Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Bad Boys Merangin!: On Patrol with the Tiger Protection and Conservation Team

Iswadi, Herizal, Suhardi, and M resting on the way to the field.
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to follow along on a forest patrol inside Sumatra's Kerinci Seblat National Park conducted by the elite rangers that make up the Sumatran Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit.  The unit is specially tasked with protecting and conserving the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger, but they also perform other ranger duties as well.  Since the unit was created in 2000 it has expanded to five four-man teams and has achieved a great deal of success in preserving the Sumatran tiger.  I followed one of the unit's teams for 5 days through the park's dense forest and rugged terrain, an experience that was extremely rewarding in terms of my research while at the same time being one of the most grueling tasks I've ever undertaken.

Heading Out...


Provisions for 5 days
I drove over to Bangko in Merangin district (4 hours from where I live) the day before the patrol was to start in order to get prepared.  The team was kind enough to prepare the "logistik" or provisions that I would need for five days, which you can see in the photo to the right.  The bags contain dried minnows and about 8 pounds of rice.  The guys at the barracks stayed up late since it's Ramadan (a post on the Muslim holy month will follow) and before they begin the day's fasting they eat a big meal at around three in the morning and go back to sleep.  Our patrol plan was to camp at the edge of the forest on day one, search for illegal animal traps for three days, and then head back to the barracks on the fifth day.  This particular patrol was a bit special because once a year the five teams that make up the Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit have a contest to see who can find the most traps.  The team that comes in first wins a bonus of 3 million rupiah (a bit over US$300), whereas the second place team gets 2 million, and the third place team gets 1 million.  We woke up around 7:30 am, loaded up the ancient Toyota Land Cruiser (see photo above) that had been pressed into service because one of the team's Ford Rangers was in the shop, and set out on the 4-hour drive to our departure site in the Lembah Masurai area of Merangin district. We felt every bump along the extremely rough road, but finally we made it to the village of Nilo Dingin, smack dab in the middle of an area that is currently experiencing some of the highest rates of forest encroachment on the whole island of Sumatra.

Chatting with coffee farmers
We hiked a couple of kilometers through the sprawling coffee gardens that forms the mainstay crop of the thousands of farmers that have flooded into the Lembah Masurai area to farm.  The volcanic soil here is rich and highly productive, and very high yields have drawn as many as 18,000 families from as far away as Lampung and South Sumatra.  They have become a major problem for authorities charged with managing protected forests, as they have begun encroaching into the park and other conservation areas.  We spent the night with a friendly farmer from Pagar Alam in South Sumatra, who told us he'd been farming coffee here for four years and that it has allowed him to send his children to university.  We enjoyed his hospitality and the basic comforts of his pondok (1) while other farmers showed up to check out the foreigner and the forest police.

Into the Woods...


After a 3am meal we went back to sleep, waking at around 7am to head into the forest.  We trekked up the steep slopes of Mt. Masurai, a dormant volcano.  My prime concern was not to fall behind and not to become a hindrance, since there was a prize at stake for the team.  I was pretty nervous about not being able to keep up given that these guys go into the forest for a living.  In addition, I'd had my appendix removed a few weeks before, and even though I felt 100% healthy I wasn't sure how my body would react to strenuous hiking.  I had been training for the patrol before my surgery, but after I stopped to allow myself to fully recover.  After a few hours hiking we reached the top of a 40-meter waterfall and stopped to take a break.  The view was really breathtaking; as we walked across the top of the waterfall I imagined myself in one of those panoramic cinema shots taken from a helicopter you sometimes see in the movies.  I know it sounds corny, but it was exhilerating.  Shortly after this we found our first active snare, which you can see in the photo below.  This particular trap was set by poachers for a forest goat, which brings about US$5 per kilogram at market.  The poachers usually set the traps along trails since animals follow trails because the going is easier.  This particular trap was worth 50 points in the contest, so everyone was excited.

Team leader M describing how the trap works. 

At around 4pm we found a spot to camp so that we could set everything up before dark.  Though we camped beside the trail, the guys told me that normally they try to camp off the trail and near a river, since beliau (2) likes to use the trail.  They told me that they ask the tiger's permission to camp by the trail when they need to, because "we are under (his) rules here".



The Next Two Days...


