Page 25 - The World About Us

Orang utan
2.1.5
1.1.1

How is the Gunung Leuser rainforest managed?

With an area three mes the size of
England’s Lake District Na onal Park,
managing the Gunung Leuser Na onal
Park is a significant task.
The area was first declared a nature
reserve in 1934 and became a na onal
park in 1980. It was designated an
ASEAN Heritage Park in 1984 and
finally received UNESCO World
Heritage Site status in 2004.
Throughout this me the park and
its precious ecosystems have been
under threat from the encroachment
of oil palm planta ons, illegal logging
and wildlife poaching.
Today perhaps one of the greatest
threats to the park are plans for more
roads. The 400km Ladia Galaska road fig.66 Entrance to the Gunung Leuser Na onal Park, Bukit Lawang.
network planned for the Aceh province
could split the park in nine places, rescues orang utan found fig.67 GLNP logo. rela on to poaching and land
opening up even more of the interior in conflict with humans encroachment, with the aim of
to illegal logging and poaching. Further Since Gunung Leuser ‘turning the “paper park” to a
fragmenta on of habitats could gained World Heritage reac ve and pro-ac ve park’.
threaten the remaining rhino, ger, status as part of the £ Improving community
elephant and orang utan popula ons. Tropical Rainforest awareness of the park,
Conserva onists complain that Heritage of Sumatra, the especially within local
both the Indonesian and local park has worked closely communi es and local schools.
governments place ‘economic with UNESCO on a £ Restora on of the forest
development’ above the conserva on number of important projects ecosystem in parts of the park
of the park, despite the importance the including:
park retains as a global biodiversity £ Re-establishing a ground presence, damaged by illegal land encroachment.
hotspot and as a vital carbon sink. repairing and reopening of field offices. £ Helping to develop a more
sustainable eco-friendly tourism
For many years, the under-funded £ Ongoing training of GLNP staff.
GLNP authori es have relied on industry alongside the park.
£ Producing a cri cal analysis of the
working partnerships with other bodies current state and threats to the park. £ Helping to monitor and protect
to help conserve the park. The Leuser orang utan habitats plus minimise
Interna onal Founda on (LIF) was £ Improving law-enforcement in orang utan and human conflicts.
founded in 1994 by local Acehnese
conserva onists. LIF has worked in
fig.68 Trekking in the GLNP. Can ecotourism save the park?
partnership with many bodies, from
the European Union, United States Fish Increasing numbers of people, both Indonesians and
and Wildlife Service, New Zealand AID foreigners, visit the GLNP. The ‘once in a life me’
and Exxon-Mobil on a range of experience of ge ng close to a wild orang utan in the
projects. These include ger surveys, jungle is a definite draw for many of the world’s growing
staff training and community band of eco-tourists. Foreigners pay a fee of 150,000
rupiah (£8.50) to enter the park. They will also pay
development.
guides to walk them through the forest. Jungle treks can
The park works with the last from one to several days, with trekkers camping out
Interna onal Rhino Founda on on in the jungle. Some guides have vast experience of the
an -poaching patrols. The Orang Utan forest and can give their customers a very memorable
Informa on Centre’s Human Orang adventure. The income generated from tourism can
utan Conflict Response Unit (HOCRU) persuade local people to help protect the park.

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Biodiverse ecosystems are under threat from human activity.