Country/Region: Sumatra, Asia
Partner: Wildlife Conservation Society
Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP) and Singkil Wildlife Reserve (SWR) are home to approximately 5,000 of the last 6,600 Sumatran orang-utans remaining in the wild. Gunung Leuser National Park is also one of the three parks that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, listed as “in danger”. Main threats to this area are illegal logging, illegal wildlife hunting and habitat degradation. A number of conservation initiatives are already taking place to safeguard orang-utans, tigers, elephants and rhinos.
This particular project proposes to undertake key interventions to increase and protect the populations of Sumatran Orang-utans and other threatened wildlife in this region, improving their long-term prospects. Specifically, the project aims to:
- Reduce the rate of illegal logging operating patrols throughout the area in order to protect critical Sumatran orang-utan habitat
- Reduce illegal wildlife trafficking by collaborating with Indonesian law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute individuals hunting and trading Sumtran orang-utans and other threatened wildlife
- Mitigate human-wildlife conflicts with the help of Wildlife Response Units ready to intervene in case of incidents
- Strengthen key national policies aimed at the conservation of Sumatran orang-utans and other wildlife
Local Partner: Wildlife Conservation Society
