Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Need To Know!

22 May 2012

Categories: Homepage News, Zoo Check Campaign News

The illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia is currently devastating the country's precious wildlife, and much of this trade passes through the island of Bali. In many areas the authorities are keen to clamp down, but the officers on the ground often lack the basic knowledge and identification skills to confidently pursue a legal case.

So, local wildlife charity and Born Free partner ProFauna Indonesia developed a plan to provide this crucial information to the authorities in an accessible form, together with training and ongoing dialogue, to help improve the enforcement of the national wildlife laws.  Born Free was pleased to help this simple but effective initiative by funding the printing of 1,000 posters and 1,000 booklets to be distributed freely to officers from the Forestry Department, Police, Custom, Quarantine, Prosecutors and Judiciary. Rosek Nursahid, Chairman of ProFauna Indonesia, explained "Without the law being fully enforced, the illegal wildlife trade keeps happening and threatening the survival of Indonesian wildlife".

The posters will be displayed in offices and police stations, and also in some local bird and pet markets, where much of the illegal trade takes place. This will ensure that traders know which species are protected and prohibited from trade - and will also send a message that these laws are taken seriously and will be enforced. Field officers from the various agencies have expressed their appreciation for these resources which will assist them in their work and enable them to play a crucial role in the country's conservation efforts.