About Us

The idea of establishing a dedicated network for wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centers in Indonesia emerged from a long-recognized need for stronger collaboration among organizations working in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation centers. While conservation organizations, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations have cooperated for decades, opportunities for structured and sustained coordination among Sanctuaries and Rescue Centers (SARCs) remained limited.

 

Indonesia previously had a national network of wildlife rescue centers, established in 2002 together with six rescue centers. The network played an important role in facilitating coordination, strengthening institutional capacity, and improving engagement with government stakeholders. However, the network ceased operations in 2006 following the termination of the cooperation agreement by the Ministry of Forestry.

 

Over the following years, several species-specific and thematic conservation networks continued to operate successfully in Indonesia, demonstrating the value of collaborative approaches. Nevertheless, no inclusive national platform existed to specifically represent and support the diverse community of wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centers across the country.

 

Recognizing this gap, members of the Sanctuaries and Rescue Centers Coalition (SARCC), a Working Group of the Asia for Animals (AfA) Coalition, began discussions on creating a dedicated Indonesian network. In 2023, Indonesian SARCC members established the SARCC Indonesia Subgroup to explore the concept, identify common challenges, and develop a shared vision for a national alliance.

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Through a series of consultations and stakeholder engagement processes, participating organizations highlighted common needs, including stronger capacity building, improved information sharing, better access to resources, enhanced emergency response coordination, and a stronger collective voice in advocating for wildlife welfare and conservation issues. These discussions confirmed the need for a more structured and collaborative platform that could unite wildlife rescue organizations across Indonesia.​

 

With facilitation and institutional support from Asia for Animals, the initiative evolved into the development of a formal national network designed to strengthen cooperation among wildlife rescue centers, government agencies, academic institutions, and other conservation stakeholders. The long-term vision is for the network to become an independent, member-driven organization that supports the sustainable development of Indonesia’s wildlife rescue sector and contributes to the conservation of the country’s extraordinary biodiversity.