The Population Of Leopards, Javan Eagles, And Javanese Owa In TN Endangered

LEBAK - The population of leopards (Panthera pardus), Javan eagles (Nisaetus bartelsi), and Javanese gibbon (Hylobates moloch) in the conservation forest area of Mount Halimun Salak National Park (TN?) is now threatened with extinction due to habitat damage and its natural ecosystem.

"We need to save the animal, because it is typical of the protected Javanese animal population," said Head of TN Balai Lihat Budi Candra in Lebak, Banten, Thursday, December 4.

The leopard animal, based on data from Balai TN, was recorded in 2015 as many as 58 individuals, but now data collection has not been carried out again.

Officers installed camera traps in several locations in TN and there are still protected animals, but the number has decreased.

For example, he said, for the Javan eagle and Javanese gibbon, one and two groups were seen.

Likewise, the population of leopards and Javanese gibbons continues to decrease.

Therefore, his party asked the public to maintain the habitat of the typical population of endemic TN animals so that they do not become extinct.

In addition, gold mining without a permit (PETI) should stop its activities, because it can cause damage to forests and the natural environment.

Forest damage in TN is damaged, apart from the population of the three animals, other endemic flora, such as orchids, puspa, sainten, and rasamala are also threatened with scarcity.

This is because many of these plants have been cut down by illegal miners for their excavation into the soil.

In addition, ecological environmental damage in TN is also potentially a disaster for flash floods and landslides, such as those in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.

"We strongly support collaboration to control PETI which involves the Forest Area Control Task Force (PKH), including 10 ministries and local governments," said Budi.

Currently, his party together with the PKH Task Force and the Ministry of Forestry and the Banten Provincial Government are taking action by closing PETI holes at the Panggarangan Resort as many as 55 points spread across the Cirotan, Cimari, and Cisopa Blocks.