Establishment of a new Orangutan population in, and protection of, the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.
Visit the project's website for more information www.orangutan-lifeboat.de

The Indonesian rain forests are among the designated global megadiversity regions, but forest destruction on the different islands is extremely severe and fast. Thus, despite very complex conditions, there is a dire need for action. At the end of 2002, the reintroduction centre for confiscated orangutans on Sumatra was opened and the first individuals could be released into the forests of the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. As well as re-introducing confiscated Orang-Utans back into the wild, which has become routine, the main aim of this project is to protect the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. Emphasis of the project lies with the support of the park authorities to safeguard the area, as illegal deforestation actions do not stop within national park boundaries. Rangerposts are to be constructed and equipped and rangers are to be educated. In collaboration with the Jambi Province administration and our partner organisation PanEco, a land use plan for the southern park border was developed to decrease the pressure on the protected area. Additionally, people are educated about the orangutan reintroduction actions to avoid potential conflicts between the local communities and the red apes.

FZS, together with other organisations, is also involved in conserving the forest surrounding the national park, which is made up of well-preserved secondary forest and in the northern part includes an important elephant habitat. This coming year, financial support from the Australian Orangutan Initiative will enable the ranger patrols to be increased to ten. The Australia Zoo is funding the erection of a conservation centre on the park border, which will include a ranger school, an environmental education unit and accommodation for scientists and other visitors. Applications for third-party funding for environmental education, management and park protection are in the assessment phase. Financial support to establish sustainable management of the national park’s forest and buffer zones is still being sought.

• Ranger patrols
• Assisting the National Park authorities
• Training, re-introduction and monitoring of confiscated Orangutans
• School visits and community education in the surrounding villages
• Lobbying to enlarge the national park and to preserve the forest areas outside the park’s boundary

Dr. Peter Pratje

Bukit Tigapuluh National Park
Jambi Province Conservation Authority
PanEco
Perth Zoo
Australia Zoo
Australian Orangutan Project
Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari YEL
WWF Indonesia

More information on this project can be found in our magazine ZGF Gorilla
- issue 4/2006
- issue 4/ 2008
- issue 3/2010
ZGF Gorilla