At first, it appears to be like like simply one other clump of leaves. A big clump of leaves, however in any other case unremarkable on this dense forest. Look nearer.
As I pressure my eyes, this isn’t simply one other rainforest plant. You may see the leaves and branches have been constructed as a platform. It’s been rigorously constructed, virtually like a hammock excessive above the rainforest ground. An orangutan nest.
Our little group has been on a hilly hike by rainforest in Kalimantan, Borneo. Up to now, we haven’t actually seen any wildlife, apart from the ever-present leeches that connect themselves to our legs. On this thick forest, seeing wild mammals or birds requires time, endurance and luck. However the indicators are right here.
If orangutans are largely out of sight, they’re not out of thoughts. I’m visiting a number of websites in East Kalimantan with TNC’s company accomplice Arhaus. Arhaus has made a dedication to assist preserve important rainforest habitat, and a key element of that’s guaranteeing a future for orangutans.
Orangutans, the one nice ape discovered outdoors Africa, are a spotlight of conservation efforts in Borneo. For those who comply with wildlife or conservation, you probably know that the information for orangutans isn’t usually good. They’re usually listed alongside black rhinos, tigers and different charismatic species that face a deadly future.
That’s as a result of orangutan populations have declined since 1960 as habitat shrank. As extra Indonesian forest is developed for infrastructure, mining, agriculture and different functions, this development will probably proceed.
However this isn’t a doom-and-gloom story. Whereas orangutans face very actual threats, the rationale why I’m right here is to see causes for hope. With science, robust governmental safety coverage, group partnerships and land safety, orangutans and the rainforests they depend on can have a hopeful future right here in Kalimantan.
It Takes a Village
Indonesian Borneo is residence to just about three-quarters of the world’s remaining wild orangutans. However a lot of their forest is logged and cleared (usually illegally) for coal mines and oil palm plantations. The biodiversity in such areas is lowered to solely probably the most adaptable species. And animals that do stray into these areas are often killed or captured for commerce, consumption or on account of competitors.
The Nature Conservancy is working with its most important native Indonesian accomplice, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) to safe the orangutan’s future. This requires a wide range of conservation actions at a wide range of scales. However first, conservationists should know what areas are being utilized by orangutans and, then, if conservation actions are literally making a distinction.
This isn’t straightforward. As we’d discover throughout our journey, orangutans don’t parade round within the open. “They’re shy animals,” says Arif Rifqi, YKAN’s endangered species habitat undertaking specialist. “You may’t simply go stroll within the rainforest and depend them. However you possibly can depend their nests.”
Researchers have developed a strategy for utilizing nests to make correct orangutan inhabitants estimates. It isn’t so simple as going out and discovering nests. It’s a must to decide how usually orangutans construct nests (in Kalimantan, it’s as soon as a day), the proportionate variety of nest builders within the inhabitants and the way shortly the nests decay.
Research discovered that 78 p.c of orangutans have been discovered round villages. To preserve orangutans, you want wholesome forest. However you additionally want partnerships with native communities.
Orangutan counts in 2016 discovered the very best East Bornean orangutan densities in East Kalimantan have been in Kutai Nationwide Park, coincidentally the one place we noticed a wild orangutan throughout our journey.
Surrounding forest offers crucial connections that may allow orangutan populations to persist. That’s the reason YKAN has labored with native villages on forest safety, administration and enforcement. One such group is the Nehas Liah Bing, the biggest village of the Dayak Wehea group.
This has resulted in a 29,000-hectare protected space in addition to sustainable administration of 532,000 hectares of forest in a wider panorama.
“The Wehea panorama helps among the finest habitat for this orangutan subspecies,” says Rifqi. “The habitat is there to assist orangutan populations. The subsequent step is guaranteeing group assist.”
