TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, welcomed the first birth of a panda cub in Indonesia. The announcement of this birth was made during the 'Public Announcement The 1st Giant Panda Cub Born in Indonesia' event at Taman Safari Indonesia, Bogor, on Tuesday, January 6, 2025.
At this event, Raja Juli and the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Indonesia H.E. Wang Lutong, accompanied by the founder of Taman Safari Indonesia, Jansen Manansang, observed the panda cub at the Panda Palace of Taman Safari Indonesia.
"This is a joyful day because today marks the 40th day since the birth of the panda cub in Indonesia," said Raja Juli Antoni, quoted from a press release on Wednesday, January 7, 2025.
Raja Juli stated that the presence of the panda cub is not just a mere animal birth, but solid evidence of the sustainable environmental diplomacy cooperation and international scientific collaboration between Indonesia and the People's Republic of China.
"The birth of the panda cub is not only good news for Indonesia, but also for the world. It reaffirms that conservation can go hand in hand with diplomacy, inter-state friendship, and scientific progress," he said.
The giant panda cub from the pair Cai To (male) and Hu Chun (female) was directly named by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as 'Satrio Wiratama', written in Mandarin as Li Ao, from the nickname Rio.
"The birth of the panda cub, given a name by President Prabowo Subianto, is a very beautiful and meaningful name, Satrio Wiratama. Satrio means a knight, brave, noble, and honorable," said Raja Juli.
According to him, the presence of pandas in Indonesia is the result of the efforts of three Indonesian Presidents, namely Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Joko Widodo, and Prabowo.
"Efforts to bring Rio's parents to Indonesia have been made since the time of President SBY. It was accepted in 2017 by President Joko Widodo and finally gave birth to Rio during the time of President Prabowo Subianto," he said.
Chinese Ambassador Wang Lutong said the birth of Rio had been reported to the Chinese President, and he was very proud of this achievement. "Rio will bring more success and luck to the President and the people of Indonesia," he said.
The founder of Taman Safari Indonesia Group and the initiator of the panda conservation program in Indonesia, Jansen Manansang, said Rio's birth is a symbol of the success of conservation in Indonesia.
"Taman Safari Indonesia prioritizes four aspects, namely deepening international ecological cooperation, integrating cross-culturalism, promoting scientific research and cross-border technology, and promoting industrial development," said Jansen.
Read: Prabowo Shows Photographs of Panda Cub to China's Wang Huning in Jakarta Visit
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