VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Semarang Zoo in Central Java has reopened its gates to the public after being closed for several months due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Semarang Mayor Hendrar Prihadi inaugurated the zoo’s reopening on Wednesday as part of an effort to revitalize local tourism. Amid the excitement, Hendrar called on the sector’s stakeholders to implement strict health protocols and limit the number of visitors.

“Once again, I shall stress that the activities […] must be done in compliance with [President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s] procedures,” he said during his visit to Semarang Zoo as quoted by tribunnews.com.

To mark the significance of the occasion, Hendrar named a couple of newborn tigers Covi and Vivid, in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the animals were born.

“This serves as a reminder that two tigers were born at Semarang Zoo amid the pandemic. Let us pray that they will grow up to become big and healthy tigers,” he said.

With the arrival of the 3-month-old cubs, Semarang Zoo is now home to a total of 286 animals of 68 different species.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Central Java had recorded 6,346 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 543 deaths linked to the disease. (the Jakarta Post)