Pora and Jalak enlisted to help Indonesian public understand the cruelty behind wildlife trafficking
Jakarta-- The Indonesian Society for Animal Welfare (ISAW) will be enlisting the help of two fictional wildlife friends to make it easier for younger audiences to picture the cruelty behind illegal wildlife trade.
The two wildlife characters are from the mobile games The Adventures of Jalak and Pora: Free Cockatoos! created by Miracle Gates Studio and NED Studio as part of a challenge for Indonesian mobile app developers on the online platform Dicoding.com, a local technology startup that aims to bridge the market's needs with the technical skills of developers in the country.
Dicoding.com allocated 2,000 XP (experience points) for developers who are able to complete the Indonesian Wildlife Game Challenge. XP refers to Dicoding's experience points awarded as part of the platform's gamification model to support the growth of a competitive and fun environment for developers in innovating and presenting their best products to the market. Developers can later redeem these points with various rewards, such as smartphones, laptops, and other prizes.
"Dicoding is committed to empower positive change through connecting the needs of society with the technical expertise of our developer community," explains Dicoding Co-Founder, Narenda Wicaksono, "The Indonesian Wildlife Game Challenge is aimed at supporting awareness about the cruelty behind wildlife trade through fun mobile games to engage younger audiences."
'The Adventures of Jalak' is a game that features the escape journey of the endangered Bali Sterling while it was being transported by poachers to the markets. In an endless run format, players are expected to help Jalak and her eggs flee the hands of poachers to return to their natural habitat.
"We hope that through this game, more people will understand the plight of the Bali Sterling and the threat they face in the hands of poachers and smugglers," says Orlando Nandito, Founder of Miracle Gates Studio, a tech startup based in Denpasar, Bali.
The other game to win the challenge, 'Pora: Free Cockatoos!' details the cruelty behind the smuggling of wild animals. In this episode, Pora the Fish is equipped with torpedoes and bubbles to free the yellow-crested cockatoos trapped in plastic bottles on the port. More levels will continue to be developed in the upcoming months for gamers to enjoy.
"By helping Pora rescue these endangered birds and helping them get away, we hope players will subconsciously come to understand that birds belong free in the wild, not in cages or plastic bottles," explains Jonathan Borisman Tambun, CEO NED Studio, a developer startup based in North Sumatra, "We are confident that together we can nurture a sense of compassion in younger generations by helping them the journey of animal rescue from the dangers of poaching and trafficking," he added.
The exciting adventures presented in both games are expected to convey three important messages to the public: 1) that wild animals are under threat of poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade, 2) wild animals are not meant to be constrained or locked up, and 3) it is part of our responsibility to ensure their survival in the wild.
"Through both stories presented in an interactive game format with entertaining audiovisual and animated characters, children can easily grasp the message on what it means to love wildlife: to set them free and let them live in the wild," says ISAW Executive Director Kinanti Kusumawardani, "This is why we are partnering with Dicoding.com and the winners of the Indonesian Wildlife Game Challenge - Miracle Gates Studio and NED Studio - to bring animal welfare education to the next level through creativity and innovation."
At a time when the illegal trade in wildlife is facing a global crisis with surging consumer demand coupled with the harnessing of the internet as a minimally regulated marketplace it results in a dramatic increase of animals being caught from the wild for trade. These animals are then transported in the most unimaginable ways of which 40 percent of them die before reaching their final destination.
"A key component in combating wildlife trafficking is to reduce demand by raising awareness through creative ways about the cruelty behind the purchase of wildlife and wildlife products," adds Kinanti, "As consumers and dealers range from all different age groups with younger segments now becoming an obvious target market, it is important that our solution be appealing to young people as well as the more mature consumer group. With the help of Pora and Jalak, we believe we can go a long way in reaching the hearts and minds of the public."
ISAW will incorporate these games as part of its animal welfare education program to primary and secondary schools. Both games are now available for Android smartphone users and can be downloaded for free on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miraclegates.adventureofjalak and https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ned.PoraSaveJacob.
For further information please contact:
Kinanti Kusumawardani
Executive Director
Indonesian Society for Animal Welfare
HP. 08561895796
Email info@isaw.or.id