Prof Ronny R Noor: Wildlife Deaths at the Hands of Celebrities Shame on Indonesia!

Some time ago, cyberspace was shocked by the confession of a celebrity who admitted to keeping protected wildlife. In his confession, there were six children of the protected animals who died by revealing various reasons, including that they were dehydrated.

Responding to the incident, Prof Ronny Rachman Noor, an expert in ecological genetics at IPB University, said that the death of the wildlife shamed Indonesia in the eyes of the world. According to him, protected wildlife are not toys or pets. “This means that they should not be kept by ordinary people who do not have extensive experience and knowledge related to wildlife,” he said.

“In the world of wildlife conservation, one measure of success is the breeding of the animals. This means that if the wildlife does not breed and even dies, it is certain that the manager’s knowledge of wildlife is very minimal,” said Prof Ronny.

According to Prof Ronny, the furor over the death of wildlife kept by celebrities must be investigated thoroughly. If not, it will embarrass Indonesia internationally, including those who issued the permits.

“We need to trace the rules and policies on how protected wildlife can be kept by individuals. Even if the rules allow it, of course not just anyone can keep it, let alone wildlife that has become a world icon has died,” he said.

Furthermore, he said, the incident also needs to be investigated thoroughly on how the concession to keep wildlife could fall to individuals. In addition, said Prof Ronny, it is also necessary to evaluate whether the person has knowledge related to wildlife.

“Wildlife is not a pet that is just to satisfy one’s hobby. Wildlife needs to be protected and requires very specialized knowledge to keep it,” he said.

For Prof Ronny, indifference to the fate of wildlife in captivity, let alone the death of wildlife committed by individuals or institutions, can certainly worsen Indonesia’s image on the international stage in handling and conserving its wildlife.

“The case of wildlife kept by individuals who died should be a very valuable lesson, because it has tarnished the name of Indonesia in the international world,” he said. (*/Rz) (IAAS/NVA)