Surabaya Zoo Must Not Violate Conservation Law: Minister

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) - The Conservation Institution has issued a decision requiring the management of the Surabaya Zoo to comply with Law No. 5/1990 on the conservation of biological resources and ecosystem. "I have handed a decision from the Conservation Institution to the Surabaya mayor (on Aug 18) with regard to Surabaya Zoo. So, I no longer owe to Surabaya. Under the decision, the zoo will serve as an education, recreation, and animal conservation center. Therefore, the zoo must not be managed like in the past," Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan announced at a seminar on conservation at the campus C of the Surabaya-based Airlangga University (Unair) on Monday. Therefore, the cages for all the animals must be made in such a way that the animals should feel as comfortable as in their natural habitat, he noted. The animals must also be fed properly according to Law No. 5/1990, he pointed out. "Any instance of violation of law or death to an animal will attract a punishment of 5-10 years' imprisonment for the management," he said. He noted that he had received many angry tweets warning about the death of any animal in the zoo through twitter from Surabaya residents. "I do not consider myself a good forestry minister. I am, however, proud that the Surabaya residents care about the zoo," he added. (*)