100% waterproof shelter.
The next morning we hunkered down because it was raining.  Amazingly the shelter the team constructed kept us 100% dry.  By about 10.30 the sky had cleared, so we broke camp and got back to work.  Although I started out feeling fine, the second day really took its toll on me because we did a lot of ascending and descending over difficult terrain.  The guys had no problem though; it was a particularly humbling experience trying to keep up with the nimble forest rangers because I kept slipping and getting caught up in thorns.  Every time you fall or have to extract yourself from the ever-present pokey-plants that seem to consciously come after you it saps a bit more of your energy.  The guys seems able to avoid all of these hazards, though, and they climbed up the slopes like Spidermen.  Particularly impressive was the fact that three of them were keeping the Ramadan fast, which prevents them from eating food or even drinking water during the day.  Though I couldn't (and really had no desire to) keep the fast, I limited myself to a couple of packets of condensed, sweetened milk and a package of potato candy each day.  I did make sure to keep hydrated, though.

By the end of the third day we were ready to descend back towards the pickup point.  We started at about 9am and hiked until about 6pm, by which time I was completely wrecked.  Coming down off the mountain involved going straight down the slope, cutting a trail as we went, which was particularly exhausting.  But after a long day we finally made it back to a village and hunkered down for the night.  It was a great experience and I learned a lot about the park and the challenges it faces as well as the heroic job done by the PHS unit.  They are extremely dedicated and committed to their jobs, and they are proud of the work they do.  "When poachers see the black coming, they run, because they know there's no negotiation", said one of the PHS members, referring to the fact that they wear black whereas regular forest police wear green.  There's a subtle jibe here, and I'll let you figure it out.

I also learned a lot of neat forest tricks from the PHS guys.  Despite being hard-core forest dudes, they are some of the nicest folks you could hope to meet, and they took really good care of me.  I'd like to say that I'll be out on another patrol soon, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I can handle it.

Lend a Helping Hand...


I was thinking about what I could do as a thank you to the guys for letting me tag along and it occured to me that one piece of equipment they could really use and would very much appreciate is a Leatherman.  I checked on Ebay and it looks like I can get the Leatherman Sidekick for about $35 per (3).  Since there are 20 team members, I'd need about $800 to buy one for each team member.  But I'm still a poor PhD candidate.

So here's the deal.  If you'd like to buy a Leatherman Sidekick for the members of the Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit, or if you'd like to make a partial contribution, please contact me at geografikanusantara@gmail.com.  Or if you'd like to buy a Sidekick and send it to my Hawai'i address I can give you the information if you email me.  I don't have an NGO or anything like that, so you'll have to trust me with the money.  If you look at my blog you can see what I'm all about; I'm not doing this to scam anyone.  If I can collect enough money I'll ship the tools to the unit's coordinator.  This is a good way for you to make a useful contribution to tiger conservation.  Thanks in advance!

UPDATE:

So far I'm up to 4 leathermen, which is 20% of my target.  Thanks to the generous person that made the first contribution!

UPDATE UPDATE:

Thanks to two more generous folks I'm up to 8 leathermen, 40% of the target.  Thanks much!

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE:

Now at 11 leathermen thanks to another donation.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE:

Just received another donation of two leathermans to bring the total to 13.  Only need 7 more....

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE:

15 Leathermans and counting!

Notes

(1)  Pondok means "hut" and in this case refers to semi-permanent structures built in upland farms where the farmers stay while they are working their fields.  Normally the farmers have a house in town and only stay in the pondok when it is time to plant or harvest, but here in Nilo Dingin the encroaching farmers stay there most of the time.

(2)  Beliau is a non-gender specific respectful third-person form of address.  In the forest here you say "beliau" rather than "harimau" (tiger) because it is believed that literally saying "tiger" will invite the beast to come.  I use "he" in my translations because it is simpler

(3)  A reader informed me that Amazon has them cheaper than the original $40 I posted.  The $35 includes the sheath but doesn't include shipping.  If you get free shipping you can have it sent directly to me.

21 comments:

  1. The tiger is my favorite animal, and to see that people native to these tiger's habitats are doing something to protect them really shows that there are actually efforts going into saving these animals, not just letting them die out because they have better things to do. It must have been quite the experience and somewhat thrilling to know there might be a chance of running into traps or poachers themselves. As for the fasting part, i give you credit for sticking through it, especially through vigorous hiking. Good luck in your efforts to help the forest patrol men!

