July 2013

Hoki, the Crested Serpent-eagle

Two Crested Serpent-eagle (Spilornis cheela) have been placed in habituation cage. In the beautiful afternoon of Monday first July, the team including Cikananga Wildlife Center (PPSC), Wanicare, RAIN (Raptor Indonesia) and BKSDA Wilayah I Bogor conducting the translocation for 2 eagles from Takokak District up to the hill of Parabon land in Padakati village near by the Takokak Nature Reserve in Cianjur, West Java.
Before released, the animals are placed in the habituation cage for approximately 14 days to have adaptation in their habitat. The cage faces precisely to the good forest of Takokak Nature Reserve where the total size of forested area is approximately 1500 hectares, mainly consisting of production forest (under management of PT Perhutani) and the central protected area is 50 hectares as Nature Reserve (under management of BKSDA Wilayah I). After 3 weeks making observation, the inventory of raptor species in the Takokak area was found 4 different species of eagles; they are Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis), Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus), Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela) and surprisingly the Brahminy kite (Haliaetus indus). However several years ago Brahminy kites were released in this area. During the weeks spend in the forest also other species of birds and mammals were observed.

Cikananga team setting the wood for eagle perch and making roof from the grass in habituation cage

Concerning education and awareness, we had visited all schools in Takokak area to inform the students about the importance of how to protect the biodiversity in the area they live. Furthermore we also informed the local community about the project and the import roll of the eagles and other wildlife. We did this trough visiting the local community and farmers around the area. And the summit program of education and awareness was conducted in the sport hall of Takokak with inviting the sub-district head, village chiefs, youth association, neighborhood association, district police, education and culture department and also BKSDA Wilayah I. The sessions talked were about environmental brought by Budiharto from PPSC and species of raptors brought by Zaini Rakhman from RAIN. In the interactive discussion about wildlife and habitat, we had many discussed about the destruction of forest which finally threat both animal and human. The participants mostly from the Takokak inhabitant were regret about the government institution which cut the trees in protected forest without compunction.

Socialization through interactive discussion