Tackling Wildlife Crime in Sumatra

You may have seen that actress Halle Bailey (who will play Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live action Little Mermaid film) has recently shared photos of her posing with animals including orangutans at Safari World in Bangkok.

Animal “attractions” such as the one in question have been under worldwide scrutiny for years because of their alleged poor treatment of animals.

Nonprofit organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) commented on the photo, with them writing: "We know you love animals, but supporting cruel attractions like this is hurting them.

"More than half a million exotic animals are exploited worldwide in the tourism industry - many torn away from their {natural habitat}, exploited for photo ops and condemned to a lifetime of suffering.

"It's up to all of us tourists to stop funding places that are exploiting them for profit and continuing this cycle of abuse. Please keep animals out of your future travel plans."

Unfortunately the orangutans found in “attractions” like this are usually in this predicament due to illegal wildlife trafficking.

Our frontline partner, Nature for Change, are helping to combat this. Nature For Change are based near Bukit Lawang, on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park, which in total covers more than one million hectares and is home to Sumatran orangutans, elephants, tigers, rhinos and thousands of other species.

The wildlife of Gunung Leuser National Parkcan be at risk from wildlife trafficking, hunting and illegal logging. With such a large area to patrol, government resources are overstretched and it is difficult to protect the entire park area. 

Nature for Change provide training and support for community patrols to become a ‘living fence’, shoring up the borders of the park with regular monitoring and reporting to help clamp down on illegal activities. Along with their education programmes for children and adults, a community library, and rewilding in the buffer zone of the park, the organisation’s holistic approach is helping to build a sustainable future for Leuser, its wildlife, and its people.