Durian. Indonesian authorities on Sept.3 have released two banteng or bos javanicus to their natural habitat Baluran National Park in Banyuwangi, East Java.
The two endangered animal – Tekad, 6 years old, and Patih, 4 years old – were bred at a conservation center at Baluran National Park. Breeding program for banteng at the national park has been taken to increase its population and to avoid the mammal from extinct.
It was a soft release where the two animals will be monitored through GPS and trapped cameras to ensure that they can survive in the wild habitat, concerning the breeding program was in the breeding center and not at the wild nature.
“At this moment, there are less than 5,000 bos javanicus survived in the world, however, the population of wild banteng in Baluran in the last five years was increased. From 2015 forecast of 44-51 individuals to 124-140 in 2019,” Wiratno, director general of natural resources conservation and ecosystem (KSDAE) at Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry as quoted from the ministry’s media statement on Sept.5.
Wiratno explained that the estimation on the number of wild banteng at Baluran National Park is based on data analysis from trap cameras.
Baluran National Park, Alas Purwo National Park in Banyuwangi, Meru Bitiri National Park in Jember (East Java) and Ujung Kulon National Park in Banten are four natural habitats situated on Java Island.
