Dr. J. Heck, a veterinarian in Bukittinggi; Groeneveld, an Assistant Resident of Agam who also served as voortler Gemeente-Raad Fort de Kock; J.H. Schallig, the secretary of Van de Gemeente-Raad Fort de Kock; and Edwar Jacoboan, a wealthy Dutch national, were instrumental in transforming the Flower Garden of Stormpark, which had been developed since 1900, into a zoo. The funding for this project was provided by the Dutch wealthy individual.
The influence and power of Groeneveld and J.H. Schallig, who held significant sway in Bukittinggi, combined with the expertise of Dr. J. Heck in animal sciences and the potential beauty and panorama of Fort de Kock visible from Bukit Malambuang, made the area highly attractive for development. Consequently, it was decided to convert the garden into a zoo.
The garden, which had been open since 1900, was transformed into a zoo. In Dutch, this is referred to as Dierenpark (dieren meaning animals and park meaning garden).
When examining the Fort de Kock map issued by the Dutch Colonial Government, it is evident that the Bukittinggi Zoo area was given a special territorial designation. This indicates that the area had become an important object, officially recorded and recognized by the Dutch Colonial Government. Among the many important buildings, offices, forts, city facilities, and Dutch military barracks, Stormpark was marked with a specific location. This means that this tourist attraction was indeed acknowledged and valued as important by the Dutch in this beautiful city.
An interesting development in the Dutch colonies since the 1900s was the arrival of Dutch architects in the colonies, including Indonesia. These architects can be categorized into three groups: architects working for BOW (Burgelijke Openbare Werken), responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, repairs, and planning of government buildings; architects working in the private sector; and architects working for the newly established municipalities (Gemeente) created after the 1905 decentralization law.
On the other hand, Bukittinggi was designated as a Gemeente based on Staatsblad 1918 No. 310. Thus, architects assigned to various tasks were brought to the city.
