REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) is assisting Medan Zoo in Medan, North Sumatra, to improve its animal management following the deaths of three tigers in late 2023.

The ministry's Director General of Natural Resources Conservation, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, stated that one of the issues currently faced by Medan Zoo is the financial aspect that affects animal management, which does not meet the required standards.

"KLHK and the Indonesian Zoo Association (PKBSI) are currently offering assistance and making efforts to improve animal management at Medan Zoo," he remarked on Wednesday.

The forms of assistance given by the ministry and the PKBSI include support in the provision of feed, zookeepers and veterinarians, improved animal cages, animal health checks, medical treatment, and conservation agency practitioners' facilitation.

Pudyatmoko explained that Medan Zoo is a conservation agency, so the management must be carried out based on ethics and the welfare of animals.

He stated that conservation agency management is focused on encouraging conservation agencies to continuously improve management and maintain the quality of management.

It also focuses on establishing, maintaining, and improving operational standards for the management of conservation agencies and improving animal welfare.

"We hope, with support from the regional government and other stakeholders, Medan Zoo can immediately make various improvement efforts that are needed for the continuity of the zoo," he said.

Established in 1952, Medan Zoo has a large area that covers a variety of natural habitats and hosts various animal species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

The zoo is currently under the spotlight due to the deaths of two Sumatran tigers and one Bengal tiger during the November-December 2023 period.

The Medan City government stated that a financial crisis has caused debts for animal feed and wages for the zoo's employees.

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