TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Bandung City Government in Indonesia has so far failed to find a new manager for the Bandung Zoo, also known as Bandung Zoo. As a result, apart from affecting the supply of animal feed, around 700 of its collection of animals will be translocated or moved from Bandung Zoo to elsewhere.
This condition is related to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Forestry and the Bandung Mayor, which officially ended on May 5, 2026. The agreement was valid for three months during the transitional period of Bandung Zoo management since the Ministry of Forestry revoked the permit of Margasatwa Tamansari Foundation.
During the manager's vacancy, the Ministry of Forestry covers the cost of animal feed, while the Bandung City Government pays the salaries of around 100 zoo employees and conducts an auction for the management of Bandung Zoo.
"If there is no new manager resulting from the auction as planned in the MoU for three months, to ensure the safety of the animals, the Ministry of Forestry's step will be to translocate protected and endemic animals, priority animals, and entrusted animals to conservation institutions and wildlife rehabilitation centers," said Eri Mildranaya, the Public Relations Officer of the West Java Conservation and Natural Resources Center (BBKSDA Jabar), to Tempo on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The Bandung Mayor, Muhammad Farhan, stated that according to the schedule, the process of registering for the Bandung Zoo management auction will close on May 10, 2026. They have invited 85 potential institutions or parties to participate in the selection process. "Those who have shown interest, if not mistaken, are only about four," said Farhan in his statement on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
To anticipate the low number of registrants, the Bandung City Government has requested an extension of the registration deadline for one month starting from May 6.
The manager of Gembira Loka Zoo Yogyakarta told Tempo that they are interested in participating in the Bandung Zoo management auction. They sent representatives to Bandung to attend the auction plan presentation called 'sounding market' at a hotel on April 13, 2026.
According to the Chief Executive of Gembira Loka Zoo Tirtodiprojo, after the forum, the auction will be announced openly through the Bandung City Financial and Asset Management Agency (BKAD). "We were told to keep checking, but so far there has been no announcement," he said when contacted by Tempo on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Without an auction announcement, according to Tirto, they do not know how to register, who to address it to, and what form of cooperation would be. He questioned the information and procedures for the auction for potential Bandung Zoo managers, suspected to be closed. "If that's what the Bandung City Government wants, then so be it," he said.
Prior to deciding to participate in the auction, Tirto said they want to know if the legal issues of Bandung Zoo have been resolved, such as land issues. Then the certainty about asset claims by the Bandung City Government, about employees, and the status of the animals. "Protected animals belong to the government, but non-protected animals, who do they belong to?" he said.
Read: Bandung Zoo Faces Animal Feed Crisis as Funding Nears End
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