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  2. Even if you were chasing after poachers, environmental and animals terrorists(as I called them), ascending and descending those Indonesian rugged mountain, I think worth every single aches and pains in your body. Sumatran Tiger is one of the animal species that near extinction. The Sumatra's Tiger Protection and Conservation Team(TPC) and people like you deserve personal and professional recognition for your personal devotion and endless contribution to inform, educate, and update us on those funny, sometime sarcastic, but very interesting experineces in regards to somehting,anyting, and everything Geographical.

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  3. I think this was probably the most interesting entry to me. Except for the long strenuous hike, this would be such an awesome experience to have the opportunity to do. What's funny is that I know exactly how you feel because I went on my first super long hike today after a couple years of not being on one. I was debating all morning whether I would join my friends on this hike, especially after finding out it was 4 hours long, but my boyfriend said that since it's his birthday tomorrow I had to come along haha. Boy was it challenging. We hiked all the way to the top of Kuliouou Ridge on the Koolau Mountains about Waimanalo. I struggled to keep up but did a decent job overall. Your story reminded me of this adventure today. Especially because while I was up in the mountains, there were several times where I just kept thinking to myself that I'm so glad I don't have to worry about any mountain lions, bears or tigers up in the forest. Thanks for sharing this experience and I wish I had extra money to contribute, but I'm also a poor struggling college student. Best of luck to the tiger protection and conservation team and thanks for all you do.

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  4. Im happy to know that steps are being taken to protect the lives of the endangered Sumatran tiger's. I have seen photo's of these majestic creatures and I must say that they are worth all the effort PHS are doing to protect them. I must say that I am truly impressed by your performance in keeping pace with the PHS unit coming out of an appendix surgery, having been through multiple surgeries myself, I know how difficult it is to do athletic activities post-surgery. So props to you on that! Im sorry that I cant contribute to the Leathermens, I barely can support myself with the income I make in college. But best of luck if you decide to go out with the PHS unit again!!

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  6. My favorite animal is the tiger, and I am very thankful for you and your team for participating in this type on animal conservation. After reading your post, I learned a lot about the Sumatran tiger and the actions taken to preserve this animal. Your field work must have been very "eye-opening" and a life-changing experience. One thing I was curious about was, when you guys were traveling around in the field, how did you avoid the traps? I know they were animal traps, but would it be possible for a human to get stuck in one of these traps? Just thought it would have been a bit dangerous from reading about these traps. Well, I'm glad that everyone made it out safe.

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    1. Hi Steve. That's a good question. The tiger traps are generally made of wire, and from what I've seen the team is pretty good at identifying the traps. It is amazing how quickly they can pick them out, so it seems like there is little danger of getting caught in the traps. But from what I've been told, there are some "snap" or "gin" traps in use, and those could really hurt a person. I don't know how one avoids those, but I think there aren't too many so the likelihood of encountering one is low. Gin traps are much more expensive than do-it-yourself wire traps.

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  7. It's really amazing to see the dedication of the rangers that make up the Sumatran Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit. It must have been a real strenuous yet fulfilling experience to go up Mt. Masurai, and to disable a poachers trap must have made it even better. I was wondering, why there are only a few people in the Sumatran Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit? Is it because it involves a dangerous task or is it maybe because not too many people are concerned for the tiger?

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    1. Hi. Good question. There are only a few people (20) for a number of reasons. One is limitations in management manpower. The teams are managed by two people, and it is a lot of work. Another limitation is finding qualified officers. All of the members are special folks, very capable and very dedicated. They have a strenuous "try-out" period, and it turns out it is difficult to find people that can handle the work. Lastly, funding is a limitation as well.

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  8. First of all I can't imagine hiking that much during a Ramadan fast. I was really fascinated by the dedication of the Conservation Unit. I would like to know if they did in fact win their reward? However it's inspirational how much effort is put into such a good cause. Before this blog I didn't know the Sumatran Tiger existed along with the mountain goats in those forests. I will spread the word of your donation's to the PHS guys as a hope to accomplish your goal, and increase their protecting. Are the poachers decreasing with their efforts and has the Sumatran Tiger's population been increasing? Can't wait to hear more about this!

