Tiger Safety in Zoos is Questionable

In August 2009, ProFauna Indonesia, a wildlife protection organization in Indonesia, released two media alerts urging the government to take more action on the elephant and tiger trade as revealed in ProFauna's investigation report (13 August 2009) and to fully enforce the law on the skinned and stolen tiger in Jambi Zoo (22^nd August 2009).

Last, 1st September 2009, the police have announced one of the perpetrators, who brutally murdered and skinned the poor tigress in Jambi Zoo. ProFauna keeps monitoring the case and advocating the government to enforce the law.

Another case that ProFauna records about the lack of management about tiger in captivity (zoos) is the use of a tiger in a music concert. Receiving a tip-off from ProFauna's volunteer in Jakarta that Melly Goeslaw, a singer who wanted to hold music concert on 19 August 2009, would bring a tiger in her show. ProFauna considered that the use of the tiger in the show would make the tiger feel stress and encourage the public to keep the tiger as pet animal.

ProFauna lobbied the Forestry Department to reject the use of the tiger in the concert. ProFauna also asked its celebrity members to lobby the singer in order to cancel the use of the tiger.

ProFauna's lobbies succeeded in cancelling the use of the tiger. An hour before the concert was held; the Forestry Department cancelled the permit for the singer to use the tiger in her concert. Finally, Ms. Goeslaw's concert went on without a tiger.