- F.A. Aziz | Surabaya Post
VIVAnews - Indonesia's next generations may only know cockatoo through a song "Burung Kakatua" (literally "Cockatoo").
According to Rahmadi Rahmad from the Indonesia Bird Association in Bogor, Indonesian cockatoos, which spread across the Wallacean area, are now regarded endangered birds.
The BirdLife International, the scientific authority of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, announces that three out of seven cockatoos existing in Indonesia are on the brink of extinction. The said species are Kakatua Maluku, Kakatua Putih and Kakatua Tanimbar. They are today forced to deal with various pressures which may harm them in the wild. In addition, the population of Kakatua Jambul Kuning is almost critical.
The main cause behind the scarcity of the Indonesian cockatoos has been illegal trapping.
"International trade which puts no emphasis on the sustainability of cockatoo population is also considered [one of the causes of extinction]," he said said yesterday, Nov 2.
Moreover, cockatoos and other lovebird species are threatened because a large area of forests have been turned into commercial spots.
"Every year since 2006, the deforestation rate is around 31 million hectares of land," he said.
Rahmadi said the three cockatoo species can be found living in either secondary or deforested forests.
However, "the three species needs dense canopy, particularly the availability of large trees for nesting," he said.
In an attempt to reduce cockatoos' extinction, the BirdLife International launches a conservation program called Important Bird Area (IBA).
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Coverage by: Ayatullah Humaeni | Bogor
Translated by: Bonardo Maulana W
Menjadi Tulang Punggung Pengembangan Usaha Ultra Mikro Indonesia, PNM Ikuti 57th APEC SMEWG
PNM hadir pada forum Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Small Medium Enterprises Working Group (APEC SMEWG).
