Conservation Agency Releases 74 Protected Animals Into Sanctuary in Papua

TheIndonesia.id - The Papua Center for Natural Resources Conservation (BBKSDA) has released 74 protected animals into a nature sanctuary in Cyclops Mountains in Jayapura, Papua.

As reported by Antara, Papua BBKSDA revealed that on Tuesday, July 2, the protected animals were released into the sanctuary which is located within the Asei Kecil village in Jayapura regency, and among them were animals seized by Papua Police as well as protected animals transferred from East Java BBKSDA.

The animals that were handed over by Papua Police included three palm cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus), two sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), 13 black-capped lories (Lorius lorry), two lesser birds-of-paradise (Paradisaea minor), six eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus), and eight brown lories (Chalcopsitta duivenbodei).

Meanwhile, the ones sent from East Java were two emerald tree monitors (Varanus prasinus), two blue-tailed monitors (Varanus doreanus), 19 common blue-tongued skinks (Tiliqua scincoides), three Indonesian tree boas (Candoia carinata), and 14 green tree pythons (Morelia viridis).

Head of planning, protection, and preservation at BBKSDA Papua Lusiana Dyah Ratnawati said prior to being released, all of the 74 protected animals had undergone “habituation process” at transit location for animals in Buper Waena, Jayapura.

All of them were in healthy condition and were deemed prepared to return to their natural habitat.

BBKSDA Papua also noted that many of the animals were endemic and were seized by authorities in cases related to illegal wildlife trade.

“I would like to remind everyone to stop illegal hunting and poaching of endemic Papuan animals. This is important because [such acts] will create huge consequences and losses,” acting head of BBKSDA Papua Abdul Azis Bakry reminded.