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Author: Hotli Simanjuntak
Source: The Jakarta Post, Aceh Tamiang, Aceh | Fri, 02/17/2012 9:53 AM
Photo - Moving: An evacuation team examines a newly caught orangutan. The animals that are rescued are frequently found skinny and malnourished.
One morning, an orangutan evacuation team arrived in a hilly area with only a few rubber trees left in Aceh Tamiang.
The 15-member team from the Leuser Ecosystem Management Agency (BPKEL), the Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Program (SOCP), the Orangutan Information Center (OIC) and the Aceh Orangutan Forum (FORA) was walking on red soil newly leveled for plantations.
The red land, cleared of rubber trees by workers of PT Bahruny, an estate company owned by Oil Palm Business Association (GAPKI) chair Joefly J Bahroeny, is located in Rimba Sawang village, Aceh Tamiang, bordering North Sumatra.
Atop an almost dead rubber tree was an orangutan and its one-year-old offspring, sitting and basking in the morning sun.
Their long, golden brown hair was in sharp contrast to their skinny bodies due to undernourishment.
“These orangutans were trapped in this location as workers started felling rubber trees for oil palm plants,” said OIC volunteer Krisna Ketapel.
Krisna is a local resident recruited by the OIC, an NGO engaged in watching over and monitoring orangutans emerging from forestland to enter the estates around his village home in Rimba Sawang.
The team’s visit to the plantations was meant to evacuate the orangutans isolated in the location, where only a small number of rubber trees can still be found. The other hills around it were already denuded and converted into circling terraces for oil palm planting.
The presence of orangutans was detected before they were slaughtered by estate workers while leveling the area. “We estimate hundreds of them are still trapped with the widespread land clearing operation for new plantations,” Krisna said.
Krisna has often witnessed orangutans going down to the estates near his village, usually from the protected forest in the Leuser ecosystem zone, only four kilometers from the closest plantations.
Rampant illegal logging and land reclamation for estates are seen as considerably disturbing the habitat of orangutans in the areas adjacent to the Leuser zone. The activity also increases the intensity of conflict between wildlife like tigers and elephants and man.
“In the last two to three years we’ve been informed of the orangutans frequently trapped in estates particularly in Aceh or North Sumatra border areas or asked to evacuate them,” said Ian Singleton, director of the SOCP.
The SOCP is a collaboration between the government and several NGOs like PanEco Switzerland, the Lestari Ecosystem Foundation (YEL) and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) in Germany, focusing on orangutan conservation in Sumatra and covering orangutan rescue, quarantine and release.
Previously, the SOCP evacuated orangutans from several locations in Aceh and North Sumatra. In addition, it also confiscated protected animals from individuals or orangutans from communities that had domesticated them.
According to Ian Singleton, the opening of estate areas in Aceh Tamiang began in 2005 in the early period of peaceful agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian government. Prior to the accord, land clearing wasn’t so widespread because Aceh was embroiled in armed conflict.
Now, when there’s conflict between animals and men during reclamation, estate owners tend to urge NGOs or environmental activists to intervene by moving or catching the animals without understanding the underlying causes of the problem. Estate companies are even prepared to fund the relocation of trapped orangutans.
“The media has frequently initiated the discourse that estate companies should contact NGOs or authorized agencies when they find orangutans in their land clearing areas for relocation,” noted Singleton. In his view, this is not a desirable solution, nor will it be favorable to the animals concerned. In reality, this method doesn’t much prevent the slaughter of orangutans lost in plantations.
Photo - Evacuation: A government-NGO joint evacuation team rescues newly caught orangutans to be released to the nearest forest suitable for them to live.
“We’re convinced the number of orangutans killed in the process of land clearing has been far bigger than the total rescued, especially in areas where the government and environmental activists find it hard to monitor,” he said. In Aceh Tamiang, there are tens of thousands of hectares of rubber and oil palm estates owned by estate firms and individuals, mostly bordering the Leuser ecosystem – recognized by UNESCO as one of the world’s ecosystems.
The BPKEL managing the zone has revoked estate licenses many times for encroaching on protected forestland within the Leuser ecosystem.
Since 2009, the BPKEL has canceled 26 estate permits for illegal operations in restricted areas, covering 3,700 hectares of oil palm plantations and thousands of hectares of land already cleared but not yet planted.
