Surabaya-Indonesia

The international outcry was great: wildlife conservationists and the media vehemently criticized the conditions at the Surabaya Zoo.

From April 28 through May 3, 2014 Dr. Julia Countess Maltzan and Dave Morgan of WildWelfare traveled to the Surabaya Zoo to assess the conditions under which the animal population is living. Suboptimal conditions at the zoo had become a topic of criticism in the national and international media. The municipal administration took the criticism seriously and took over the management of the zoo. In an effort to improve the animal husbandry conditions, the municipal administration, in conjunction with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and the regional South East Asian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (SEAZA), invited us as international experts to come to Surabaya to confer on the situation. This undertaking was supported by the American Counsel Joaquin Monserrate.
 
On location, we were pleased to see that zoo management and municipal administration were hard at work improving the animal husbandry conditions for the wildlife. Proboscis monkeys and Siamangs are kept in generous enclosures that meet their needs and were an excellent example and indicator of similar changes throughout the zoo. At the same time, extensive improvement proposals were being presented on animal husbandry for large cats, bears and other primates. These steps were also designed to improve the public’s acceptance of the zoo, an internationally recognized breeding center of endangered indigenous species (Bali-Star, Babirusa, Sun Bear, Orangutan etc.).

The Academy is steadfast in its support of the Surabaya Zoo. ■