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    1. Hi there. My team actually won second prize in this year's competition, and so everyone was happy. As for the poaching, there are indications that the numbers of tigers at the park are increasing, but it's hard to know for sure. It is certain that the tigers would be in much worse shape, or maybe even extinct, if the tiger team wasn't there.

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  9. With the Sumatran tiger being endangered are there any international groups that are trying to support the protection of this beautiful animal? Are there any rehabilitation centers for the tigers like the one that had cut through his bone in your story? Is there a way for the government to increase penalties for those that try to hunt these tigers?

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    1. Hi. Thanks for the comment. As for the penalties, they are pretty strict now. It's more of a question of enforcement. IN order to be effective enforcement has to be strict and certain so there is a deterrent effect. Poachers have to know there is a high chance they will be caught. As for the rehabilitation center, there aren't any on Sumatra, and so whenever a tiger is worked on and can't be returned to the wild, it is sent to a zoo called Taman Safari (Safari Park) near Bogor on the island of Java. I was actually there when a tiger got shipped over to Bogor. They send them in a special cage on a plane.

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  10. Thanks for posting this article. I found it really informative in how much effort actually goes into protecting the Sumatran tiger species as you said it is an endangered species. I also found it interesting how you and the other park rangers were finding traps and disarming them. How much poachers do they find on a yearly basis? This question really dawned on me as others have asked what are the penalties/ punishments. Thanks again

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    1. They find many many snares per year and sometimes make arrests. Poaching is a significant problem at the park.

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  11. What a great contribution and adventure. The Tiger Protection and Conservation team doing a great job. From what I found, there are only 400 Sumatran tigers remaining and Sumatra island is the last fortress for tigers in Indonesia. Is that correct? Hope that actions like this one will save lots of tigers lives. What a great opportunity for you to join the PHS team and then for us-viewers to see the effort put into tigers protection in Sumatra. Thanks for sharing your experience.

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    1. Hi there. "Approximately 400" is the figure that is usually cited, but I have heard credible estimates that are higher than 400. It is hard to know because it's difficult to get accurate data because each tiger covers such a wide range.

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  12. Tigers are such amazing and beautiful creatures. It's really good that there are such good people in Sumatra that really care about the tigers. I found it very interesting that they hold so much respect for them that they ask the tigers to camp out in their territory. Getting them all leathermen is such a thoughtful idea! I really do hope that you can get them all soon.

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  13. I have never seen a Sumatran Tiger in my life, and honestly, not many other tigers. It's astonishing how little the tiger population is left and I'm curious to know, although these Sumatran Tigers are protected by many governments and such, why are there so few workers (five four-man teams) to cover such a large area with far more poachers? What are the chances of seeing one in a lifetime and do you feel that the population will come back up or eventually die out? Many other species are protected but die out still even with a larger number of workers.

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    1. Hi Kyle. Four-man teams are very mobile and can cover a lot of ground, and they are easier to coordinate. Usually when they encounter poachers, the poachers are in small groups as well, sometimes as few as 2 people. As for seeing a tiger in the wild, the chances are pretty low I think because they try to avoid people. But the more you are in the forest the more likely it is to encounter one.

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  14. Had I the constitution for it, I had dreams as a kid of being a park ranger. However, growing up, I was disappointed that bring a park ranger entailed many tasks not directly relating to protecting the animals, often taking protecting humans as a precedent over the animals. Not that I have anything against humans, just that in a park scenario, it's often the stupidity of humans that pushes rangers to choose the safety of humans over the safety of the animals, though of course I understand that in most scenarios, the rangers are able to find a way to help both.
    The rangers in your story sound like the heroes that my childish self always wanted to be and always respected. I understand that economic difficulties and certain cultures may push otherwise good men to poaching as a way to provide for themselves and their family. Even recognizing that in my heart, I feel no mercy for them. Endangered animals need to be protected. The markets for rare animal pelts and products makes me want to spit on humanity. This exhibits a complete disrespect for life, nature in particular. As there's often little profit involved in protecting these non-citizens, governments will often do relatively little to protect animals in danger of illegal poaching. Government help varies I'm sure, but I also know that it often leans far in the realm of insufficient.
    I'm glad there are people like those rangers out there, and I'm glad they're as badass as you've described them. They're fighting an uphill battle.

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