Illegal Mines in Lore Lindu National Park Closed, Endemic Sulawesi Animals Begin to Return Home

SIGI - The Lore Lindu National Park Office (BBTNLL) has confirmed that most illegal gold mining (PETI) activities in the Lore Lindu National Park conservation area have been shut down.

"Seven PETI sites have been detected in the Lore Lindu National Park conservation area, four in Sigi Regency and three in Poso," said BBTNLL Head Titik Wurdiningsih to reporters after closing an illegal mining site in Sibowi Village, Antara News Agency reported on Sunday, August 24.

She explained that the Lore Lindu National Park area spans two regions: Sigi and Poso Regencies. "The problem we usually encounter in the field is illegal gold mining," Titik said.

According to her, by 2025, BBTNLL, together with the local government, with support from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri), had successfully closed six illegal gold mining sites.

"Four illegal mining sites in Sigi have been completely closed, and two in Poso have been closed as well. Only the Dongi-dongi illegal mining site has not been completely closed, as the area has resumed operations after being closed in 2016," Titik said.

She stated that efforts to control illegal mining in conservation areas have yielded results, as evidenced by the return of endemic Sulawesi species, such as macaques, to their natural habitat.

"Information from the field indicates that macaques have been detected again in the Lore Lindu National Park area. Hopefully, deer will also return," she said.

Macacas are endemic to Sulawesi, characterized by their black faces and rumps, and brown patches on their cheeks. These animals play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance.

Based on BBTNLL data, there are seven illegal gold mining spots in Lore Lindu National Park: Kintabaru (0.13 hectares), Ueloe (0.3 hectares), Sibowi (0.5 hectares), Kangkuro (2.5 hectares), Hanggira (2.6 hectares), Dongi-dongi (15 hectares), and Wanga (1.7 hectares).