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Bali's Conservation Institutional getting in poor condition, as the Covid-19 hitting globally

• 18 Oktober 2020
• Insight
• Gianyar

Gianyar, NetizenBali.com - The COVID-19 pandemic has strike globally and also in Indonesia since the beginning of 2020. This situation has had an impact on all sectors, both business activities, tourism and also various other activities in nation, Fri.17 2020. 

The Conservation Institutions is no exception, which has a very substantial and worrying impact on the sustainability of animal life.

Currently, the Conservation Institutions in Indonesia, especially in Bali, is in very poor condition. It was closed for about 5 months and there were few visitors in all tourism sectors during this pandemic. With the Covid-19 pandemic, have been closed since mid-March 2020, this virus have become disrupted.

Day-to-day holidays are no longer able to meet operational expenses, to expend for feed and animal treatment, wage for staff, and other operational fees. If a solution is not organize immediately, it will cause the condition of all Conservation Institutions to become even more alarming.

All efforts have been made by Conservation Institution managers to overcome this difficult condition, including through feed substitution (feed adjustment and saving), compression of employees, limitation of worker working hours, provision of independent feed supply, and fundraising. The importance is that animals remain healthy, their welfare warranted, and that their care and maintenance can run normally.

In a situation like this, assistance and support from all parties is highly expected for the survival of animals as state assets. It requires the active role of various parties and groups, both from the government, businessmen, influential community leaders, animal lovers and the entire community to relieve the protection of all Conservation Institutions in Indonesia, especially in Bali, which is one of Indonesia's most reliable tourist destinations. Various types of relief and incentive programs are highly expected at this time.

"The Conservation Institutions need a lot of assistance because the conditions are very poor. PKBSI as the organization that oversees them of course cannot be alone. We expect an active participation from the government in the current conditions, both the central government and local governments where Conservation Institutions are located,"  said Dr. H. Rahmat Shah, Chairman of the Indonesian Zoo Association (PKBSI).

He also added, Conservation Institutions expect contribution from the Ministry of Finance for relaxation of regional taxes that must be laid, expect assistance from the Ministry of Environment for solutions to the availability of animal feed and require assistance from the Ministry of Tourism to promote all existing Conservation Institutions.

PKBSI has been raising donations as the parents animal plantation organization in Indonesia to be distributed to member zoos that are spread from Aceh to Papua based on a priority scale.

All fundraising is carried out in a transparent manner and is accountable to the public through social media.

Further explained, since the beginning of the pandemic in Indonesia, PKBSI itself has distributed relief, especially donation for animal feed needs to all Conservation Institutions in Indonesia. Although there are local government-owned zoos that are funded by the APBD (Mainstreaming Regional Budget)

"Most of them still rely on earnings from visitor tickets, which greatly affects the condition of their economic reserves, especially when we don't know for sure when this pandemic will resist," Rahmat Shah explained.

This situation caused all Conservation Institutions to experience a financial crisis. Related to this, many parties have asked where the profit funds that have been obtained before the pandemic period. Conservation Institutions have used their proceeds in addition to building new facilities and have also been used to cover needs during the closing period of approximately 5 months. The operational funds spent by all Conservation Institutions are approximately 35 billion per month.

He wishes that the pandemic will quickly finish, and can return to live a normal life as it should, and visitors can return to the zoo to glimpse the numerous animals that exist in the planet created by God Almighty, designated by our children and grandchildren, happily with family.

He hopes all citizenship who want to give assistance for all Conservation Institutions can accomplish this through the Food for Animal program organized by PKBS. All support can be given in the form of donations directly to PKBSI accounts:

Bank BNI Pasar Mayestik Jakarta Branch

Account number: 955955206

On behalf of: Indonesian Zoo Association

Swift code: BNINIDJAPMK