“The pressure on this conservation zone will be greater and more severe unless strict control is exercised, particularly with the opening of an access road in the area close to Leuser,” said Badrul, conservation manager of the BPKEL. To prevent graver damage and the loss of rare animals’ habitats, this agency has been restoring the original estates and forest areas by replanting them with various trees.
— Photos by Hotli Simanjuntak
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/17/rescuing-orangutans-aceh.html
Author: Amber Partington
Do you sometimes ask yourself -
Do some of my favourite products contain Palm Oil?
What's a quick way to tell if a product contains Palm Oil?
As Palm Oil can be listed in so many ways a lot of mystery and confusion surrounds whether or not a product has Palm Oil in it.
Let me help you!
Please use the following as a quick guide to help you choose “palm oil free” products!
1. Read the ingredients list on a product and look for “Vegetable Oil!”
Currently Australian Laws do not stipulate Palm Oil to be listed, so it is referred to as Vegetable Oil. If a product does not disclose a particular oil, such as Peanut Oil, Sunflower Oil etc. then (I would go as far as to say 99%!) it is probably Palm Oil.
2. Read the Nutritional Information table on a food product and look for “Saturated Fats!”
Palm Oil is a saturated fat, so if a product lists Vegetable Oil and contains Saturated Fats in the Nutritional Information Table – then again you can 99% assume it would be Palm Oil.
3. Get to know – “Sodium Laureth / Lauryl Sulphate!”
These are Palm Oil in two of its chemical forms and is in a lot of household products like Shampoo. These chemicals can also be Coconut Oil derived so it is always best to confirm with the company who makes the product.
*Please Note: Please use this as a guide only, to 100% confirm that a product has Palm Oil or Palm Oil derivatives in it – I always email the company who makes the product to find out. ☺
Author: Thomas King
Over the past thirty years the demand for palm oil has been rapidly increasing on a global scale. This widely used vegetable oil was originally from Western Africa, despite the Malaysian Palm Oil Council claiming that palm oil is “the world’s gift to Malaysia”. The industry is at an all time high and is expected to grow substantially in the new year due to the oil’s low-cost and diversity in use. You could say that palm oil is like the most popular kid in the schoolyard of manufacturing.
Whether it be the baked goods, spreads and confectionery that we all love to eat, or the shampoos and soaps we use to make our hair and skin silky smooth… palm oil is all around us. It’s even found in the toothpaste we brush our teeth with each day and possibly even the fuel we pump into our cars!
Lets face it – palm oil is virtually impossible to eliminate entirely from our lives. Which is frustrating knowing that it is having detrimental impacts on the environment, indigenous people and wildlife of South East Asia, and has the ability to dramatically worsen cardiovascular health.
Surely in 2012 we can begin to make a transition into a more sustainable form of palm oil production? This is the question on many people’s minds. But my question is: how can a crop plantation that only lasts approximately 25 years, and then leaves the soil desolate, possibly be considered sustainable? Yes palm oil is a very high-yielding vegetable oil, and it’s all well-and-dandy for my parent’s generation to say that palm oil is currently our most sustainable option as far as vegetable oils go, but what about when I’m their age? When the islands of Borneo and Sumatra are barren wastelands that have been raped by the palm oil industry? When species like the Sumatran orangutan, tiger and rhinoceros no longer exist? When the delicate ecosystems that this planet cannot survive without are obliterated and the valuable carbon stores burnt-up?
There are so many questions but unfortunately not enough answers. And often when someone formulates an answer - a possible solution to an issue of this nature - it is usually struck down by “competing” individuals and organisations within the cause. I’ve seen this time and time again; like-minded people who are working towards the exact same mission let their egos dominate their morals. As a young person, I often feel helpless as I watch these adults bullying one another while my future quality-of-life slowly deteriorates. There is always going to be disagreement and difference of opinion, and with that comes a tangled web of politics – but how much longer can this kind of behaviour continue? With the current state of the planet, we have no time for it.
Governments, big business and the world’s palm oil councils will tell you otherwise, but the bottom line is that palm oil is a short-term commodity, which is not only destroying rainforest, endangered species and indigenous culture, but ultimately my future. Small steps such as avoiding palm oil, companies adopting “sustainable” practices and implementing palm oil labeling laws are great in the short-term, but they are still not enough to protect our planet once the current generations are no longer here.
It’s another one of those large dilemmas fueled by human ignorance and overpopulation… can we devise a long-term solution before it’s too late?
The best time to act was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.
