Wildlife Conservation Society, is a New York-based conservation organization with goal to conserve the world's largest wild places in 15 priority regions and home to more than 50% of the world's biodiversity.
WCS-Indonesia Program has worked in Indonesia since initial surveys in the 1960s, and opened a formal country program in 1995 under an MoU with the Ministry of Forestry (now Ministry of Environment and Forestry). WCS has operated projects on across Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku) ranging from population and threats assessments of endangered cockatoos to studies of hunting management issues (including tiger and sharks) and the impact of logging on wildlife. In recent years WCS has become one of the leading actors in both tiger conservation and the fight against wildlife crime. WCS’s staff initiated and led the recent development of the PHKA ten-year action plan for Sumatran tiger conservation; a plan that incorporates many of the successful approaches developed by WCS including survey and monitoring methods, conflict resolution and anti-poaching work. WCS’s current programs include a significant focus on the megafauna of Sumatra, the unique biodiversity of Sulawesi, establishing marine protected areas around Aceh, Java, West Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, and North Maluku, as well as improved fisheries management
With over 170 employees throughout Indonesia, WCS-IP works through layered conservation efforts to safeguard wildlife, from wildlife protection in its habitat to technical support in enforcing environmental law.
In general, WCS-IP’s activities divided into five programs comprises of :
- Sumatra Program
We focused our work in Gunung Leuser National Park, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, and Way Kambas National Park, for key species such as Sumatran elephant, Sumatran tiger, and Sumatran rhino. We support government to strengthen and increase effectiveness conservation areas through Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools (SMART) Patrol, implement METT (Monitoring Effectiveness Training Tools) for protected area, develop key species population monitoring system, and a sustainable human-wildlife mitigation conflict system to reduce human and animal victim.
- Sulawesi Program
Works at Tangkoko Nature reserve, Lore Lindu National Park and Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park and with focus on safeguarding maleo nesting ground and enhancing protected area system through SMART patrol and METT.
- Marine Program
We work altogether with the government in Weh Island, Karimunjawa National Park, Taka Bonerate National Park, North Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara and North Maluku. We focus on the sustainable fisheries, support government to increase the effectiveness of conservation area management, and ecology and social survey as based of conservation actions.
- Wildlife Crime Unit
Give technical support to law enforcement to eradicate wildlife trade in Indonesia. Last year, this unit has been expanding to forest crime unit, which not only cover illegal wildlife trade but also protect wildlife’s habitat through investigation of illegal logging or encroachment.
- Policy program
Focus on supporting the government of Indonesia to produce regulation and policy that will benefit to forest and wildlife conservation
- Rote Snake-necked Turtle conservation Program
Support the Indonesia government to reintroduce the critically endanger Snake-necked turtle into their native habitat.