Getting to Know

Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC)

The Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) is a project held by Yogyakarta Nature Conservation Foundation which main activity is rehabilitating and caring for confiscated wild animals. The treated animals are animals that cannot be kept legally, traded intact or dead by people. The Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) covers 14 hectares located on Pengasih – Nanggulan street, Derwelo, Sendangsari, Kulonprogo regency, Yogyakarta.

This information was obtained by class IX students of Tirtamarta Christian Junior High School – BPK Penabur Pondok Indah Jakarta who visited this place as a series of social studies in Yogyakarta with Stube-HEMAT students as the companions. This visit is expected to build students' awareness towards natural sustainability, especially animals and plants.

Dr. Arini, one of the veterinarians who managed and cared for the animals introduced the vision of WRC’s establishment and told the students how to handle and care to the wildlife. However, during this visit the wild animals kept in quarantine cannot be visited by humans for certain reasons such as transmission of diseases. After that the students were invited to go around and play fun games in 2 groups. This game encoureged sudents to know more detail about the various plants and trees and the kinds of insects they see. At the end of the visit they presented what they had learned.

The students were very enthusiastic to participate the activities since the beginning until the end. Identifying various kinds of trees and types of insects they saw was a new experience for them. Even more surprising when they saw a large crocodile in a cage. Some were happy and someothers were screaming out hysterically because of fear. This was something interesting for them to see it for the first time. Through Social Study activity is expected that the students of Tirtamarta Christian Junior High School – BPK Penabur Pondok Indah Jakarta are getting to know, care and love natural environment and animals. (ELZ)