Bali Travel Itinerary

Saving a Species from Extinction

Is it possible to turn back the clock and save a species from extinction? Is it possible to successfully navigate a project so ambitious, that its aim is to return a once ‘critically endangered’ species to its natural habitat?

The Begawan Foundation’s Bali Starling Project began with this premise – and a passionate belief that that they could achieve these goals. After all, a species that becomes extinct in its own natural habitat is gone forever, leaving later generations to mourn its loss and wonder why it exists only in cages or zoos.

The official mascot of Bali, the Bali Starling is actually a ‘critically endangered’ species. Once a healthy species that flourished in its native environment of Bali, by 1998 the population was at an all-time-low with fewer than 15 birds restricted to the Bali Barat National Park in the north-west. However, thanks to Begawan Foundation’s breeding and repatriation program, a number of generations now live free in the wilds of Nusa Penida.

Over 12 years, the project has maintained the key goals of protecting the rare Bali Starling species from total extinction, supporting repatriation to its native habitat, fostering a sustainable population and preventing threats from poachers. The Indonesian island of Nusa Penida, which lies 19kms to the south of Bali, has become home to three generations of ‘wild’ Bali Starlings – thanks to the pioneering efforts of the foundation’s program.

Established in 1999 by Bradley and Debbie Gardner, Begawan Foundation was launched with a mission to encourage an awareness of environmental protection and conservation amongst Bali’s local population. Surrounded by images of the Bali Starling in bird parks, landscape paintings and numerous government department emblems, the protection of this species seemed a no-brainer. “We’ve been entrusted with the future of the Bali Starling here in Bali and we take that responsibility very seriously,” says Bradley Gardner, co-founder of Begawan Foundation. “The breeding and release program has come a long way since 1999 when we began with two imported pairs from a local breeder, Nick Wileman, in the United Kingdom.”

A key to the success of the conservation and release program has been its creative and innovative ‘training program’, which encouraged the birds to become self-sufficient rather than rely on human intervention and assisted feeding. Unpeeled, uncut fruit was placed in different areas of the enclosures, on alternate days, so they could supplement their diet by catching insects (attracted by small lights). Sprinklers installed at the top of the cages encouraged the birds to maximize their water intake, as water was only provided intermittently. This approach forced the birds to seek out water sources in other catchment areas such as tree cavities, fruit, leaves and shells.

Not surprisingly, the successful model has received keen support from zoologists in Europe and Asia. “The ongoing support of reputable zoos has really boosted our program, “says Shirley Hermawan, Program Manager. “We’ve just received another three birds from Jurong Bird Park in Singapore and Koelner Zoo in Germany has provided another 20 birds from zoos throughout Europe.”

Since the first release in 2006, an integral aspect of release stage has been the active involvement of the local community. The symbolic release of two birds was performed as a gift to the Gods at Penaturan Agung Temple in the village of Ped, where local priests blessed both onlookers and birds. Thereafter, every release has followed the same traditional rituals, with two birds symbolically blessed with holy water prior to release.

Internationally renowned for its Bali Starling Program, the foundation also works with Javan peacocks, Hornbills and Mitchell’s lorikeets (a rare species found only on Lombok and Bali). While the foundation has focussed on bird species, it is hoping to work closely with a wider range of endangered species.

“We see the upcoming International Congress on Zoo Keeping in 2012 as a great opportunity for the professional community to visit us in person and see for themselves the success of our programs,” commented Shirley.

More information can be found at www.begawanfoundation.org