We did not find any public statements made about this visit until February 2017.

Change.org Jumps In

On July 27, 2016, Change.org contacted P. Holmes and expressed interest in promoting the petition.

A Petition to Shut Down Bandung Zoo is Launched by P. Holmes, United States

On July 25, 2016 P. Holmes launches a petition aimed at the President of Indonesia. https://www.change.org/p/president-widodo-shut-down-the-bandung-zoo-now

Second Video Captured of Starving Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo

July 20, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts second video of Starving Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo.

The Heroes at Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group Begins Quietly Providing Food to the Starving Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo

July 26, 2016

 

August 6, 2016 

August 15, 2016 

August 26th, 2016

September 15th, 2016

Video of Thin Orangutan in Awful Enclosure is Posted

Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group posts a video of a thin Orangutan in a terrible habitat.

Two Videos Surface of Starving Sun Bears at Bandung Zoo

May 21, 2016 Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group Posts Two Videos of Starving Sun  Bears.

Jakarta Globe: "Bandung Zoo Closed as Sumatran Elephant Dies from Neglect"

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

________________________

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.