Our staff, Samson, blessing the caged bird.
As the cover of the cage was drawn the eagle instantly flew out its cage and straight to the forest. The Governor of Bali and hundreds of spectators were amazed by how graceful the eagle soared to freedom. The eagle is one of the many graduates from BWRC (Bali Wildlife Rescue Center) that has been successfully rehabilitated and trained for over a year in the facility. “It was in good condition when it first arrived” says Rini, the veterinarian from BWRC, “however, the journey from being a pet into a wild animal was not an easy one”. Thanks to Humane Society International Australia for the support, this once captive animal is now again free in the wild.
The release of the Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) was part of the series of activities during the Clean Lake Buyan event on April 10th , 2015. In recent years, the Lake has been in a very horrible condition due to many factors. At first, the lake dried up naturally. Kemudian, farmers took over the dried up land to be cultivated. Unfortunately, the fertilizer that was used by the farmers has been washed up to the lake by the rain. The fertilizer has increased the amount of acidity in the lake, making it difficult for the animals there to live. “A better waste and water management is badly needed to ensure the ecosystem of the lake” says I Nyoman Mastra from Biodiversity Conservation Unit / BKSDA Bali.
The Brahminy Kite being released.
In this event, other than to increase awareness about the issue, participants also planted 1,500 trees around the lake. The tree saplings consisted of various species of trees such as pines (Pinus merkusii), kutat (Barringtonia asiatica), and mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla). Tambahan, 30,000 tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) were released to restore the wildlife in the lake. The most important activity was of course the cleaning of the lake from plastic rubbish and the local gulma called water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). The later has caused a real problem in the lake as it can grow at an unprecedented speed while at the same time increase the amount of evaporation, and decrease the amount of oxygen, in the lake. According to I Nyoman Mastra “it takes only six months for the water hyacinth to completely cover the entire lake”
About Lake Buyan
“Lake Buyan is one among three major lakes in Bali. It is situated in Sukasada district, Buleleng Regency, Bali. It is the second biggest among the three lakes which were created from several calderas. The lake is quite isolated and considerably untouched by massive tourism. Due to its fertile land, the availability of water, and its colder climate, Lake Buyan area has become the main producer of strawberries in Bali. Sadly the increase of agricultural activities in the area has severely affected the ecosystem of the Lake. Excessive use of fertilizer has promoted the growth of water hyacinth which, in turn, accelerated the evaporation of the Lake’s water. If drastic changes are not being undertaken, it is possible that in the future the lake will be completely dried up.”
