INDONESIAN SOLDIERS IN THE NORTH KALIMANTAN BORDER JOINED BORNEO ELEPHANT SURVEY
By: Agus Suyitno
Kayan Landscape, WWF Indonesia
At the end of January 2019 members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in the border area of North Kalimantan assisted the Borneo Elephant Survey conducted by WWF-Indonesia, the survey was conducted for one week. The TNI members came from the Sebuku Regional Military Command (Koramil), Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan Province, as many as 2 people from the Village Trustees (Babinsa) named Tri Sugeng and Abdul Halik who had assisting the Borneo Elephant survey. Also involved in this survey were members from the Tulin Onsoi District Government, the Borneo Nature Lovers Association (Gappeta), the Green Cross Association (PLH), the Elephant Conflict Task Force and the local community.
The TNI's involvement in the elephant survey is the result of good coordination that has been built by WWF-Indonesia for a long time. When requests for support for elephant surveys were submitted they were welcomed and ready to collaborate by involving their members. The involvement of TNI members in elephant surveys is certainly a form of concern for the parties in efforts to preserve elephants and their habitat.
The Kalimantan Elephant Survey is a continuation of previous surveys, which began in February 2018 where the previous survey also involved parties including the Nunukan Environment Agency (DLH), the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), students from the Faculty of Forestry at Mulawarman University and Mapala 613 of the Nunukan Polytechnic. The survey is targeted to run for about 2 years from 2018 – 2019 using the occupancy method, the total survey area is around 100,000 Ha, so far the survey that has been carried out until February 2019 has been running around 70%.
The Kalimantan Elephant Survey itself is one of the programs contained in the 2018-2028 Kalimantan Elephant Conservation Action Plan Strategy (SRAK-GK) which requires updating of data regarding elephant populations and habitat in North Kalimantan until 2019. Previous data based on the latest survey data in 2012, the elephant population in Kalimantan ranges from 30-80 individuals, its main habitat is in Tulin Onsoi District which is directly adjacent to the Sabah region, Malaysia. The elephant population in Sabah itself is much larger, estimated at 1500-2000 individuals.
The phase 5 elephant survey was divided into 3 survey teams, each team surveyed the Upper Sibuda River, the middle Sibuda River and the Upper Apan River, these areas are directly adjacent to the Sabah region, Malaysia. To reach the location, they had to struggle, the terrain was quite heavy, the team had to cross a river with large waterfalls and high cliffs. In this altitude area, which reaches more than 100 m above sea level, there are valleys and rivers that are commonly used by elephants to move and find food and there is also a corridor that is strongly suspected as the path for elephants to Sabah, Malaysia to Nunukan, North Kalimantan or vice versa.
Abdul Halik and Tri Sugeng from the Koramil were very happy to be able to help with the Kalimantan Elephant survey activity. Apart from being able to monitor elephant habitat, this activity was also able to monitor the security of the forest area in Tulin Onsoi Subdistrict in preventing illegal logging. We are ready to help with the next elephant survey and don't hesitate to ask for our help, said Tri Sugeng when asked for his opinion after the survey. He added that members of the TNI in this case are very close to the community and other parties, it is hoped that with this survey activity our understanding will increase about the Bornean elephant and then be able to provide education to the public for its preservation. The Kalimantan elephant is a regional asset, included in the category of endangered species and is protected by law, so let's work together to preserve it.
This one-week survey yielded several important findings, including findings of signs of elephant presence such as tracks, droppings and traces of elephant friction on tree trunks. In addition, a source of salt (sopon) was found in the upper reaches of the Sibuda River, about 1 km on the Sabah border, entering the elephant corridor or passage. Salt is very liked by various types of mammals, especially elephants, a source of salt is needed for the mineral needs needed by elephants in breeding.
From the elephant survey until February 2019, the distribution of elephant habitat in the Kalimantan region has begun to be mapped. Areas that have not been surveyed still have the potential to contain elephants and this will be carried out in the next survey. For the total population, of course, waiting for the survey data to be completed. After this survey is completed, this survey data will be very useful as a basis for decision making for the implementation of elephant conservation in Kalimantan, both from the aspects of spatial planning, population management, habitat management and policy support from the government.