Ragunan National Park, is it cheap (worth) place to spend your weekend?

Every single time,I am curiously asks my friend- The Jak (jakarta citizens or someone who lived in jakarta more than 2 years) : "Have she/he ever went to Ragunan zoo?"
Almost 90% of them said "Nah!!never!"
Previously, I think my friends are overreacting. For me, the explorer_I put my mind on prejudice that every new place always keeps theirs beauty (even closed by its badness ;p). So I decided to go to Ragunan National Park just to satisfying my curiosity soul.



Kakatua Bird

Actually, this is not a pop-up idea. I already planned this over 2 years ago, but no one willing to accompany me, So I am too lazy to went there (considering It is so far away from my place). So finally, last sunday, I went from west to east Jakarta just to visit Ragunan Park.
When I arrived in there, well..I try to cheer my self after I found how awful the parking area. the entry ticket is cheap!only IDR 8000 and the parking fare is unbelievably cheap! only IDR 500 (you can park as looooong as you want. No progressive fare!). The parking area is so wrong! beside it is dirty, crowded, -and also chaotic. The traffic is not flowing. Car may come and go from every side of this parking area. Plus, the soil is muddy, just be careful to not slip your tire.
I was enter from the west gate, and first animal I found is a huge 'home' for one Giraffe. The visitors are separated from the animal by a rounded fence. On the Giraffe spot, we can take picture with giraffe (as background only) and pay some money (i don't know how much).
Leaving there, I got confuse which road i should take. Minimum amount of signage makes me lost several time. Decide to go upper, I walk slowly and enjoying the oxygen that provided by city forest in there. The oxygen was ok, but the scenery wasn't ok. I saw a lot of garbage in there_one of consequences when a place visited by large amount of human with minimum maintenance. Sadly, people in there barely realize how important to throw their garbage in the right place (waste bin). People tends to assume that this earth is a very huge waste bin, so we can littering anything anywhere anytime we want.



Yeah, just a pig...

Begin disappointed, I walk to another direction and found a huge cage for eagle. The cage is smelly and not well maintained. Not for long, I walk again and found a place for komodo. Yes komodo, one of last ancient creatures! That was my first time I saw komodo with my own eyes. Previously, I only watch it thru television or posters. But I don't know why, the komodo colored yellow like a jackfruit. I noticed that there is only one komodo in each huge cage.
Right after komodo, I found a pig. Yes, a pig. Seriously, only a pig. Three pigs in one huge wired cage. I wonder what kind of people went to zoo just want to see a pig behind the wired cage (ahahaha...ok, i am being sarcasm here!)



Elephant with complete ivory

After pigs, I found elephants. What makes me happy is when I saw the elephants, i saw them with their beautiful ivory. In my opinion, it is very rare. At some zoos with the elephant inside, they usually lost their elephant's ivory caused by some matters. May be an accident, or just 'lost'.
The elephant is slim but he (or she?) looks enjoying his fame. When everybody staring and shouting at him, he keeps walking and stop for second play with his trunk.
Leaving there, I saw some unfinished building. The building seems built for shopping centre or cafeteria but no shop occupied in there. So visitors start to use those empty building as their rest area. A place to gather with family and eating (and littering) together.
I keep walking until I found a shelter for sick animal. I don't have map, i don't see any signage and i dont have any idea where i am and heading to. I forgot the street name, something like Jl. rumah sakit hewan. I found a shelter for primate in there and heard their sounds. I am freaking out, because when i saw it, it resembles me with a movie: the rising of the planet of the apes. Yes, I am avoiding those place and erasing my bad memory of those movie.
Beside the primate shelters, I found parrot cages and the at the left side, I found a door prize!! a 13months sumatra tiger whom broke his leg. His name is Coca (his brother named Cola). He broke his leg when he played with his brother.



Coca and his best friend

Accompanied by a woman whom used to be his best friend, coca looks calm and spoil. He bite that woman's fist several times and that woman said that Coca is joking. I had a chance to touch Coca's body and feel chill (combination of afraid and excite). The fur is not soft like a cat, I wish i could suggest him to used a conditioner just like Alex did in Madagascar 3. hehehehe....
Still have no clue where i am, I keep walking until I found a fishing pond and just pond. Pond with lot of garbage inside. The main problem with this place is way too huge so the management seems barely maintained this place. One huge cage only occupied with one animal. Comparing with Surabaya Zoo (kebun Binatang Surabaya). One cage almost occupied with many animals.
A very huge place also bring consequences (if not equipped with clear, many signage), the visitors easily get lost and tired. There are bikes rented in there but I couldn't find a place where to rent.



Lonely Bear

Almost give up and decide to go home, I found tiger, white lion, african lion and bear habitat. Once again, one huge cage one animal. The bear is having her baby and the both looks cute. The baby bear following her mom, every where she go (wish I keep one to play with ;p)
After a quiet area (from animal hospital until lion cage), i finally found a crowded once again. A field to gather peoples to watch some performances on the prepared stage. Across the field is crocodile's cage. The cage way too huge for the crocodile, so I barely see the crocs.
Give up, I decided to go home. what I feel from my visit is shame. What a shame, a very huge place not maintained so well. May be the ticket is too cheap, but i think thats not the excuse. Government earn lots of money from million visitor every month. If they really intend to preparing a cheap entertainment for citizens, I think thats noble. But if they ignore the the sanity, and comfort...I think even IDR 8000 is not worthy. We deserve something better than this or we just thinking where the hell the income goes?



Look how large the street is!!!





 

Overall, the Ragunan National Park is still have tons of potential business to develop. Huge area, popular name, easy accessibility could be selling point to attract more tourist both domestics and foreign. Yes foreign! hey!!not every zoo has komodo with given natural reserve. Ok,Government!still lot works to do ( i wish i could manage this zoo as i want ;p)
Ah ya, the reason why i don't call it zoo..because it is most likely national park, a reservoir in the city and if i may refer to the huge area of this place.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jakarta

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