Recently, social media has been abuzz with the case of a man in Bali who became a defendant for keeping Javanese porcupines (Hystrix javanica) in his home.
The man, named I Nyoman Sukena, was sentenced to a staggering 5 years in prison after being caught keeping four Javanese porcupines. This charge falls because the Javanese hedgehog is one of the protected species in Indonesia, a fact that has sparked widespread concern.
Reported by detikBali, Sukena was arrested by the police in early March 2024 on a public report. He was caught keeping the four hedgehogs in his house.
The trial for this case was held on August 29. At that time, the prosecutor uttered the threat of punishment against I Nyoman Sukena.
“The threat (imprisonment) 5 years,” said public prosecutor Dewa Ari during the trial at the Denpasar District Court (PN).
Based on the trial facts, with the agenda of witness examination on September 5, 2024, the hedgehog originally belonged to Sukena’s in-laws. The hedgehog was kept by the in-laws for damaging their crops.
Sukena admitted that he did not know that the hedgehog was a protected animal. Moreover, he had kept it for almost five years.
A video of Sukena crying hysterically after his trial at Denpasar District Court on Thursday, 5 September, went viral on social media.
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The outpouring of support from many netizens, who uploaded pictures of the 38-year-old man with the words ‘Free I Nyoman Sukena’ and the hashtag #KamiBersamaSukena, is a testament to the empathy and solidarity felt towards Sukena.
Moral support for Nyoman Sukena also flowed from the residents of his village, Bongkasa Pertiwi, towards Sukena during the two trials.
The residents asked that the man, who works as a chicken farmer, be released because they believed that the hedgehogs Sukena kept were not rare. The residents even considered it as a pest in the area.
Many residents in his neighbourhood did not know the “rare” status of the Javanese hedgehogs.
The Bali High Prosecutor’s Office is seeking a suspension of detention for suspect I Nyoman Sukena, in a case that ensnares him as a Javanese hedgehog keeper (a protected animal).
“I have asked the public prosecutor team to immediately ask for the suspension of the person concerned to coordinate with the panel of judges,” Bali Chief Prosecutor Ketut Sumedana said in a statement in Denpasar, as reported by ANTARA.
Sukena’s case became heavily discussed after netizens compared it to a case that once dragged Badung Regent I Nyoman Giri Prasta. In 2021, Giri Prasta was suspected of illegally keeping a protected animal in the form of a baby gibbon siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus).
After going viral on social media and being criticized by netizens, Giri Prasta finally handed over the animal to the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA).
Even though they both kept protected animals, Giri Prasta was not touched by the law as Sukena is now.
Why is the Javanese porcupine included in the list of endangered animals?
The conservation status of the Javanese hedgehog itself is endangered due to poaching and loss of natural habitat. Javanese hedgehogs play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They help disperse plant seeds that are vital for forest regeneration. This underscores the urgent need for their conservation.
Javanese hedgehogs have cultural value in some areas and are considered unique animals.
