Country/Region: Indonesia
Partner: Frankfurt Zoological Society
The Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape in Central Sumatra, Indonesia, is one of the last remaining refuges for the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan and other threatened megafauna such as Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, Malayan tapir and Malayan sun bear. Roughly half of the Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape is protected as Bukit Tigapuluh National Park since 1995, whereas the surrounding high conservation value forests – considered the buffer zone of the park – have no or only limited protection status. Moreover, the southern and eastern boundaries of the national park parts of this forest are subject to ongoing illegal logging and forest encroachment mainly due to the absence of regular patrols.
To secure key habitats for rare and threatened species outside the boundaries of the national park, Fondation Segré is supporting Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) in carrying out several activities hoping to halt deforestation and the tremendous pressure on the resources in the park. The project focus on FMU 16, which includes 23’000 ha of high conservation value forest in the immediate eastern buffer zone of the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.
The goal of securing natural forest and its wildlife will be reached by establishing an effective and efficient patrol system inside the boundaries of the FMU 16 in order to monitor forest crimes, especially forest encroachment and illegal logging. An increase in the number of patrol teams and as a consequence the coverage of patrols on the ground will show immediate impact on illegal operations, as a constant presence throughout the area will deter and uncover criminal activities. Furthermore, FZS staff will support law enforcement agents in collecting evidence in the correct manner and also ensure that all relevant information and evidence is provided to the prosecutor’s office, thus facilitating as far as possible the successful prosecution process.