Elephant project in Sumatra
The project
This project’s overarching aim is to support the conservation of the Sumatran elephant.
Our approach is two-fold:
1. We aim to provide local Indonesian conservation agencies (in particular FKL/HAkA/BKSDA/SOCP) with the scientific understanding of which different forest and landscape characteristics (e.g. canopy cover and tree height variations, density of trees and shrub, canopy connectivity, slope) affect elephant habitat use in Leuser Ecosystem (Leuser) and surrounding areas. Such understanding helps them to plan, develop and expand wildlife sanctuaries (e.g. the recently funded sanctuary in Aceh http://leonardodicaprio.org/sanctuaryinacehindonesia/), elephant corridors, and elephant barriers to reduce elephant-human interactions. This information will then be used by FKL and HAkA to negotiate with land owners and authorities about creating protected areas that will help provide elephants with the space they need and offer local communities a way of coexisting with the elephants.
2. We aim to reduce the damage and threat of human-elephant interactions in the region. There has been a significant rise in human-elephant conflict and elephant deaths as elephants are increasingly damaging community properties. To support effective action against this rise in conflicts, we investigate how the local communities view the forest and its animals, the frequency and intensity of interactions, the methods used to deter the elephants and alternatives for these methods, and the impact that these interactions between elephants and humans has on the human wellbeing and local economy. Greater understanding of these issues should support a more effective approach to tackling this increasing issue. The new exciting collaboration with Invisible Flock will support this aim through art as the project Inaudible
Project Contributors
Researchers involved -
Amanda Korstjens, Ross Hill, Kathy Hodder
Rudi Putra from HaKa and FKL (Leuser Conservation Forum)
Abdullah from Syiah Kuala University
Lucy Twitcher,
Nicola Collins, Meryl Thomas,
Funded by - PTES, 2016-2019, BU, 2015 ongoing.
BU GCRF funds
Invisible Flock Funders
Objectives
Objective 1. Mapping vegetation and land cover in Leuser using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to identify variation in forest and land features.
Objective 2. Determine which landscape and vegetation features influence habitat use of Sumatran elephants in Leuser.
Objective 3. To identify the areas within Leuser that are most suitable as corridors between fragments, locations to create barriers, and areas where wildlife reserves can help reduce conflicts between humans and elephants. This is done by using the maps from objective 1 and the knowledge from objective 2.
Objective 4. To support conservation of elephants we also look at how human communities deal with elephant crop-raiding.
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