One portion of Anteater costs Rp 2 Million
Anteater is one of 236 endangered species protected by the government; and until now no one knows how to reproduce and raise it in captivity, said Agus Budi Sriyadi Sutito Head of Sub-Directorate of Preservation and Utilization of Species, Directorate of Resource Conservation of Biological Diversity, in a workshop on "The potential of Indonesian Anteater and Opportunity to Reproduce it," held in Mawar Meeting Room, Baranangsiang Campus of IPB Bogor, 14 / 4. The event was organized by the Center for Bio-Medicines (PSB) IPB in cooperation with PT. Primax Asia Link.
According to Agus, in 2008 anteater was already in the endangered category of animals, but many people still hunt it because of its high price. The price of 1 kg of anteater meat could reach 500 thousand to 1 million rupiahs. This price will increase when it is already cooked; a portion could reach two million rupiahs.
Agus said further that besides its meat, the scales of anteaters also have a high selling price. One scale has a selling value of U.S $1 dollar. Anteaters are now mostly hunted for the food of rich people and it is believed that it can cure heart disease, stroke, and lung disease and used for cosmetic ingredients.
Agus reports that today illegal selling of anteaters has recorded 2000 cases through the technique of mixing with exported fish to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan. "Such a crime ranks the third in the world," he said. Agus hopes through this workshop a breeding technique in captivity can be formulated for the anteaters.
Prof. Dondin Sajuthi, Director of the Animal Hospital of IPB, also a researcher and breeder of Owa Jawa, as a resource person told that the reproduction and breeding of rare animals must first begin with the knowledge of the species, behavior, type of feed, group, type of caging and environmental enrichment, all of which require costly research.
Meanwhile, Dr.drh. Khairunisa, who has been very much involved in the study of anteaters, reports that the anteater is native to Indonesia, which is very unique because it is the only mammal that has scales and does not have teeth. However, it is very unfortunate that because of the funding problem, her research was just to explore the anatomy of the animal.
This event, attended by researchers and practitioners, was opened by Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service IPB, Prof. Dr. Bambang Pramudya. (Mtd)
