Kinantan is the oldest wildlife park in West Sumatra

Helloindonesia.id – Among the attractions in Bukit Tinggi, the Kinantan Wildlife and Cultural Park deserve to be the main choice to visit. This zoo offers knowledge, historical value, and at the same time beautiful panorama of Bukittinggi in one region. Its position which is still integrated with Fort de Kock, is one of the reasons why the zoo is the main recommendation.

Kinantan Wildlife and Culture Park is one of the oldest zoos in Indonesia. The founding initiative began around 1900 on the idea of ​​a Dutch East Indies government controleur who served at Fort de Kock (Bukittinggi) named Gravenzanden.

The Controleur was impressed by the panoramic beauty on a hill called Bukit Malambuang or known by the name Cubadak Bungkuak which is directly opposite the Jirek Hill, the place where Fort Fort Kock stood.

From the top of this hill, visitors can observe the stretch of nature that surrounds it. Starting from the view of Mount Singgalang, Mount Sago, Mount Marapi to Sianok Gorge are presented around this hill. The beauty of this panorama made the Dutch East Indies government then build this place as a recreational vehicle for the Dutch people who settled in this city.

Initially, this place was only built as a flower garden. But starting in 1929, its function was developed into a zoo, with the official name Bukittinggi Zoo or in the Dutch language Fort de Kocksche Dieren Park.

In 1933, a collection was exchanged between this zoo and the Surabaya zoo (Soerabaiasche Planten-en Dierentuin). Through this exchange, Bukittinggi Zoo obtained a number of collections of Eastern Indonesian fauna species while Surabaya Zoo obtained a collection of 150 native Sumatran fauna species.

This zoo had experienced a difficult time during the Japanese occupation. The Japanese army does not consider this region to be important so that most animals are not well maintained, and even die displaced. A number of facilities were briefly converted to meet the military needs of the Japanese army.

Conditions gradually improved with the era of Indonesia’s independence where this location became Taman Puti Bungsu and later became the Kinantan Wildlife Marga Park in 1995 to the present.

As the name implies, this area also functions as an appropriate vehicle to explore cultural insights. Here stands a traditional Minangkabau house building called the Baanjuang Traditional House. The traditional house which was founded around 1935 has until now been functioned as a museum that elevates the traditional culture of the Minangkabau people.

In the house of this gargong elephant roof, there are various collections of cultural and historical relics. Among them, clothes, jewelry and special Minang art tools. In addition to the cultural museum, the complex also features a Zoology Museum, Ornamental Fish Aquarium, and an art performance stage called ‘Medan Nan Bapaneh’.

Visit too : https://www.touristinasia.com/2019/08/popular-city-tour-locations-in-tokyo.html

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