Tackling Wildlife Crime in Sumatra

Sumatran elephants, like Sumatran orangutans, are Critically Endangered. They were given this status in 2012 after losing half their population in just ten years. 

Similarly to orangutans, the elephants are threatened by habitat loss - these large-bodied mammals need a lot of space and many trees and plants to survive in the wild. However, for elephants, poaching is also a threat, with a recent court case seeing 11 people jailed for their role in killing elephants in Sumatra's Aceh province to harvest their tusks for the illegal wildlife trade.

With an estimated 2,400-2,800 individuals left in the wild, tackling wildlife crime is vital for Sumatran elephants. This encompasses not only tackling the direct crime against them (poaching for their tusks), but also things like traps and snares which, despite being set for deer and wild pigs, can also harm elephants which share their habitat.

This, combined with habitat restoration, is key to the elephants' survival. Thank you for helping to tackle wildlife crime in Sumatra.

Have you heard of pangolins? Sometimes known as scaly anteaters, these reptilian-looking mammals are found in Asia and Africa and are unfortunately often hunted and trafficked for the keratin scales which cover their bodies. 

The Sunda pangolin species is found in Sumatra and, like all the other species of pangolin, is nocturnal and feeds on ants and termites. Most pangolins captured from the wild, no matter where they are found, end up in China and Vietnam, where their scales are used as an ingredient in traditional medicine.

To prevent the continuing catastrophic decline in pangolins in the wild, it is vital that conservationists and law enforcement agencies gather information about trafficking routes and the people involved in this wildlife crime. Our team in Sumatra recently collaborated with local authorities to seize two suspects and the evidence of their involvement in trafficking pangolins - nine kilograms of scales. 

Tragically, it is too late to save the pangolins these scales came from, but by gaining information from the suspects and continuing to keep a close eye on potential trafficking hotspots, our team can be part of the ongoing effort to keep pangolins safe in the wild.

Thank you for supporting this work.