Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has revealed plans for the creation of a “Cat Island” by moving stray cats from Jakarta to one of the islands in the nearby Thousand Islands Regency.
He added that the Cat Island would be a tourist attraction similar to the one found in Japan, but stressed that the welfare of the cats must be safeguarded.
Indonesia plans to move stray cats from Jakarta to a nearby small island in the Thousand Islands regency
Pramono Anung
As reported by the Indonesian portal Tempo, Pramono said that the plan to create the island was due to several reasons, one of which was the large population of stray cats in Jakarta.
He added that reports on stray cats are the most frequent issue voiced by Jakarta residents. Furthermore, the Jakarta Governor revealed that the creation of the Cat Island was one of the suggestions that popped up when he met with Animal Defenders on 9 May.
For illustration purposes
Previously, the Jakarta Governor pledged to make the city that is friendly to animals under his leadership and targeted sterilising 21,000 domestic cats throughout Jakarta this year.
Hence, he believes that establishing the Cat Island would improve the cats’ welfare and would become a long-term solution for managing the population of stray cats in the city.
Accordingly, the project is one of the early programmes assigned to the Head of the Jakarta Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Office.
Several islands are being surveyed as the location for the Cat Island
For illustration purposes
Meanwhile, Acting Regent of Thousand Islands, Muhammad Fadjar Churniawan, said that they are currently conducting a study to determine the best location for the proposed Cat Island.
Fadjar added that they have surveyed Onrust Island, Cipir Island, Rambut Island and Little Tidung Island as the potential location for the Cat Island proposal.
For context, the Thousand Islands, or Kepulauan Seribu in Bahasa Indonesia, consists of a string of 342 islands stretching 45km north into the Java Sea at West Jakarta Bay. They’re part of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta.
So, what do you guys think of the proposed Cat Island? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
