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| The late Creusa "Tetha" Hitipeuw |
A friend commented recently that I was (or, well, am) the
first cetologist in Indonesia. Native cetologist, at least. It might be true. But
I realise now, it might not happen without the sheer inspiration of a person
who is not with us anymore on this planet.
The said person was Creusa “Tetha” Hitipeuw, an Indonesian
sea turtle expert who for almost two decades worked with WWF Indonesia before
her departure a few days before Christmas 2013. This post is dedicated to Tetha
Hitipeuw, my old colleague back when I was still working at WWF from 1997 to
2003, a woman so strong and determined that her departure left a big hole in
the hearts of us conservationists in this country. This post is more than a
month’s late, about 40 days actually. The Javanese believe that once departed,
a soul will still linger around on this plane of existence for 40 days to say thank
you and goodbye to family and friends. Tetha’s 40 days was on the 31st
of January, just as the Year of the Snake ended and the Year of the Horse
started. Better be late than never; I think this obituary post is still worth
it.