To learn more about palm oil you can visit my website: www.saynotopalmoil.com
In addition to managing his extensive SAY NO TO PALM OIL website, Thomas volunteers for AOP and is dynamically involved in all aspects of raising awareness about palm oil and its impact on the environment.
Author: Mark Keenan
A lot of people I meet tell me that working as a zookeeper would be just about their dream vocation. Yes it’s true; in many ways I am incredibly fortunate. I work with amazing animals and in connection with inspiring individuals. I have also been a part of some great zoo-based conservation initiatives, including the “Don’t Palm Us Off” campaign that helped develop awareness of Palm Oil in this country.
Yet as satisfying as this public awareness campaign proved to be, I still wanted the opportunity to immerse myself in the challenges facing South East Asia, in person, to make a difference at ground level and help produce tangible conservation results.
For me, the chance to work with RWE granted my wish, providing an opportunity to take like-minded individuals into the heart of palm oil plantations, to witness the environmental and social devastation, and to meet the people who are helping slow the destruction in order to preserve one of the world’s most unique and valuable biological ecosystems.
It is incredibly exciting that we can support the community of Tangkahan as custodians of the forest. Everyone I have taken to Tangkahan has been changed in one way or another, touched by the culture, the people, the beauty of the jungle and it’s wild inhabitants.
RWE inspires people. In Tangkahan a powerful message is continually re-enforced and acted upon, that the community can sustain future generations without destroying their forest homelands. Whilst here in Australia, past guests champion efforts to save the forests of North Sumatra and form the foundation of fundraising efforts that see RWE invest continuously in conservation programs in the region.
In what could only be described as a perk of the job, I also get to spend time surrounded by one of the most beautiful environments on the planet. Picture pristine, fast-flowing rivers with crystal-clear green waters and soaring jungle-covered hilltops. Add to this the distinct calls of Hornbills, Siamangs, and White Handed Gibbons. Sprinkle in some Elephants, Orangutans, Otters, and Slow Loris - maybe even a Tiger or two - and you have life in Tangkahan on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park. Couple this with two weeks spent with the most friendly, gracious, and inspirational hosts you’re likely to meet and you have a RAW adventure.
I distinctly remember my first time in Tangkahan … thinking this place is so perfect and yet so delicately balanced. It’s an incredible part of the world and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience one of South East Asia’s great final frontiers. I whole-heartedly encourage you to join us on one of our tours for what will prove a life changing adventure!
Mark is a Raw Tour Leader and dedicated advocate for active conservation of marine ecosystems and forest habitats.
Author: Rika Nauck
‘If a man does take a journey, he will have a story to tell’. This rather literal translation of a German proverb from the 18th century describes so nicely the old fashioned feeling that I experienced on my 2011 trip to Tangkahan.
Tangkahan! What a wonderfully exotic name, so full of promise. Although I learned about it from such a modern thing like the internet, I still felt like an explorer: I would see the rainforest for the first time in my life, hear the sounds, taste strange food, and smell the flavours of a completely different life.
And thus, a story to tell, I have!
I have been travelling before, not just in my own country, but to wonderful places elsewhere in the world. So, what is so different about this place in northern Sumatra?
The initial fascination surely came from the fact that the website offered a trip to see elephants and orangutans. How cool is that? The two types of animals, which caught my imagination since childhood days, both in one place! By the time all the arrangements were made I was fully primed for the wonder that hit me. Whoever truly fell in love, knows what I mean: One single moment in which the rest of the world does not matter anymore, in which the tears flow and one just knows…! That was I, standing above that river and watching this wall of green in front of me.
When the early night fell at Green Lodge, the generators allowed for the lights to switch on, and people would just sit, talk and play games, someone might get the guitar out and sing… and then the generators would die, the night would take charge, voices talking more softly, fireflies taking rains and the rainforest would become the host of the lodges.
But there is something else about Tangkahan. There is a shy confidence, if such a thing exists.
See, this is land that got in contact with our type of civilisation only some 200 years ago; around the same time when the above proverb was coined, when mainly men travelled, and when the purpose of travel was either to bring new wealth to the old world, or to spread the word of God. All over the world the destructive footprints of those activities are still visible, and although these days it is called globalisation and business, not a lot has changed. Local people are still used as cheap resource, and some of the methods used to keep them dependent are not too far from slavery. Land only gets respected when it brings profit and hence indigenous habitat gets destroyed together with the culture of the people living there.
