Bulan Oktober tahun 2006 silam aku dan rombongan melakukan tirta yatra ke sebuah pura di Pulau Menjangan. Pulau ini terletak di Kabupaten Jembrana, Bali. Berangkat di pagi hari dari Denpasar menuju Jembrana menghabiskan 1,5 jam waktu perjalanan. Sesampainya di dermaga pantai lalu dilanjutkan dengan menaiki perahu boat yang berkapasitas 20 orang penumpang. Penyeberangan ini memakan waktu tidak lama, yaitu sekitar 15 menit, karena jaraknya tidak terlalu jauh.

Sesampainya di sana, kita harus melalui lahan rerumputan yang gersang dan kering. Di sana terdapat beberapa pura, dan terlihat sekali adanya bukti pengaruh kerajaan Jawa yang pernah ada di pulau ini. Hal ini dapat dilihat dengan adanya pelinggih Gajah Mada dan pelinggih Kebo iwa. Selain itu terdapat pula pengaruh ajaran Budha dengan adanya kelenteng tempat memuja Dewi Kwam Im. Terakhir barulah kita melakukan persembahyangan di Pura Menjangan.

Di Pulau Menjangan ini juga terdapat binatang Menjangan, yang bentuknya menyerupai binatang kijang. Sepertinya binatang ini hanya ada di Pulau Menjangan, dan merupakan salah satu binatang langka yang dimiliki Bali. (koming)

The remarkable island of Bali….filled with scenic rice fields, rivers, ancient temples and palaces; surrounded by beautiful beaches and renowned for fine arts, dance and music.In contrast to this beauty…..mangy and starving dogs roam freely on the beaches, the streets, in the markets, around restaurants and in tourist areas. Many of these dogs suffer from preventable parasitic and infectious diseases and major trauma from roadside accidents. Without any welfare organisations to treat and care for them these animals suffer enormously.

Tourists who have visited Bali have long been distressed by the overwhelming number of suffering dogs on the island. No-one knows accurately how many dogs exist in Bali but estimates have been as high as one million.

Many Balinese people want help for their community dogs but do not have the resources or knowledge to provide even the most basic care.

We feel the best way to help the Balinese people is to reduce the number of dogs, provide basic veterinary care and educate the Balinese people as to how they can help. We know from supporting organisations undertaking this challenge over the last 9 years that these programs really work.

We need to raise funds to ensure this vital work continues. Anyone who has witnessed the suffering and really wants to make a difference can do just that through supporting The Bali Street Dog Fund.

source : http://www.balistreetdogs.org.au/