West Papua is indeed a paradise for nature lovers with all the abundant natural and biological wealth on this island. Animal diversity based on the findings of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, this country is home to 10% of animal species in the world.
Types of animals in Indonesia ranging from amphibians, reptiles to mammals can be found here. One of the areas that contribute to animal diversity is Papua. The Indonesian Institute of Sciences recorded as many as 241 mammal species found in Papua.
In addition to the listed species, there are also new species such as the Pinocchio frog (Litoria Pinocchio) that you can find here. These animals are endemic to Papua. Even so, several animals here are starting to be threatened with population due to several factors.
Starting from the loss of genetic diversity, the high mortality rate of species, as well as environmental changes due to land burning and climate change are factors that threaten the threat of Papua’s animals slowly becoming extinct.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry will cooperate with LIPI to release several animals in Papua whose existence is threatened and included in the list of animals that must be protected. That way, animals will be preserved and will continue to grow.
Efforts to prevent the extinction of Papuan animals are carried out so that the animals in Papua breed. Many rare animal hunters want to make the animals in Papua as mere display, but of course, this violates the existing rules.
Animals in West Papua Must be Protected Because they are Starting to Become Scarce
To preserve the rare animals that exist on the island of Papua, several efforts have been made by the government in collaboration with the local community. With this prevention, it is hoped that there will be no more illegal hunting.
• Pig nosed turtle
In the 1990s, the total eggs of this Pig-snouted turtle ranged from 1.5 to 2 million eggs. Based on records from international conservation organizations, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this turtle population fell by 57% in the period 1980-2010.
Animals with the scientific name Carettochelys insculps have characteristics such as a round shell shape with jagged edges when they are young and disappear when they reach adulthood. This animal also has a snout like a pig’s snout with a large hole.
• Bondol Arfak
This bird lives in Arfak Mountain, West Papua, and the Vegelkop peninsula which is located in the western part of the island. The status of this beautiful bird is Vulnerable, which means this bird will become extinct if it lives in the wild.
The hallmark of this bird is that it has a length of 10 centimeters with the color of the forehead, chin, and most of the face is white. Meanwhile, the color of the head of the nape and throat of this bird is more of a gray color.
The eyeball color of this bird is brown with a gray beak. The tail and fur themselves are more dominant with a blackish brown color with yellow edges. Meanwhile, the belly color of the fur is cinnamon.
Beautiful and Unique West Papua Animals are Often Found in Zoos
The beautiful Cendrawasih is one of the species of Cendrawasih bird that will experience extinction from other types of Cendrawasih. This bird is dominated by black and yellow. A distinctive feature of this animal is a fairly large wattle of yellow-orange color.
Physically, both male and female Cendrawasih have differences that can be seen directly. For males, the body length of this bird is about 40 centimeters, while the length for the female body varies between 35-40 centimeters.
The bodyweight of this bird can reach 242-356 grams for males while females weigh around 190-230 grams. The population of the Cendrawasih itself ranges from 1.5 thousand to 10,000 for the adult Cendrawasih category.
A typical Papuan animal that is experiencing further scarcity is the scam-scam cuscus (Waigeo Cuscus). These animals include mammals that have a distinctive color compared to another cuscus. The body has black spots with an abstract pattern.
The eyes themselves have vertical slits with red eyeballs. Both males and females have a bodyweight that can reach 2.65 kilograms. The tail length is around 475 mm for females and 497-560 mm for males.
This type of animal can be found in Waigeo, Raja Ampat, and most of West Papua. The IUCN noted that this animal is endemic to Waigeo Island, although no total population count has been calculated.
The Land of Papua is Rich in Wildlife that must be Protected
West Papua land does have many animals, plants, and abundant wealth. Papua Island is a new sun of hope from the east because the eastern region is still relatively economically undeveloped.
There are many biological riches that we must preserve and introduce to our future generations so that we can love and appreciate every wealth that is spread out more. Recognizing endemic animals or animals typical of the island of Papua is a must.
We must be able to further participate in campaigning for an activity that aims to maintain the preservation of these endemic animals so that they do not become extinct. Talking about extinction, we certainly understand in the effort to preserve Indonesian living things.
Seeing the condition of the extinction of animals and plants that occurred in this country makes us compelled to care more about the living things around us. In addition, preservation and fostering a sense of care for the environment also adds to the sense of unity.
By loving the animals more on the island of Papua, we also support the government’s efforts to conserve endangered species. In addition, there are still many of us who do not know and need to learn more about the animals of West Papua.
