Explore | Wildlife
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© Dwi Oblo
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In the late afternoon , I arrive at Teluk Keladi , Teluk Binjai village , Pelalawan District . Several cars are parked at the edge of the bay , and people are chatting at a coffee shop while waiting for the arrival of the ship – ponton – that will take us all across to Teluk Meranti , the gateway to the 130,000-hectare forest that is protected and being rehabilitated by RER .
The next day , I jump on board a small boat that snakes through the Serkap River . The motorboat , which can accommodate 12 people , roars through the waters . We are heading to one of the RER ranger posts .
Along the way , the boat docks at a wooden hut on the riverbank . The hut is owned by Bahtiar , a member of the fishing community of Serkap Jaya Lestari .
Bahtiar catches fish using a bubu , a traditional tool of caged wire . “ Last month , I was able to catch 260kg of fish ,” he says .
In the afternoon , our boat reaches the Serkap River Outpost . Ten men are stationed here from morning to night . They are the first line of defence for the forest . Edy Suprayitno , a manager at RER , tells us that , “ In about 30 years , or more , this forest is expected to recover its biodiversity and ecological functions .”
Each month , each forest ranger is assigned to monitor the forest area for a 20-day shift . They patrol the branches of the Serkap River using a single-engine boat . For the other 10 days of the month , they take time off to rest .
This post is only fitted with a two-way radio for communication . Cellular networks are not yet available in the area . “ Up in that tree ,” says ranger Wahyudi , “ we sometimes get a signal .” Several metres from their guard post , three wooden boards – like stools – are sitting atop a 9m-tall tree . There , the rangers sit and communicate with the outside world . If there is a signal , of course .
In 2015 , Fauna and Flora International ( FFI ) conducted surveillance and observation on the Kampar Peninsula . As a result , they found about 550 species of flora and fauna living here , some of which are on the brink of extinction . Images of elusive Sumatran tigers have also been captured by the surveillance cameras mounted at several points in the forest .
“ That ’ s resak , and that ’ s the meranti rawa . Both are critically endangered ,” says Muhammad Iqbal , manager of forest ecology and rehabilitation , pointing to two trees at the edge of the Serkap River . Tree branches and trunks are important bird habitats on the Kampar Peninsula , including for the Sumatran Drongo or the Srigunting Sumatra , which is endemic to Sumatra .
“ One , two , three , four …” Iqbal counts the flocks of birds flying overhead as he views them through binoculars . It looks like 28 Asian Oriental honey buzzards are coming from the east , circling above the peat forest . “ They come from the Asian plains and are heading to Java ,” says Iqbal . This forest on the Kampar Peninsula is a transit point for several species of migrating birds .
The hazards and dangers of fire and patrolling are also a part of the job of the RER rangers . In the past , forests have burned every year except for 2014 . Peatlands are vulnerable to fire , and the fire suppression process can take months . This is an issue that the rangers , as well as the local community , should be aware of .
Because of this , RER spearheaded a campaign aimed at local farmers , about clearing the land without burning the forest .
“ For the last three years , there has been no more land clearing by burning ,” says Zamri , a farmer from Pulau Muda village . This happened after RER held a workshop on Farming Without Burning . In this village , most farmers grow chillies , red ginger and dragon fruit . Together with 20 other farmers , Zamri is involved in the Farmer ’ s Joint Development Group .
As I leave , the sky is turning dark . The shadows of trees fall all around me . I hadn ’ t realised that the Kampar Peninsula has a forest that is home to such a wide variety of animal and plant species .
Brad ’ s words came back to me : “ The task of protecting the forest will never be over .”
1 Lush jungle surrounds the Serkap River , which flows into Tasik Besar Serkap Lake .
2 Rangers patrolling the Serkap River in the RER area .