The Karonese people of North Sumatra used to own that land; they defined themselves via the land rather then religion or nationality. To make a living they were then forced to work in the palm oil plantations or to log the forests, which used to give them everything they needed. And now the people of Tangkahan are claiming back control and other villages are following.
Eco Tourism is their new business, and that means they have to catch up fast. Quite a task for people who live in a place that Google Earth doesn’t find, and who, if they get lucky with the weather, have a good four-hour car ride to the next hospital.
It would be easy to take the ‘good-doer’ approach, to barge in with all our old world knowledge and money. It is exactly this ‘know-it-all’ approach, which neglects to allow the local people to take charge, causing charities to fail ever so often.
The Tangkahan people however, take charge, and they have strong alliances. Some ten years ago an Australian zoo keeper, just leaving her teenage years behind, visited for the first time … and went back year after year. She learned the language, learned about the culture, the destruction of the environment, and the needs of the people. Her name is Jessica McKelson, and she later would become the director of RAW Wildlife Encounters, the company I have been travelling with.
RAW is creating business in the area in a very controlled and responsible way. It is a company demanding high standards for hospitality, accommodation as well as ecology, and for that, fair wages are paid. Additionally RAW sponsors projects and grants, creating triple-win situations for the business, their travellers and the people of Tangkahan.
THAT is the big difference! Yes, my trip was more expensive than any other trip with the label ‘eco’ on it, but I could see there and then the impact of my money. I basically lived with the people. I got invited into their homes… and then I saw how the others worked and lived, the ones whose villages were in the middle of plantations; the ones who didn’t have that wonderful asset called rainforest. I gained a lot of perspective.
And this is not even my story. This is the background in front of which the stories unfold drawing me back to Tangkahan.
Drifting down a river in a tube made from a lorry tyre, just me sitting on top of the water navigating the shallow rapids. From far the shrieks of the others when the water hit their faces, then gentle drifting again, water buffalos, people minding their business, monkeys hanging from branches, drinking. Me-time with Tangkahan! Then we stop at pebbly beach, wet and happy we are about to meet ‘the English school’; about 20 children and their teacher are introducing themselves and singing for us – and my first thought is: What if it rains? Later that day I talked to Kristin, Jess’ right hand in Tangkahan, asking her for her biggest dream and her response was: A proper English school with a roof and a library!
Another one…The smell of the elephants, the noises they make when they ruffle the grass and the bushes, the tenderness of the trunks when sniffing for food, the warmth of their skin, and the tender assertiveness of the mahouts, guiding them over the most challenging terrain. How amazed was I on our last evening when one of the mahouts apologized for being rude. We all gave our final appraisals and farewell, and he apologized because he felt that at times he might have been too harsh to us when the situation demanded care for the elephants or vigilance for safety. He apologized for his bad English not allowing for the right words in stressful moments. I always thought of him as calm, wise and polite, I however could understand his wish for reliable communication. He closed his presentation with the words: I would like to learn better English, but I don’t know how.
Learning… learning is a big scheme that I found everywhere. The Tangkahan people are smart and have a thirst for knowledge, and they want the knowledge for the best of reasons: To be able to take their own decisions to sustain better lifestyles, and to sustain their environment.
Love for the land, the dream of a young lady, and the appreciation for a wise man are only some of the powerful threads which keep me grounded in Tangkahan. In April 2012 I will be back to meet again those incredible people, who have become friends in such a short time. I will be back to learn more about their land, and the challenges they are facing. I stayed in touch with Kristin, and we are working on her dream… We have big plans and first steps are made to upgrade ‘The English School’ to the ‘The Tangkahan Education Centre’, and to integrate it legally into the Tangkahan concept.
And we will have to find ways on how education can ‘pay for itself’. Until then, we might not entirely get away without donations… and hence I am working on creating a charity. But this will be an entirely new story!
Rika is a businesswoman, writer, inquisitive traveller, and Raw Supporter. She resides in the United Kingdom.
Author: Amber Partington
For years I had sat behind a computer organising, emailing and fundraising to help save Orangutans for the Australian Orangutan Project. My journey with them had started long before I had even seen one in the flesh. So my first encounter was, of course, in the orang-utan tourist capital, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. I was the typical tourist, I had never even entered the jungles of Borneo before, all geared up & so excited I could hardly contain myself. Then all of a sudden there they were. I saw through the trees for the first time this little orange furry blob, a youngster of around 3-4 years of age. My heart was racing, they were just so gorgeous. “Time up” the ranger announces – “but it felt like we only just got here” I proclaimed! Deep down I hated being that tourist, standing there on a manmade platform watching orangutan’s act in such a way a truly wild orang-utan would not behave. But finally I could say I had seen one.
