A Meaningful Experience at Begawan Breeding and Release Center

Since its launch, the Begawan Breeding and Release Center visit program has received an enthusiastic response from the public, especially bird enthusiasts in Indonesia. Through this program, we provide an understanding of the importance of conservation and release for the critically endangered birds in the wild.

Visitors who visit us come from many different backgrounds, individually and in groups. We meet Cliff Smith on 16 August 2022, an Australian bird enthusiast who admires the conservation activities that Begawan has been doing for over two decades. Not only amazed by the breeding center, he was also delighted when he sighted the free-flying Bali Starlings in Banjar Bayad where our habituation enclosure is located. He took home memories of a worthwhile experience as well as souvenirs of a Bali Starling wood sculpture and a Bali Starling t-shirt.

Besides the bird enthusiasts, students also come to the breeding and release center to learn about Bali Starlings. On 23 August 2022, foreign students from the Upskill Study Program in collaboration with the International Program Center of Udayana University visited the breeding center to learn about our conservation program. They learned about breeding, bird feeding, the process of releasing it back into the wild, and post-release monitoring. This visit was an introduction to animal conservation in Bali that they will further learn about during their studies.

Before August ended, we also welcomed lecturers from Indraprasta PGRI University Jakarta. They visited the Breeding Center in order to study the Bali Starling, as part of their research on a Bali Starling video animation which was made by the children of SMK Raden Umar Said Kudus. They gained new knowledge about the history of Bali Starlings that will be used as a reference for evaluating the animated video.

Through the Begawan Visit Breeding and Release Center program, we hope that people will be more aware of the importance of preserving wildlife birds, especially the Bali Starling. We believe this visit is worth sharing with others, providing visitors with valuable and meaningful experiences. (Anna Gultom)