Bukit Barisan Selatan

Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Indonesia

 

 

 

Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBS) National Park is the third largest protected area (3,568 km2) in Sumatra. The park is the main watershed for southwestern Sumatra, providing water and ecological services to local communities. Its elongated shape makes it difficult to protect, because the ratio of boundary-to-interior is so high. The eastern boundary tends to follow the watershed, while the western boundary is located close to the foot of the mountains, and, in some areas, follows the coastline. A series of protected forest areas were created to form a buffer zone on the eastern side of the Park, but all of these have swallowed up by human encroachment.

Bukit Barisan Selatan is one of the highest priority areas for Sumatran megafauna, and in particular, for the Sumatran rhino, the Sumatran tiger, and the Sumatran elephant. It is home to the second largest population of Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinos sumatrensis sumatrensis), estimated between 60 and 85 animals. Sumatran rhinos have declined at a rate of 50% over the past 10 years, largely from deforestation and habitat fragmentation. There are now about 250 surviving, most on the island of Sumatra, with a remnant population on the island of Borneo.

Bukit Barisan’s elephant population was estimated to be about 500 a few years ago – now comprising about one-fourth of Sumatra’s elephant population. However, because of the Park’s configuration and associated difficulties in protection, combined with a paucity of substantial tracts of lowland forest and burgeoning encroachment into the Park for agriculture, human-elephant conflict is high. Crop raiding remains a threat – and killing of crop-raiding elephants, using guns or poison, is still occurring. Nevertheless, elephants are still common in most of BBS and their spoor can be seen in many places.

BBS is also one of the four areas on Sumatra that has been identified as highest priority for tiger conservation, and holds between 40 to 50 adult Sumatran tigers. (Sumatran tigers are also a Critically Endangered species, with fewer than 400 animals left.)

Other species also are present in significant numbers in Bukit Barisan Selatan (including the clouded leopard, tapir, sambar, barking deer, wild boar, siamang, gibbon, and Sumatran hare) and also are at risk. Deer and pig are the main prey of Sumatran tigers, and also attract hunters. Poaching of wildlife is increasing, both from “traditional” hunters using snares and other older methods, as well as from “sportsmen”, using firearms. Firearms are widely available in the area, and sometimes are provided by the army or police. With subtle support from these groups, poachers are becoming more aggressive.

Habitat encroachment has also become a very serious problem in BBS. Over the last 15 years, approximately 30% of the Park has been converted to agriculture. Moreover, the recent economic and political crises in Indonesia have intensified the pressure on the Park, including a large post-tsunami influx of immigrants from Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. The area around BBS is densely populated, partly by post-tsunami immigrants, but also by people from Java who have relocated to the resource-rich area, adding additional pressure for land and resources near the Park. Much of the BBS buffer zone has been converted to agriculture, and some parts of the Park have been de-gazetted for logging concessions. Illegal logging also flourishes in the area. 

IRF’s Program in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

With an overarching goal of protecting and growing the populations of Sumatran rhinos, Sumatran tigers and Sumatran elephants in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, IRF and its partners fund and operate eight anti-poaching units within the park, called Rhino Protection and Units (RPUs) and Tiger Protection Units (TPUs). Since 1995, these units have been operating in the park under the Program Konservasi Badak Indonesia / Indonesian Rhino Conservation Program (PKBI / IRCP). They work in close coordination with National Park staff.

RPUs and TPUs are the front-line defense for protecting Bukit Barisan’s rhino, tiger and elephant populations. They are highly trained anti-poaching teams made up of 4-6 people that intensively patrol the key areas of the park to deactivate traps and snares and identify and apprehend illegal intruders, including poachers, and to investigate crime scenes, thus preventing or reducing the loss of wildlife to poachers. Each RPU or TPU is led by a qualified wildlife ranger who has qualifications of a civil investigating officer (Penyidik Pegawai Negeri Sipil) and has the authority to carry firearms and arrest suspected poachers. Other members are contracted from the local community. All team members receive rigorous training and evaluation before joining the program.

Elephant, tiger, and rhino populations in the park overlap considerably, although there are significant differences in distribution and abundance. The TPUs operate in areas where there are tigers but few rhinos, but the high rhino density areas where the RPUs operate also contain tigers. Elephants occur in the areas covered by both the RPUs and the TPUs so that all eight units are contributing to protection of all three primary mega-vertebrates (elephants, tigers, and rhinos) as well as other species.

Putting Poachers Away Over the past three years, members of the rhino and tiger protections units have successfully arrested and gathered evidence on any poachers or violators found in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. As a result of their efforts, 22 illegal hunters and traders have been successfully prosecuted for their crimes. Those convicted have received between 6 months to 5 years in jail, and fines of up to 1 million Rupiah (approximately $110 – a significant amount in a country where much of the rural population earns less than $400 per year.)

Rhino and Tiger Protection Units spend a minimum of 15 days per month on patrol within the park. During each patrol, they record data and information on animal signs, including footprints, feces, wallows, browse, direct sightings and other signs. All data is transferred to a database that is used to make monthly, quarterly and annual activity and performance reports, to analyze and plot the wildlife and disturbance records on maps with a GIS system, and to generate estimates of rhino, tiger and elephant density.

During patrols, RPUs and TPUs also search for any signs of illegal activities. All illegal activities, including encroachment, timber theft, illegal hunting or poaching, and forest product theft, are recorded and investigated. Evidence is collected and if possible the perpetrators are delivered to the Park Headquarters for further processing. Unit members then work with the proper government authorities to ensure that all poachers and perpetrators of illegal activities are appropriately prosecuted.

In 2004, with the aim of strengthening the ability of the RPU/TPUs and park officials to detect and apprehend poachers and follow rhino trade routes, a special mobile Intelligence and Law Enforcement Unit was established. This unit assists with intelligence gathering which has led to successful prosecution of many cases of wildlife poaching, with long jail terms imposed.

Members of the anti-poaching units work closely with local communities to gather intelligence about suspected poachers and others participating in illegal wildlife trade, and also to build awareness and educate local communities about the importance of protecting Sumatran rhinos and other endangered species.

For the past three years, there have been no cases of large mammal poaching in Bukit Barisan Selatan. Some illegal hunting and trade in illegally obtained wildlife has occurred, but the evidence gathered by anti-poaching teams has led to successful prosecution of numerous poachers and other violators.

Proactive prevention of poaching, more so than apprehension of poachers after an attempt at or success with poaching protected wildlife, is the main objective IRF’s program. The ongoing presence of RPU/TPUs in the area increases the risks for potential poachers, while their chances for a good return are decreased. This deterrent has worked well over the past years, and once an area is regularly patrolled, normally no more poaching is detected and indirectly all other wildlife benefits from the presence of the anti-poaching units. 

IRF needs your help to continue operations of the anti-poaching units in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. Visit our donate page to learn more about how you can help us protect Sumtran rhinos and other endangered species.

If you would like more information about this or other IRF programs, please email
info@rhinos-irf.org.