ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is strengthening the role of the Bogor Zoological Museum (MZB) as Indonesia’s leading reference center for scientific faunal collections.
Established in 1894, the historic museum now manages millions of animal specimens, placing it among the largest zoological museums in Southeast Asia and within the world’s top ten in terms of scientific collection richness and completeness.
“Today, the Bogor Zoological Museum manages an exceptionally large and diverse scientific collection of animals. The collection is dominated by insects, with more than 1.07 million specimens,” said Darmawan from the Scientific Animal Collection Processing Team during TakSon: Talk about Scientific Collection Series #5, organized by the Directorate of Scientific Collection Management, Tuesday, December 8, 2025.
In addition to insects, MZB holds around 143,000 mollusk and fish specimens, more than 101,000 amphibians, approximately 91,000 reptiles, over 85,000 mammals, and around 78,000 other arthropods. Tens of thousands of bird and crustacean specimens further enrich the collection. Smaller groups—such as echinoderms, nematodes, and platyhelminthes—are fewer in number but hold significant scientific value.
Darmawan explained that every specimen undergoes standardized procedures, from field exploration and preparation of dry and wet preservations to labeling, identification, documentation, digitization, and sterilization at temperatures reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius.
“These processes ensure that the quality of the collections is preserved and remains usable for long-term scientific research,” he said.
He emphasized that MZB’s scientific collections serve not only as an archive of biodiversity but also as an essential reference for taxonomy and systematics research, species conservation assessments, biodiversity monitoring, biotechnology and health development, as well as education and public awareness.
The museum also provides animal identification services for students, researchers, government agencies, and private institutions—services regarded as vital for supporting research, education, and evidence-based policy-making.
Through integrated management, strong human resources, and internationally standardized facilities, BRIN is committed to positioning the Bogor Zoological Museum as a globally competitive national scientific collection center.
“We hope the richness of our scientific collections will continue to contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and supporting Indonesia’s sustainable development,” Darmawan added.
The Bogor Zoological Museum traces its origins to the Landbouw Zoologisch Laboratorium, founded on 23 August 1894 by Dutch botanist J.C. Koningsberger.
Over the years, the institution underwent several name changes before eventually becoming the Bogor Zoological Museum. In 1997, its entire collection was relocated from Bogor to Cibinong, housed in a modern facility built with support from World Bank and Japanese funding. (AT Network)
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