Uniting communities for conservation in Gunung Leuser
A team from LLF recently set out to explore the lush forests of Gunung Leuser legacy landscape in Indonesia, where NGOs and communities are working hard to ensure both biodiversity and people thrive.
Into the Woods
Our journey brought us to Ketambe research station, the world’s oldest Orangutan research facility. Serendipitously, we stumbled upon a wild Orangutan mother and her baby frolicking in the treetops. Mesmerized, we haphazardly snapped photos as they dined on a ficus. With over 11,000 critically endangered Orangutans calling the Leuser landscape home, the vital monitoring and research conducted at Ketambe is paramount. The locale also unveiled playful mangabeys and other primate species swinging through the lush foliage.
As we ventured through the rain-soaked park, we marvelled at a vividly green viper slithering in the leaves, while butterfly moths fluttered around us. We were awestruck by the colossal proportions of a tree that required a whopping 57 people to encircle it fully. This majestic giant stood as a symbol of the park’s pristine primary forest, largely untouched by human intervention.
As we splashed through the wet landscape, we were assaulted by a relentless army of leeches hurtling at us from above and below. We had kindly been provided with leech-resistant socks, but had forgotten to put them on. We quickly regretted our foolhardy choice. Even though the leeches were unable to cling to our socks, they resorted to biting through the fabric and injecting a serum into our feet that left us bleeding for hours.
As dusk settled upon the rainforest, we took a thrilling night tour to experience Leuser’s strictly nocturnal wonders. One of our team disappeared into the night in an attempt to track down a Giant River Toad, a chunky amphibian endemic to the region. Her dedication to the cause resulted in a successful toad chase, even at the expense of a full night’s sleep.
Environmental entrepreneurship
A meeting with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) team shed light on the park’s comprehensive approach to data-driven management and decision-making processes. WCS works in close collaboration with an alliance of NGOs focused on a range of issues from human rights and crime to livelihoods and biodiversity preservation. We also visited a marine area where safeguards that would later be introduced to the national park were being modelled effectively.
Our journey afforded us the opportunity to interact with local entrepreneurs and witness their innovative conservation practices. At one farm, we discovered the art of breeding stingless bees; at another, we had an insight into sustainable gardening techniques. Another cooperative of women skilfully transformed the catch from the marine area into salty fried fish snacks, which was then packaged conveniently for sale. Meeting these small business owners reflected the fusion of local entrepreneurship and environmental stewardship ongoing in the region.
Tigers at bay
Throughout our visit to Leuser, the struggles that arise from human-wildlife conflict emerged as a central theme.
The Leuser ecosystem is home to roughly 150 individuals of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, underscoring the urgent need for conservation efforts. But preservation of the species must be managed carefully alongside human-tiger conflict.
Living alongside tigers is no easy feat. We encountered numerous local initiatives dedicated to managing this complex, sensitive issue. Operating in the area are impressively self-reliant response units and community-driven surveys that identify potential threats and alert villages to tiger presence, thereby helping to protect both wildlife and human populations.
Despite the dangers posed by wild tigers roaming in the region, one man told us that there is a strong symbiosis: protecting tigers also protects crops. Big predators such as tigers keep numbers of other species, such as wild boar, manageable, which means fewer animals overall ravage farmers’ fields.
Tiger-proof enclosures had been constructed as an innovative solution to safeguarding livestock, with elevated sleeping areas on stilts and formidable fences ensuring safety of the domestic animals from both predators and heavy rainfall. We spoke with a guide whose brother had been tragically killed by a tiger, but who had chosen to subsequently join WCS to work on human-tiger conflict. This sad story drove home the relationship of trust that exists between the NGOs and local people. We admired his unwavering commitment to protect the national park, despite the hardships of coexisting with dangerous wildlife.
Our time in Gunung Leuser National Park left an indelible impression of powerful cooperation between communities and conservation actors. The complex governance structure, uniting various stakeholders, showcased remarkable collaboration and determination to conserve precious habitat while ensuring that people in the region flourish.
