Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – The United Nations (UN) has designated March 3 each year as World Wildlife Day. This date serves as a moment to raise awareness about the world’s wild fauna and flora. It marks the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973, which plays a crucial role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of these species.
March 3 was declared World Wildlife Day through a resolution made during the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP 16), held in Bangkok from March 3 to 14, 2013. The resolution was sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand, the host of CITES CoP 16, which then presented the results of the conference to the UN General Assembly. The CITES Secretariat, in collaboration with other relevant UN organizations, facilitates the implementation of World Wildlife Day.
The Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE), in a press release on Monday, March 3, 2025, stated that World Wildlife Day serves as a reminder to combat wildlife crimes and the decline of species caused by human activities, which have extensive economic, environmental, and social impacts. Essentially, the main cause of biodiversity loss or extinction is human behavior in managing natural resources and the Earth.
A growing and noteworthy phenomenon today is the presence of individuals or groups who have a strong interest in owning, keeping, and caring for protected wildlife species. A recent viral case involved I Nyoman Sukena, a resident of Bali who kept a Javan porcupine (Hystrix javanica), which remains fresh in our memory. Sukena had been caring for the wild animal for about five years. Due to keeping a protected species, he faced the threat of up to five years in prison, although he was eventually acquitted of all charges.
The Sukena case seems to unveil the reality that he is not the only one keeping protected wildlife—there are others, including certain individuals who engage in similar practices but remain beyond the reach of the law. This raises concerns about possible discrimination in law enforcement. So how is the Ministry of Forestry responding to this issue?
In fact, long before Sukena’s case went viral, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through the Public Information and Documentation Officer (PPID), issued a press release titled “KLHK’s Response to the Trend of Wildlife Being Used for Social Media Content”, dated April 22, 2020. The release urged the public not to keep, hunt, consume, or trade wildlife without permission. It also called on all members of society, especially public figures and celebrities, to set a good example by complying with existing laws and regulations, particularly those concerning wildlife conservation. Wildlife should be allowed to live in their natural habitat and fulfill their role in maintaining ecological balance.
Apart from being illegal, keeping protected wildlife without permission can pose safety and health risks to the owner. Even when raised for a long time, wild animals retain their natural instincts and can become aggressive toward humans in certain situations. Additionally, these animals can serve as carriers of diseases transmissible to humans. While the likelihood of animals transmitting diseases to humans is greater, there is also a possibility that humans can spread diseases to animals.
This shows that the Ministry of Forestry’s stance is clear and concrete—it does not merely issue advisories but also enforces legal regulations. However, despite these efforts, there are still individuals who ignore these warnings and regulations. Animal rights activist Davina Veronica, Co-Founder and CEO of Garda Satwa, has pointed out that some public figures openly showcase wild animals. Whether they realize it or not, such actions can encourage others to do the same, increasing the demand for pet wildlife.
Furthermore, wildlife collectors and hobbyists play a significant role in the extinction of wild animals in nature, as their demand drives the illegal wildlife trade.
