Bukit Barisan National Park covers an area of 355,511 hectares, stretching from Lampung to Bengkulu Province. This area is home to several iconic species such as the Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger, sun bear, and hornbill. Given its high biodiversity value, UNESCO designated Bukit Barisan National Park as a Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra Site, alongside Kerinci Seblat National Park and Gunung Leuser National Park.
Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is one of the places where WCS began its efforts to support conservation in Indonesia. In 1995, WCS supported the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park Office in establishing and managing the Way Canguk Research Station, one of the oldest applied conservation research centers in Sumatra. The Way Canguk Research Station remains operational to this day, working to unravel nature’s mysteries. WCS Indonesia’s support for the management of the Way Canguk Research Station continues through collaboration with management units to address the challenges of wildlife and habitat conservation.
WCS Indonesia supports the national park in monitoring wildlife populations using camera traps, covering a total area of 492 km². The results of this wildlife population monitoring analysis serve as a key reference for establishing effective conservation strategies in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. WCS Indonesia provides support for patrols to protect the area from the threat of illegal activities through patrols using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) method, including mentoring and training for national park forest police staff. WCS Indonesia also supports to villages bordering national parks in human-wildlife conflict mitigation efforts. WCS Indonesia collaborates with national parks to facilitate the formation of conflict mitigation task forces, including assisting community groups in building tiger-proof enclosures (TPEs).