Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A rare and Endemic Javan banteng calf has been born at the Javan Banteng Reintroduction Center in the Pananjung Nature Reserve, West Java. The birth marking a major milestone in Indonesia’s efforts to revive a species once declared extinct in the region.
The West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), under Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, announced the birth in a press release on Sunday (July 27), reporting that the male calf was born at 6:00 a.m. local time. It is the first successful birth at the reintroduction center since the facility opened in December 2024.
The newborn Javan banteng has been named Exploitasia by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, symbolizing the spirit of exploration and the preservation of Asia’s rich biodiversity.
Exploitasia is the offspring of a female banteng named Uchi, one of four Javan bantengs (Bos javanicus javanicus) released into the semi-wild conservation forest by the Minister of Forestry during the inauguration of the reintroduction center late last year.
The birth is being hailed as a major victory for conservationists, as the Javan banteng had been declared locally extinct in the Pananjung Pangandaran area in 2023.
The reintroduction program was launched to bring the species back from the brink of extinction, using a carefully managed semi-natural breeding system involving two breeding pairs from three different conservation institutions.
Uchi was sourced from Taman Safari Indonesia in Bogor, alongside Bindi from Taman Safari Prigen in East Java. Two male bantengs were brought in from Taman Safari Gianyar in Bali. The animals were selected from diverse lineages to promote genetic variation within the reintroduced population.
The five-hectare conservation zone is managed by a dedicated team of nine wildlife officers who monitor and care for the animals daily. Their work includes providing food, supplemental nutrition, regular health checkups, tracking mating behavior, and maintaining a habitat conducive to breeding.
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The reintroduction center was established as part of a broader effort to restore the Javan banteng population, which had been declared extinct in the Pananjung Nature Reserve since 2023.
The program aims to reintroduce bantengs into the wild, with minimal human interference. The latest birth is a promising sign that the semi-wild model is working and may offer a blueprint for other endangered species recovery efforts.
More than a symbol of success, the arrival of the calf is being celebrated as a sign of hope for one of Java’s most iconic and endangered endemic species. After a two-year absence, the Javan banteng is once again taking root in its natural habitat, offering new optimism for the future of conservation in Indonesia.
(Raidi/Agung)
