Defunct Water Park in Bogor, West Java, Comes Back to Life with Catfish

BOGOR, KOMPAS.com – Those who fancy a wet and wild time in defunct water parks might just want to drop by Bogor, West Java. There they might just get more than they bargain for.

All they have to do is open Twitter to get a better idea.

Twitter account @sabiladinta uploaded a video on Sunday, June 21 that showed how the pool changed. “The Fun Park Villa [on] Blok W has been bankrupt. It has changed from a swimming pool to a catfish pond,” tweeted Sabila in the 55-second video.

The video showed the murky water coming aliveand teeming with catfish jumping and feeding, a scene reminiscent of the cult 1978 horror-comedy movie Piranha and its sequels.

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Twitter users seemed to be hooked to the spectacle, just as Piranha's audience were drawn to the movie's campy acting and outlandish plot.

To date, the video has been viewed more than 60,000 times, retweeted over a thousand times, and received a similar number of likes.

As indicated in the narration, the venue for this feeding frenzy is none other than the Fun Park Villa in Bogor.

Wallowing in disaster

Sabila confirmed to Kompas.com that the swimming pool has indeed gone to the catfish.

“I can attest to this, as I live right next door to the swimming pool, as we are in the same complex,” she said on Friday, June 26.

“The pool and the rest of the waterpark used to be thriving when it opened in the mid 1990’s because of the range of attractions and affordable price,” Sabila recalled.

“Gym teachers from schools as far as Pondok Gede [East Jakarta] even used this pool to grade their students in swimming.”

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She added that Fun Park’s fortunes hit rock bottom at the beginning of the year.

“The water park and the rest of the housing complex has been hit by a six-meter flood, after waters from the nearby Cikeas and Cileungsi have risen,” Sabila remembered.

“My family and I have seen firsthand how Fun Park managed to clear the pool waters after much difficulty and get it operating again. But then the coronavirus struck, and [their] revenues dried up because of a lack of visitors.”

Changing function

Sabila and her neighbors have known about the pool’s changed purpose from a former Fun Park employee who has since been laid off.

“The employees turned the pool into a catfish pond on their own initiative. The park’s management agreed to the move.”

In short, visitors might want to bring fishing rods instead of swimming trunks to this pool. After all, a fried catfish for their efforts is just as rewarding as a swim on a hot day. 

(Writer: Dandy Bayu Bramasta/Editor : Sari Hardiyanto)

Sources: https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2020/06/26/145600865/viral-video-kolam-renang-di-bogor-dijadikan-tempat-untuk-ternak-lele?page=all#page2.