As thousands of animals before this week Tasikoki handed back the many confiscated animals of many different protected species to the Ministry of Forestry and Environment and supported the transport to their various places of natural occurrence to be returned to the wild. Billy Lolowang, the Tasikoki manager also personally accompanied the transport to Ambon and helped caring for them during the transport. After arrival he also took time to educate and train some local staff about these species and their special care requirements.
Our loyal simple mini pick up that has been essential over the years to pick up so many animals from rescues and confiscations and provide our project with all the supplies for the hundreds of animals with all their different needs of the right food types from all over. Here ready to take the soon to be released animals to the boat that will take them to Ambon and Ternate islands.
People normally just see a row of people in uniforms and with surgical masks in front of some cages with birds to show the work. But so much of the hardest work is invisible. It starts with the rescues and facing off with angry people and threats. After the evacuation the vets have to go through strictly controlled protocols for quarantine and medical tests and have to deal with wounded and stressed animals first. Then the process of rehabilitation and socialization. And then to get the special made transport cages and supplies ready and a final medical check before the animals can finally be on their way to freedom. All this work and these expenses are seldom realized by people visiting the news clips. Sometimes the animals are for years in our care before we have the means and places to bring them back to where they belong. So I think the following two pictures show a much more complete picture of the ongoing challenges Masarang’s Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue and Education Center is facing to achieve this final step that we normally only see in newspapers and clips and short interviews with officials.
This time we sent back 68 protected animals of 7 different species out of which 63 were parrots, some of the most traded and threatened species that are hugely popular pets inside as well as outside of Indonesia. We still have to take in hundreds more from The Philippines for example. And the trade still continues. Without the presence of our Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Center near the Bitung hub port the trade would likely be even worse.
These two pictures below show that there will be more needed… Law enforcement has to be the key. On the right two of the dogs at Tasikoki trained to smell for smuggled wildlife in luggage at airports and harbors.
Below is the report by Billy Lolowang on this transport of animals. We want to thank all our donors that enable us to continue to stand up for nature.
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