Eagle Sightings in Kamojang Conservation Center Educational Tour
Garut – Javanese Eagle is an endemic animal which are increasingly rare. The depletion of forest areas on Java Island have made the birds that usually lives in primary forest and forested hill areas almost extinct. If not preserved, it is possible that we can only see the Javanese eagle in pictured stories, for future generations.
Javanese eagles fond of tropical rain forest which is always green, in a lowland as well as in higher places. Generally, Javanese Eagle are hard to reach, even if they are not far from human activities. Kamojang Eagle Conservation Center is a place where we can see various types of eagles up close and personal.
Among other, there is the Javanese Eagle, with its red-brown head and with crest. There is also Brontok Eagle. As the name implies, this eagle has spotted color on its bright feathers
The conservation Center that has obtained IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) standard, was established through environmental CSR program of PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) Area Kamojang in collaboration with BBKSDA West Java, & Forum Raptor Indonesia.
The background of this program is the fear of Javanese Eagle extinction. Currently, its population only 108 to 542 birds, due to the hunting and animal trading. Yearly data shown that Javanese Eagle illegal trading has reached 30 to 40 birds.
Corporate Secretary PGE, Tafif Azimudin said that the conservation center is established to ensure the preservation of endangered animals. PGE has utilized about Rp 5 billion investment since 2014.
Investment for biodiversity sustainability consist of Eagle Conservation Center infrastructure enhancement, such as: Information Center, Working Place, Quarantine Cage, Observatory Cage, Rehabilitation Cage, Flight Training Cage, and Education Display Cage.
Since its first built in 2015, this conservation center has become an education facility of biodiversity, with more than 10 thousand visits, both for research and school visits.
As an educational tourist attraction, visitors can see eagles in a temporary rehabilitation cage, discover eagle’s origin, and enjoying the nature.
Until October, the conservation center has 119 eagles, where 25 are submitted by villagers, and 20 have been released to its natural habitat.
Tafif added, the existence of Kamojang Eagle Conservation Center in PGE Area Kamojang, not only drive the sustainability of eagle habitat, but also have multiply effects for local people. “PKEK empowers people in animal rations provision, where currently there are 50 farmers with profit reached Rp 84 million per year,” he explained.
Also, PKEK has encourage people not to hunt eagles, and voluntarily submitted their eagles to be placed in conservation and released.
Eagle releasing to its natural habitat, also encourage local people to do habitat improvements by reforestation endemic trees which currently have reached 20 thousand stems.