The Indonesian island of Sumatra
holds some of the richest and most diverse tropical forests on the
planet, giving shelter to many rare species and providing livelihoods
for millions of people. Protecting these forests and the amazing
biodiversity one finds here is a WWF priority.
Species at risk
The forests of Sumatra are home to some of the world's rarest animals and plant species.
This is the only place where tigers, rhinos, orangutans and elephants live together.
It is home to lesser-known marvels, like the proboscis monkey, sun bear, clouded leopard and flying fox bat.
But these magnificent creatures are disappearing as their forest homes are rapidly being cut down to make way for oil palm plantations or destroyed by commercial or illegal logging.
Rampant poaching also poses a grave threat to the island's endangered species - tigers are hunted for their skins, rhinos are killed for their horns, and orangutans are taken from the wild for the entertainment and tourism trade.
It is home to lesser-known marvels, like the proboscis monkey, sun bear, clouded leopard and flying fox bat.
But these magnificent creatures are disappearing as their forest homes are rapidly being cut down to make way for oil palm plantations or destroyed by commercial or illegal logging.
Rampant poaching also poses a grave threat to the island's endangered species - tigers are hunted for their skins, rhinos are killed for their horns, and orangutans are taken from the wild for the entertainment and tourism trade.
More information
There are an estimated 7,500 orang-utans on Sumatra.
Conservation in action
From saving
the Sumatran tiger - the most endangered subspecies of tigers - to
conserving the habitat of the Sumatran elephant in the island's central Riau province
- an area with one of the fastest rates of deforestation in Indonesia -
WWF is working with local partners on Sumatra to protect the island's
remaining forests and habitats.
Thanks to the success of a number of ongoing conservation projects and initiatives in Sumatra, WWF has a number of notable accomplishments, including:
Thanks to the success of a number of ongoing conservation projects and initiatives in Sumatra, WWF has a number of notable accomplishments, including:
- Brokering the first-ever, island-wide commitment to protect Sumatra’s natural forests
- Partnering with the Indonesian government to establish Tesso Nilo National Park to protect critical elephant and tiger habitat. WWF’s continued research and advocacy resulted in the government doubling the size of the national park in 2008.
Young Sumatran elephant in Way Kambas, Sumatra, Indonesia.
Smile, you're on candid camera!
The Sumatran tiger, numbering no more than
400 individuals in the wild, is found exclusively on the Indonesian
island of Sumatra, the last stronghold for tigers in Indonesia.
To
help protect the endangered species, WWF is working deep in the
jungles of Sumatra to assess the tiger's status and to study the threats
to its survival.
One of the most effective ways of doing this is with camera traps. Triggered by temperature-sensitive sensors, infrared camera traps snap photos as tigers pass by. The results provide invaluable information about the species and its habitat, and are used to ensure that they are effectively protected.
One of the most effective ways of doing this is with camera traps. Triggered by temperature-sensitive sensors, infrared camera traps snap photos as tigers pass by. The results provide invaluable information about the species and its habitat, and are used to ensure that they are effectively protected.
