"In the context of animal shows, there is no longer permission for any mobile or itinerant shows using animals, no more traveling animal circuses," Indra Semiawan, director of biodiversity conservation at the Environment and Forestry Ministry, said here on Monday.
He made the statement during an online discussion on the fate of dolphins rescued in Bali which were used for an itinerant show.
Mobile animal circuses and shows have been prohibited to protect animal welfare, particularly the physical and mental health of animals, he explained.
The physical condition of animals used in mobile circuses and itinerant shows can often deteriorate, he said. It is for this reason that the Environment and Forestry Ministry is striving to improve the monitoring of animal show practices, he added.
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The ministry has also spoken with some zoos and asked them not to organize mobile animal shows or attractions, Semiawan informed.
"So that animals can adapt to fenced habitats in their respective locations," he explained.
Earlier, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry had prohibited the display of dolphins outside of conservation areas, and set a deadline of February 5, 2020 for enforcing the ban.
During the online discussion on Monday, activist and environmentalist Nadine Chandrawinata lauded the ministry's ban on mobile dolphin circuses.
Highlighting the case of seven rescued dolphins being used as tourist attractions, and even ridden by guests, in Sanur, Bali, she said that more attention needs to be paid to the viability of animals.
"Those dolphins are living things. I just want people to pay more attention to their viability, both on land and in the sea," she remarked.
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Translator: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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