Guardians of the Forest
From years of finding out and dealing to preserve orangutans, Rifqi is aware of that simply declaring an space as “protected” isn’t sufficient. One necessary element is mitigating human-orangutan battle. When land is developed, orangutans could stick round, however quickly discover themselves in bother once they raid village fruits and crops.
“Feminine orangutans, specifically, keep within the forest the place they grew up, even when it was transformed,” says Rifqi. “This results in human-orangutan battle. We’ve been coaching native individuals tips on how to cope with that.”
This consists of communication campaigns and relocation of orangutans if needed.
One other necessary element is ensuring forests are adequately protected. TNC developed the preliminary panorama evaluation at Wehea however knew that was simply step one. Local people members have been educated to be Forest Guardians, actively patrolling the protected forest for unlawful clearing or poaching.
“These Forest Guardians are additionally educated in biodiversity monitoring,” says Rifqi. “They’re educated to evaluate habitat and report information. These guardians are guaranteeing that the protected forest is definitely protected.”
Eddie Sport, lead scientist and director of conservation for TNC’s Asia Pacific Area, agrees. “Rangers make an enormous distinction,” he says. “In a forest with out rangers, you usually have little areas of forest being cleared for agriculture. This provides up. On the edges of many concessions round Wehea, you can even see searching stress.”
“An Extremely Nicely-Managed Forest”
A couple of years in the past, on account of altering timber markets, a lot of non-public logging concessions merely ceased logging operations. Excellent news for the forest, proper?
Not fairly.
Analysis discovered that when logging corporations moved out, biodiversity truly decreased on these concession lands. How may that be attainable?
The logging corporations have been working underneath rules and in addition had an lively presence within the forest. Once they left, with nobody to implement rules, there was small-scale land clearing for crops, and poaching.
“It turns into nobody’s land, turns into a free-for-all,” says Eddie Sport, lead scientist and director of conservation for TNC’s Asia-Pacific Area. “When logging concessions grew to become inactive, it resulted in additional forest loss.”
In some circumstances, Sport says, after the preliminary small-scale clearing, the land was then opened up for full-scale palm oil plantations.
“That is the core place to begin that made us notice that managed logging concessions needed to be a part of the longer term right here, for the forest, for the group and for orangutans,” Sport says.
TNC and YKAN have developed a strategy referred to as Decreased Influence Logging for Local weather Change Mitigation (RIL-C) and educated a number of logging concessions on RIL-C implementation
“RIL-C logging has confirmed to attenuate the impacts of logging alternatives on a wholesome forest and cut back carbon emissions from logging actions,” says Rifqi.
It’s additionally carried out in ways in which decrease impacts on orangutans. “The logging is carried out selectively so it doesn’t destroy orangutan habitat,” says Rifqi. “The concessions aren’t slicing the bushes that orangutans want for fruit and figs. We wish to handle the forest in a means that advantages the group whereas minimizing impacts on biodiversity.”
The general imaginative and prescient for this space of Kalimantan – an space that features Wehea and logging concessions – is for a linked, wholesome forested that helps native communities and the place orangutans and different wildlife thrive.
“Proof reveals that if we’re in a position to shield a couple of of those concessions plus Wehea, you just about assure the survival of this subspecies of orangutan,” says Sport.
It’s not usually the place conservation can create such a tangible and lasting future for a big, charismatic and endangered species. It’s in no small half as a result of YKAN’s conservation planning took a landscape-scale strategy in addressing the difficulty.
Orangutans get loads of the eye right here. On our journey, we spend time searching for them, peering up at their nests, speaking about them, discussing their conservation. However the orangutan is simply probably the most well-known species right here. By taking this multi-faceted strategy in addressing the problems orangutans face, it’s actually shaping a extra hopeful future for the entire panorama.
“You’re not simply saving orangutans with the analysis, enforcement and sustainable administration,” says Sport. “You’re guaranteeing the way forward for the forest. There are going to be loads of species that profit, species that wouldn’t be right here with out these actions. There may be the chance for this to be an extremely well-managed forest.”