So I went home, more dedicated than ever to help save these little guys. Back to the computer, countless emails and fundraising. Then midway through 2010 after starting at Melbourne Zoo as a Primate Keeper, an inspirational young lady, named Jessica McKelson asked me, “Would you like to be one of my Tour Guides leading tours in North Sumatra?” What an opportunity I thought! Jess could sense my excitement and advised, “Why don’t you head over and see if you like it and then let me know!” I already knew the answer would be yes!
As I trundled through the jungles of North Sumatra on my first tour, I felt like I had grown up in this environment my whole life. The sounds, the sights and smells – I took it all in and loved every minute of it! After 2 weeks of witnessing outstanding beauty in the jungle, tubing down rivers, swimming under waterfalls, witnessing wild animals and getting to know the local people, I was sad to leave. I also had some sad lows, when walking through Palm Oil plantations and witnessing the extent of the devastation. The people and places had changed me in ways I could not imagine. It made me appreciate life in a way which nothing had done so before.
So why is it that I am a part of the Raw team? And why does it inspire me? The answer is simple. I want to preserve the landscape of Northern Sumatra more than anything in the world. Sumatra has seen around 90% of its original forest lost which I think is a travesty for the people, the animals and the world.
By taking people into these environments I am able to teach them and hopefully inspire them to help save a small part of the world’s forests because whether we like to think of it or not – we need trees. Soon it will be, that we will lose enigmatic species like orangutans, elephants and tigers in the wild. If I can help this from happening and I believe Raw is helping – I think this will be a very rewarding feeling. ☺
Amber is a Raw Tour Leader and Victorian State Representative for the Australian Orangutan Project (AOP)
Author: Sonya Prosser
I had thought I knew what to expect.
As the plane descended through the towering cumulus, I glimpsed the city below. It appeared through patches in the cloud, grey and dusty, red bricks, dirty roads and windowless buildings. I could not tell whether the city was being built or falling down. The panic rose as more of the crumbling city emerged, and I realized that none of my research had prepared me for flying into Kathmandu.
Clearing customs and immigration without a hitch, we exited the airport and were set upon by the mob of touts, intent on ferrying us to the hotel that paid them the best commission. Grateful that my first attempt at organizing an overseas trip had included booking the first night in a hotel with airport transfers, we were soon whisked away from the melee by a quiet and attentive hotel driver. Taking refuge in the sanctuary of the car did little to subdue my growing apprehension, I wanted to go home.
As we drove through the city I realized this was my first glimpse of real poverty, and it was with a sense of guilt and awe that we were delivered at a hotel lobby of polished marble and chandeliers.
The following day we wandered the streets and moved to less salubrious accommodation in the backpacker area. Intimidated by what lay in wait outside, I spent most of the first week, in or close to the hostel.
I don`t recall the exact moment the shift occurred, perhaps close to the end of the trip. Leaving the city and travelling to Pokhara, and Chitwan, opened my eyes to the beauty of travelling. In Pokhara we climbed mountains and heard stories of Tibetan displacement. In Chitwan we saw wild elephant, rhino, langur and sloth bear. By the time we returned to Kathmandu the fear that had kept me chained to the room of our hostel, had vanished, and what replaced it has never gone.
I could not get enough. Out on the streets every minute, I absorbed as much as I could, before boarding the plane back to Australia.
Today, as I continue to plan my next trip, I reflect on the experiences I have had during my travels, and how they have changed me. Being surrounded by migrating dolphins in Galapagos, seeing Cotton top Tamarins in the forests of Colombia, watching a culture being destroyed in Tibet and rebuilt in Cambodia. I have developed a taste for hot food in Sichuan and hot sauce in Barbados, found good friends in Vietnam and love in Cuba.
I am no longer overwhelmingly intimidated by flying into cities so unlike mine as Kathmandu, the trepidation is mixed with excitement of the unknown, anticipation of the unique tastes, smells, and experiences I will have.
I review the scribbled notes made earlier this year, in a hotel in Quito; ‘Costa Rica, look at volunteer opportunities, Belize, diving’ it reads, ‘two weeks on a catamaran, island hopping from Cartagena to Panama’.
