My first time stepping my feet on Jaco Island was back in 2000, island with an area area of 11 square kilometres. Along with some other friends, we went there with an Australian-Timorese guy who had just come back from Australia after our independence. We went there by a brand new speed boat to fishing. We did trolling fishing, the boat slowly moving around the island, and finally stopped on the island to take some rest. Local guards of the island there told us that visitors are not allowed to camp on the island. The island is sacred.
With that message being told, not many people usually do stuff there. Most are disciplined when they visit the island. Go visit, swim, and come back to mainland. When we look into core of the island, forest is untouched, animals come to sight, bird sound is the permanent music. I was quite impressed because the calmness, and its natural.
The island was naturally designated as a protected area because of the sacredness and local value. Few years back, the government started reinforcing the status by incorporating the island into a bigger national park zone called Nino Konis Santana National Park. This is the biggest national park in the country, the biggest lung of the country, and small one of the earth.
However, Jaco is in a dire situation at this moment. Since last week, there have been pictures viral on Facebook showing wildlife suffering to die due to drought. Rainy season is supposed to come in November, but no yet until now. Animal such as deers are in need of water, and of course for food as well. A flock of deers standing close to the beach looking out to the mainland; they wanted to reach the mainland in search of water and food. One video I saw the deers tried to migrate crossing a 700-metre-wide sea from the island. Some could make it, but some could not. The ones remain on the island are now getting slimmer. The worst picture was showing some dead and rotten deer.
I just chatted with one of my junior high school friends who lives close to the island, in Tututala. I asked him about whether he has seen the situation in person. He said he visited the island last week and saw the situation. He told me that his brother took home one fawn. The bro would like to keep it at home, and will send back to the island after rain comes back. We started to talk about what people have done to help saving lives of animal there. He said some local have fetched water to the island. But it is not enough at all. He heard that district fire fighter department will bring water to the island in near future. Lets see!
We talked about what the government can do to mitigate such this kind of situation to happen again in the future. To preserve rainwater for wildlife in the island. We talked about building small and scattered reservoirs or big several reservoirs inside the island? This is to keep the water stock for dry season. Or is there any other alternative that you could think of?
It is necessary for the government, particularly stakeholders in charge of Nino Konis Santana National Park management to take action. Please come down to the island, to safe lives of the animal, and plan something for their future; Jaco Island and its entire live is so previous to us.
**Hope this gives you an inspiration
