Conservation Programs

2012 - Project of the Year! PanEco & RWE Orangutan Island Project

On occasion Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) receive orangutans with serious medical conditions or disabilities (including injuries) that prevent them being returned to the wild. The PanEco RWE Island fundraising partnership between Australian Orangutan Project and Raw Wildlife Encounters, has been established to raise funds necessary for SOCP to purchase land, develop suitable orangutan long-term housing facilities, employ staff, and cover operational costs for at least the first year. 

2011 - SOCP Orangutan Quarantine Cages

Ongoing - Community Scholarship Program

In June 2009, Raw Wildlife Encounters sponsored 23-year-old Kristin Natalia Sitepu to attend university for three years to study Ecotourism and Tourism Management. In the long term, Kristin hopes to further her education by gaining work experience in an eco-tourism program outside Indonesia. Kristin grew up in the village of Tangkahan with her parents and older sister. The opportunity for further education was not possible because of her family’s minimal wages in the palm oil plantations.

Ongoing - Training and Development Program in Medan

Raw Wildlife Encounters has provided financial support to the STIM Sukma Medan University in North Sumatra to develop a number of key educational programs. One of these programs is the MAPALA student working youth group, which in 2010 delivered a series of community lectures on Litter and Waste Management, the environment, and culture. MAPALA has been instrumental in delivering community conservation projects and assisting in strengthening conservation commitments within the community. Raw Wildlife Encounters provides ongoing support for the MAPALA youth group.

2010 - SOCP Orangutan Baby House in North Sumatra

With financial assistance from Raw Wildlife Encounters, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) has built a much needed orangutan baby house at the Medan Quarantine Centre. The project has enabled many illegally held and confiscated baby orangutans to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

2010 - Conservation Bus in West Aceh

Raw Wildlife Encounters assisted the Tripa Swamp Project in West Aceh to buy a bus that is now used to educate local communities about the value of their natural assets. One of the Project’s aims is to lobby key palm oil companies to develop sustainable agricultural practices. The Tripa Swamp is home to the largest population of endangered Sumatran orang-utan, which is under threat from three major palm oil companies.

Ongoing - Litter and Waste Management Program in Tangkahan

Initiated in 2010 and remaining ongoing, financially supported by Raw Wildlife Encounters, the Litter and Waste Management Program is jointly managed by the local community group, Lembaga Pariwisata Tangkahan. The Program provides employment opportunities in litter management, composting and recycling, and also educates local communities on waste disposal, particularly around tourism hot spots. Raw Wildlife Encounters has provided full-time employment to four community members, who now manage the daily running of the Program and who have been instrumental in collecting litter and beautifying the tourism hot spots.

Ongoing - Communication Officer in Tangkahan

As part of its drive to assist in the education and employment of indigenous people, Raw Wildlife Encounters has employed Kristin Natalia Sitepu as a part-time Communication Officer in Tangkahan. This is Kristin’s first official job with a travel company. She reports to Raw Wildlife Encounters on important conservation issues and orang-utan programs, gathers anecdotes about The Conservation Response Unit’s elephant program in Tangkahan, and monitors the progress of the Litter and Waste Management Program. Kristin is also employed to book and administer travel logistics within Indonesia for Raw Wildlife Encounters. Between full-time University studies and working part time for Raw Wildlife Encounters, Kristin is a busy girl!

Ongoing - Elephant Support Program

In 2010, Raw Wildlife Encounters launched the Elephant Support Program to support the Conservation Response Unit (CRU)Tangkahan. People can assist this program by giving a monetary gift which goes directly towards the critically endangered Sumatran Elephant protection and welfare. Raw Wildlife Encounters aims to support healthy elephants in camps and believes the welfare of these animals is a priority for elephant conservation and species survival.

Ongoing - Higher Education Program

In 2010, Raw Wildlife Encounters launched a scholarship program for people living in the Tangkahan community. This opportunity for university study is limited to the community, as often they cannot afford higher education. The scholarship program resulted from the financial contributions of previous Raw Wildlife Encounters clients, and has given two people the opportunity to study for four years at STIM Sukma Medan University.