The Wildlife Protection Units (WPU) in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, Jambi, Sumatra, have been focusing their patrols on the southern buffer zone of the ecosystem.
This area is the most vulnerable to forest encroachment and other human disturbances. This buffer zone was sub-divided into five patrol sectors, with 1275 square kilometres of forest being surveyed in total. Mapping and monitoring of encroachment and other illegal activities was focused on. The target was to map high priority areas for anti-encroachment patrols; to map and document encroachment in high priority areas and forward the results to the law enforcement units. A total of five WPUs patrolled key areas in shifts with a routine schedule for each team of 21 patrol days (including transport and reporting) and 10 days off each month.
A total of 172 illegal activities were detected, investigated and documented by WPU patrol teams from June-August 2014. Encroachment was the most common illegal activity recorded (99 incidents), followed by illegal logging (51 incidents) and poaching (21 incidents). All information on illegal activities was thoroughly documented and forwarded to law enforcement units of police and forest police. Joined patrols in order to increase law enforcement activities are planned for the upcoming project period.
Wildlife monitoring carried out during the third quarter of 2014 recorded the following key findings for various animals:
9 tiger findings
26 tapir findings
26 elephant findings
49 orangutan findings
The sample of photographs (from top down), taken by the WPUs to document illegal activities includes: Encroachment to establish illegal fields and oil palm plantations, a logging and poaching camp, snares de-activated by WPU, illegal logging.
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