As I usher in the New Year, I give in to my greatest urge, and begin booking my next adventure.
Sonya is a freelance travel writer and Raw Supporter.
Retirement Islands for Orangutans
An innovative plan to create man-made islands for sick and injured orangutans in Indonesia is offering hope of a better life for animals who have previously been destined to spend their remaining days in cages.
While much of the fight to save the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan focuses on protecting their natural habitat, for some orangutans it is already too late.
Environmentalists say they are rescuing a growing number of orangutans that are unable to return to the wild because they are too ill or injured, often the result of coming into contact with humans.
Now, Australian zoo keepers, the Australian Orangutan Project and an eco-tourism company are partnering with an orangutan conservation group in Indonesia to raise money to buy land in Sumatra to create four “islands” where sick and injured orangutans could live in an environment more akin to their natural habitat, with staff on hand to care for them.
The plan is to dig moats around the land, which would prevent the orangutans, which cannot swim, from escaping. The animals can live for up to 50 years.
Four orangutans being cared for by the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program have already been identified as possible residents of the planned islands, said Jessica McKelson, supervisor of the primates department at Melbourne Zoo and founder of Raw WildLife Encounters, the eco-tourism company involved in the project.
Ms. McKelson said one orangutan who could benefit from the project had been shot 62 times after wandering past a village on the edge of a forest. He was left blind after being shot in both eyes, and cannot return to the wild.
“He’s becoming large and mature and he really needs to get out of the cage,” said Ms. McKelson. Another orangutan the organizers hope to relocate has been diagnosed with the human strain of hepatitis B.
But first the organizers must find suitable land for the orangutans and raise money to lease the land.
Ms. McKelson said they hoped to raise 80,000 Australian dollars ($77,432) to lease about three hectares of land near the city of Medan, in north Sumatra. A clean water supply for the orangutans would be crucial.
There are also plans to establish an education center near the site to help teach locals about how they can live in harmony with orangutans, which is Indonesian for “man of the forest”.
Environmental groups blame palm oil and logging companies for encroaching on the animals’ natural habitat, and Ms. McKelson said villagers were increasingly coming into contact with orangutans as a result of deforestation. She said the animals sometimes approached villagers’ fruit trees, which could lead to conflict.
“We will be able to use this as a key education center to educate locals with the orangutans and also educate them about human-animal contact,” said Ms. McKelson, adding that there were an estimated 6,000 Sumatran orangutans left in the wild.
By LIZ GOOCH
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/retirement-islands-for-orangutans/
November 25, 2011, 8:29 AM
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
I always smile at this quote because it is supremely fitting for an eco-adventure-travel company. Mosquitoes? – Check. Yours free with every Raw Wildlife Encounter! Making a difference? - You bet. Thanks to our travellers and supporters, we’ve already improved the lives of orangutans and will continue to do so.
To save a species, save the ecosystem. To save Sumatran Orangutans, protect Indonesia’s forests. This is the philosophy to which Raw Wildlife Encounters (RWE) prescribes. The not-so-secret formula for saving a species from extinction is ensuring its habitat remains diverse, healthy, and safe.
As much as we’d like to, we can’t all hop a plane and spend months with our sleeves rolled up tending to orphaned orangutans or protecting elephant forests from logging. So we support those who can. We strive to empower the local community of Tangkahan to protect and preserve their own. And we travel to their country respectfully and ethically. Our reward is panoramic views of remarkable beauty and memorable, personal encounters with unique wildlife.
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This desire to provide a future for wild
orangutans drives our mission to discover the best ways for Raw Supporters to
provide practical, tangible, life-changing support for the community and the
wildlife.
Here are some of the projects we’re currently sponsoring.
- We employ Tangkahan community members in Indonesia to deliver the tourism experiences outlined in RWE travel itineraries. This alternative livelihood program is a great way for the local community to make an income, rather than participating in illegal logging or working in the palm oil plantations. Our team consists of a Communications Officer, a Project Manager, two experienced Tour Guides and four trainee Tour Guides. They are able to showcase their backyard and have a wealth of knowledge to share.
- We implemented a Litter and Waste Management Programme to educate the local community and tourists about waste disposal. Not only is it a way to combat litter issues, it has been great for the community and assisted in cleaning up the environment which they live in. The program employs locals to collect and sort rubbish for recycle and organic compost for use on community gardens, and minimizes the use of harmful chemicals on their plantations.
