Jambi BKSDA Team Success In Radio Tracking Sumatran Elephants

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - Last January 13, the Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) team, together with the Conservation Partner Society (MMK), Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), SOS Indonesia and the supplier company APP Sinar Mas, conducted radio tracking. ) to a male elephant named Ozzy when he visited the oil palm plantation of a resident of RT 03, Sungai Landai Hamlet, which is in a production forest area.

Ozzy is known to routinely explore the buffer area of Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi.

Head of the Jambi Tebo-BKSDA Conservation Resort, Hefa Edison, said that human-elephant conflict is a negative interaction that arises due to the use of the same space in the Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) habitat.

"Almost 70 percent of Sumatran elephant habitat is outside conservation areas and unfortunately, agricultural land and plantations that are managed by humans contain elephants' favorite plants such as oil palm, rubber and secondary crops," he said.

Hefa also added that an elephant named Ozzy is one of 120 Sumatran elephants from five groups that live in and in the buffer area of the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, whose habitat is sandwiched between plantations and community-owned fields.

For this reason, it is necessary to build an agreement between the parties to mitigate conflict in a participatory manner, as well as implement law enforcement to prevent hunting and prolonged conflict.

Meanwhile, Syamsuardi, an expert in mitigating conflicts with elephants from the Indonesian Elephant Conservation Forum (FKGI) who is also the Head of the Wildlife Networks Association (PJHS), in the discussion said elephants are not enemies of the community and the community does not need to respond excessively when elephants are present in plantation areas. oil palm, rubber and other secondary crops.

"In an effort to conserve wildlife and mitigate potential conflicts, it is actually more ideal if the forest area is owned, with clear management legality and has a commitment to manage the area in a landscape manner with other parties in it and the community can also be given permission by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to manage the area. forest through the social forestry model," said Syamsuardi.

Head of the Social Security Department of PT Wirakarya Sakti (WKS) Jambi, Faisal Fuad said that the company is ready to cooperate with any party and is ready to support social forestry programs with empowerment programs for the surrounding community.

"If full support is needed in terms of training, procurement of seeds and market opening or distribution of crops, the company will be ready to cooperate, such as honey bee cultivation which obtains nectar and pollen from the flowers of woody plants, so there is an alternative to conflict mitigation with Sumatran elephants," he said. Faisal.

The chairman of the Muara Kilis Bersatu Forest Farmers Group (Gapoktanhut) (MKB), Poniman said that more than 53 percent of the IUPHKm area (Community Forest Management Business Permit) Gapoktan was designated for forest and wildlife protection blocks.

The Gapoktan IUPHKm area is part of the elephant corridor which has biodiversity potential which is directly adjacent to Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. In addition, the Gapoktan area is also in direct contact with the protected area of PT Wirakarya Sakti (WKS) District 8 and the restoration area of PT Alam Bukit Tigapuluh (ABT).

"A few months ago, the Jambi BKSDA also provided grant funds in the form of productive economic assistance, which we focused on habitat development programs for both feed and green fences as a substitute for electric fences (electric fencing). This assistance was provided based on the results of a previous habitat feasibility survey by the BKSDA Jambi and its partners," said Poniman.

In order to realize Datuk Gedang Tourism, in November 2021, the MKB Gapoktan has collaborated with six villages supporting the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park through the establishment of the Six Village Tourism Forum (Forum NamDes) initiated by the Jambi BKSDA.

The existence of the Elephant Conservation Information Center (PIKG), which has been operating since October 2021 in Muara Sekalo, Sumay District, Tebo Regency, Jambi Province, opens up other potential for elephant protection efforts.

Edi Mulyono, a resident of Muara Kilis who is also a Sumatran elephant handler or mahout at PIKG, added that in early August 2021 he participated in a joint patrol in the MKB Gapoktanhut area with the Bukit Tigapuluh Collaborative Platform Forum (PKBT), the Jambi Provincial Forestry Service and two concession permit holders flanking it. HKM Gapoktan.

"People who have already worked on land in the utilization block have begun to change their cropping pattern with coffee plants so as not to be damaged by elephants," he said.

He believes that the HKm Gapoktanhut MKB management plan already includes protection of elephants.

Syamsuardi at the end of the discussion stated his support for elephant conservation programs that synergize with each other, mutual cooperation between the government, institutions, companies and the community in the Bukit Tigapuluh buffer area.

There should be no unmanaged area so that accountability is clearer by adhering to the principle of co-existence and the commodities being developed are those that are friendly to the Sumatran elephant.*