On The Level with Jeff Hutton

Widya Boerma retraces some of her earliest memories in Indonesia as she searches for her biological mother. Widya was adopted with forged documents, one of the thousands of Indonesians taken in by well-meaning Dutch parents in the 1970s. Never feeling at home in her adopted Netherlands or in Indonesia, Widya has struggled to answer a question that many take for granted: ‘Where do you come from.’ Instead, she must define her own identity and what it means to have a home for herself. Read Widya's blog: the-adopted.one [https://www.the-adopted.one/post/an-adoption-tale-turned-sour] | Visit our website: www.onthelevel.id [http://www.onthelevel.id] | Follow us on Instagram: @onthelevel_media [https://www.instagram.com/onthelevel_media/] |

Coming out stories are the unifying thread for LGBT people everywhere. On the anniversary of Stonewall, LGBT Indonesians share their moments of self-realization and their struggle for acceptance in a country that still overwhelmingly rejects them. You are never truly alone. Happy Pride. Visit our website: www.onthelevel.id [http://www.onthelevel.id/] | Follow us on Instagram: @onthelevel_media [https://www.instagram.com/onthelevel_media/]

Jeff visits an NGO and animal shelter called Jakarta Animal Aid Network, otherwise known as JAAN on the outskirts of Bogor. Talking with JAAN's founder Karin Franken and Dr. Merry. Dr. Merry gives a profoundly personal reason for her advocacy for animal welfare and Karin takes aim at the very concept of zoos. Visit our website: www.onthelevel.id [http://www.onthelevel.id/] | Follow us on Instagram: @onthelevel_media [https://www.instagram.com/onthelevel_media/]

When Melin and Tera are ready to move into their new enclosure a staff misstep spooks the lions and delays the process for days. The incident illustrates challenges that come with turning around a zoo, which is increasingly important as habit loss pushes many species to the brink of extinction. Tony discusses a lifetime of rescuing animals from traps set by villagers. For Tony, a sixth extinction event is almost inevitable as humans clear forests for plantations and housing. Zoo animals are “ambassadors” to a public that may never see them. Visit our website: www.onthelevel.id [http://www.onthelevel.id/] | Follow us on Instagram: @onthelevel_media [https://www.instagram.com/onthelevel_media/]

The Dutch colonial era Bandung Zoological Garden made international headlines last year for all the wrong reasons. With its doors shut because of the pandemic, officials said it may need to slaughter its deer to feed its big cats. Neglected for decades and reviled by activists, the news seemed grimly plausible. But a closer look revealed a community rallying to save their zoo and a turnaround effort that is reshaping how Indonesians see animals. Visit our website: www.onthelevel.id [http://www.onthelevel.id/] | Follow us on Instagram: @onthelevel_media [https://www.instagram.com/onthelevel_media/]