- Higher Education Scholarships to study at University STIM Medan are awarded to successful students from the Tangkahan district. To date, we have provided three 4-year scholarships for Ecotourism Management, Finance Management, and Tourism. By up skilling the poorer communities, they have a better chance to improve their education and find employment.
- A group of 25 city-based students from STIM University have formed MAPALA ‘Students for Nature Lovers’ to learn about conserving natural regions like Tangkahan through our funded workshops. These students installed bins and developed the interpretive signage for the Litter and Waste Management Programme. Connecting indigenous communities is a great way to strengthen messages in other areas without the information being diluted.
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Caring
for Wildlife Victims of Habitat Destruction- We contribute all conservation levy money from Australian Orangutan Project (AOP) members who book with Raw back towards AOP Projects.
- We support Conservation Response Unit Tangkahan to continue elephant patrols to monitor activities in Gunung Leseur National Park and employs them for eco-tourism activities.
- We financially support the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme to build a new baby house and new quarantine cages at Medan Quarantine Centre, necessary for rehabilitation of illegally-held and confiscated baby orangutans before release to the wild.
- Our current priority project is raising funds to secure land for the Orangutan Island project, a sanctuary to permanently house orangutans who through injury or illness can never be returned to the wild. This sanctuary will become a conservation education centre for local and international visitors. Donations can be made directly to this priority project via the AOP website at https://australianorangutanproject.worldsecuresystems.com/donations/paneco-raw-island-donation
To finish, here’s another quote from the Dalai Lama that surely sums up why eco-travel with us is the superior travel experience for mind, body, and soul:
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
You can contribute to our programs by contacting us now.
Over the past 6 weeks we’ve gathered information via our online survey from guests of Raw Wildlife Encounters (RWE), enquiring about what they enjoyed most about their adventure holiday with us. Their detailed responses have blown us away and will serve to inform the direction of RWE’s exciting future travel adventures.
In full appreciation of the respondents’ time, here’s a snapshot of the results for everyone to read…
The top three age categories are:
Only 23.3% of the tours taken by this age category were customised to meet travel needs and were family-based holidays.
The 5 day Orangutan and Elephant Escapade was the most popular tour.
76.7% of these guests participated in a ‘Signature Encounter’; a tour where experienced staff deliver the travel encounter on a stress-free adventure organised and led by our Australian wildlife hosts. The most popular Signature Experience was to North Sumatra on the Elephant Odyssey Adventure.
44% of guests within this age category customised their tours.
The majority had experienced prior travel to Asia and sought further, family-based adventures.
The most popular tour durations were 4-6 days.
A number chose Raw Wildlife Encounters based on referral by previous RWE guests.
56% participated in a ‘Signature Encounter’. Our North Sumatran Experience was the most popular.
Guests in this age group were looking for unique and ethically sound tours where private wildlife encounters were essential.
Once again, our 5 day Orangutan & Elephant Escapade was the most popular tour, being affordable, private, and exclusive to our guests.
53.8% of guests booked Signature Encounters with our North Sumatran experience being the most popular. Guests in this age category felt that professional tour operators and wildlife guides were important for the first-time traveller in a country that is not ‘touristy’. These guests showed keen interest in the local community programs we support with our conservation partners, and returned home with a greater understanding and motivation to participate further.
What our guests enjoyed most about their adventure – in their own words
‘The passion about the animals, the extremely personalised service provided and the access fully guided tour that took one into a special place of the world that is not commercialised. The fact that animal conservation is before tourism.’ – Female 32yrs, Elephant Odyssey Adventure, North Sumatra.
‘Observing local village life in Sumatra and learning about wildlife conservation programs’ – Female 60 yrs, Elephant Odyssey Adventure, North Sumatra.
‘With a lot of help I had a wonderful, challenging, once in a lifetime experience with friends, and met much supportive, kind, funny new friends’ - Female 59 yrs, Elephant Odyssey Adventure, North Sumatra.
‘The personal care given by Fleur - and her obvious devotion to what she is doing.’ - Female 80 yrs, Man of the Jungle Adventure, Malaysia.
‘The organization of the whole trip. Everything was planned beautifully’ - Female 49 yrs, 3 Day Orangutan Escapade Adventure, North Sumatra.
Raw Wildlife Encounters is a licensed travel agent #32907 and a
participant in the Travel Compensation Fund. You as a consumer
are protected by Law under these two provisions.
Copyright 2012 - Raw Wildlife Encounters
