Sustainable Ecosystem Foundation
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Mission Statement
Our mission is saving and protecting captive and wild Sumatran (Pongo abelii) and Tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis) orangutans and their rainforest habitat, through science-based conservation, establishing new wild populations, advocacy, and education and awareness building. .......................................................................................................... Our goals are to ensure all remaining viable wild orangutan populations in Sumatra and their habitat are fully protected and safe from destruction; establish new viable populations of the species in the wild via reintroduction of confiscated illegal pets, serving as a safety net for the remaining original wild populations; increase knowledge of wild orangutan distribution, status, threats, behavior and ecology; change perceptions among Indonesian and global citizens in terms of animal welfare, understanding of sustainable development, and natural resource management.
About This Cause
The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) is implemented by Indonesian-based Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari (YEL; translates as Sustainable Ecosystem Foundation) and the Swiss-based PanEco Foundation, under several Memoranda of Understanding with the Indonesian Government. Approximately 90 local staff assist with the implementation of the 10 SOCP field programmes across Aceh and North Sumatra - spanning the complete distribution of Critically Endangered Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans. The SOCP deals with all aspects of orangutan conservation for both species in Sumatra, including the confiscation, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of captive orangutans to form new wild populations; education and awareness raising; surveys and monitoring of wild populations; and habitat protection. Since 2003 we have rescued and reintroduced nearly 300 Sumatran orangutans to the wild, as the founders of two genetically viable populations being established of this Critically Endangered species. An additional 54 individuals currently reside at our Orangutan Quarantine Center; almost all will eventually be released but 6 cannot be due to disabilities (eg blind due to being shot 62 times, psychological and physical weakness due to 20 years in a tiny cage). As they can live more than 50 years, we do not want them spending this time in metal cages. The solution is the Orangutan Haven, a highly innovative and unique project currently in development. Here, within a beautiful valley on a 48-hectare site, just 30 minutes from Indonesia’s 4th largest city of Medan, we are creating the Orangutan Haven with its 9 naturalistic islands to provide long term sanctuary – dramatically improving welfare and allowing the orangutans, through their educational role, to continue to play an important part in ensuring the species’ long-term survival. The Haven will educate visitors of all backgrounds, from school children to international tourists, providing a unique opportunity to see and understand the problems these orangutans and their wild counterparts face. It will also inform on wildlife conservation generally, the importance of forests for human welfare and livelihoods, issues surrounding the illegal wildlife trade in the region, and sustainable agriculture, architecture, energy and development. As well as the Orangutan Islands, facilities at the Haven shall include visitor and research centers, eco-farming plots, songbird aviaries for focused captive breeding programs, etc. all constructed with sustainable materials and powered by on-site renewable energy. We have a long history of publishing important articles and documents on the two orangutan species in Sumatra, and have thus become the principal source regarding their conservation status. This is reflected by our leading role in the 2012 island-wide survey (Wich et al. 2016), the IUCN Red List (Nowak et al. 2017; Singleton et al. 2017), Population and Habitat Viability Analyses (Utami-Atmoko et al. 2017), the development of the Indonesian National Action Plan for Orangutans (Soehartono et al. 2009), our foundational role in the identification of the new species of orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis (Nater et al. 2017), and representation on international scientific bodies (eg IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group-Great Apes, UNEP-GRASP). We also promote sustainable development, and have many years’ experience of community development and sustainable livelihood programs, including humanitarian, health and sanitation projects, ecotourism development, and organic agriculture. YEL and PanEco also built and manage an Ecolodge and Environmental Education Centre in Bukit Lawang, North Sumatra (ecolodges.id), PanEco a Nature Reserve and Education Centre in Switzerland (paneco.ch/naturzentrum-thurauen/).