Thanks to video footage taken by the Scorpion Foundation, the cruel sport known as “dugong” (or adu bagong), has been brought to the forefront and banned in Indonesia. During these bloody and savage events, dogs are thrown into pits surrounded by bamboo walls and forced to fight with wild boars until one is severely injured or dead. The horrific event has a long history and is described by the locals as a traditional celebration of hunting. Thankfully, through the efforts of the Scorpion Foundation, Animals Asia, Change for Animals this “tradition” will be a thing of the past and taking Indonesia another step in the right direction when it comes to animal cruelty.

After the Scorpion Foundation released the disturbing footage, the governor of West Java, Ahmad Heryawan, wrote to all the province’s regency heads and mayors asking them to issue directives banning the barbaric practice, saying the torture of animals was a criminal offense. The quick actions were a breath of fresh air for the many parties that were appalled by the brutal sport, including the Indonesian parliament, religious groups, and local and global supporters.

Dave Neale, Animals Asia’s Captive Animal Welfare Director, stated, “We are delighted that the Indonesian government has once again listened to the people, taken their concerns on board and moved to eradicate another example of animal cruelty which has no place in modern Indonesia.”

The good news was a reminder of the consistent progress being made by the Indonesian government to modernize their animal cruelty laws and show a more compassionate country. As Animals Asia shares, just this year, the Lembah Hijau Zoo, took steps to end the forcing of sun bears and orangutans to perform unnatural acts for food and the Kandi Zoo vowed to stop allowing selfies to be taken with their baby orangutan, along with building him a proper enclosure. Several other successes have been reached including the acknowledgment by the Indonesian government the need for standardized laws on animal care.

All of this has been the result of the amazing teamwork by the Scorpion Foundations, Animal Asia, and the Change for Animals Foundation. They continue to work hard on behalf of Indonesia’s captive and wild animals from zoo conditions, cruel sporting and hunting events, and animal cruelty legislation. We certainly hope to see more positive results to come!

Lead image Source: kondrukhov/Shutterstock