Tag Archives: swaraowa

29May/25

The urgency of the habitat corridor for the Javan gibbon: two years of a participatory planting program

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by : Sidiq Harjanto ( SwaraOwa) dan Alex Rifa’i (PPM Mendolo)

a group of gibbons in Sawahan forest ( doc. PPM Mendolo)

Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) is one of the nine species  of gibbon in Indonesia. The distribution of this grey ape is endemic to the island of Java and is limited to the western part of the island. Owa Jawa (in Javanese)  is found in lowland tropical forest habitats with certain specifications. They live arboreally (on the forest canopy) so they need good forest canopy connectivity. Currently, the Javan gibbon is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN red list.

Habitat fragmentation is a threat that accelerates the extinction of this charismatic species. The habitat fragmentation condition referred to is when the forest area no longer provides good canopy or canopy connectivity. Simply put, an expanse of forest is broken up into smaller blocks. Because of the need for a connected forest canopy, the slightest disturbance in the gibbon’s habitat, such as the opening of a road, can fragment the habitat for the gibbon.

When a group or family of gibbons is separated from the population, it increases the chance of inbreeding which leads to genetic drift. Intermarriage between closely related family members dramatically reduces gene diversity. This results in health problems and adaptability and increases the risk of extinction. The more massive the isolation of the population, then the rate of extinction of a species is also increasing.

map of fragmented gibbon habitat in Mendolo

Monitoring gibbon groups in fragmented habitats

It takes care to ensure habitat fragmentation for the Javan gibbon. At first glance, the land cover often looks relatively good. However, if we refer to the specific needs of the ape species from the Hylobatidae family that require heterogeneous forests, it turns out that not all areas match the needs of the gibbon population. There are several pockets of Javan gibbon habitat forest surrounded by garden areas, such as durian and coffee, or other homogeneous vegetation cover that is not compatible with the needs of the habitat.

participatory gibbon monitoring in Mendolo village ( Doc. PPM Mendolo)

Paguyuban Petani Muda (PPM) Mendolo, in collaboration with Swaraowa, has been monitoring groups of Javan gibbons that are in small forest blocks that are separated from the main forest block. Groups of gibbons generally share space in forested areas that are far below the ideal territory. From this monitoring data, future conservation efforts can be formulated.

The monitoring team consists of two or three people every day, leaving in the morning around 05:30 WIB or sometimes the departure schedule can be even earlier. Upon arrival at the monitoring location, the team began to observe the daily activities of the group of Javan gibbons, such as eating, playing, resting, and sleeping. In addition, we also recorded the types of fodder trees, and the average height of the canopy they used for activities. These data are important considering that their habitat area overlaps with community arable land.

Several times groups of gibbons were observed crossing into the coffee plantation area where the average height of the trees was no more than five meters. In fact, there were some residents who reported that they had seen a Javan gibbon walking on the ground. The phenomenon of gibbons walking on the ground seems funny at first glance, but this finding is worrying because it deviates from its natural behavior. Owa Jawa is a completely arboreal animal, if it comes down to the ground to cross from one tree to another, this indicates that its habitat is not ideal.

Forest corridors for habitat connection

Right now we are racing against time. Data on habitat fragmentation for the Javan gibbon in this landscape is still very limited. However, there are beginning to be findings that indicate that condition. This requires a prompt response to avoid the risk of accelerating extinction. Starting from the data that is still very limited, efforts, albeit on a small scale, have been made. One of the efforts made is through the creation of habitat corridors and the enrichment of fodder trees.

planting trees by Mendolo community ( Doc. PPM Mendolo)

This year, it is the second year for the residents of Sawahan Village, Mendolo Village to carry out a corridor planting program and the enrichment of forest tree species. The seeds planted this year include Babi wood (Crypteronia sp.), Sapi wood (Pometia pinnata), Rau, sentul , Nangkan. A total of about 700 seedlings. Some seeds are planted on the borders of small rivers, or grooves according to local terms. Planting in these grooves is expected to be a forest corridor in the future, as well as for water and soil conservation.

In addition to river border areas, various forest fruit seeds are also planted in arable land to increase the population of fodder trees for Javan gibbons. Types of fodder trees that gibbons like are rau (Drancontomelon dao), bendo (Artocarpus elasticus), nangkan (Artocarpus rigidus), and sentul (Sandoricum koetjape). With the enriched agroforestry model, it is hoped that groups of Javan gibbons will still be able to survive, at least from the side of the title connection and feed availability.

The concept of the habitat corridor in Mendolo is similar to the community baboon sanctuary program that has succeeded in maintaining the population of howler monkeys in Belize, Central America. It is long-term in nature and requires the collaboration of various parties. In principle, this program seeks to find an equilibrium between the ideal habitat needs of the Javan gibbon and the economic interests of the community from land management.

Community-based conservation

It cannot be denied that many environmental problems are global in nature, such as climate change, mass extinction, and deforestation – including habitat fragmentation. However, the ways of handling it can start from a small scale. Conservation actions need to be adapted to the local context. The scale can be based on ecoregions, bioregions, landscapes, or even on a small administrative scope, such as a village. In the rural context, community-based conservation has become a paradigm as well as a promising strategy.

In Sawahan Hamlet there has been the initiation of the Hamlet Regulation (Perduk) which regulates the protection of wildlife. This rule applies to several groups of animals, namely: fish, birds, and primates. The development of this citizen’s agreement brings a breath of fresh air to efforts to preserve biodiversity in Mendolo Village. The preservation of wildlife certainly cannot stop at the ban on hunting, but needs to be deepened towards habitat preservation. This forest corridor program is one of the long-term efforts to get there.

This habitat corridor and fodder tree enrichment program is community-based. Citizen participation is the key to sustainability. The willingness of tilling the land (areas bordering the river), the consistency of seed procurement, planting, and the commitment to tree care are highly dependent on the active role of community members. Currently, the role is played by the farmers who cultivate the land, the group of farm women who help prepare the seeds, as well as the members of the PPM Mendolo who alternately monitor groups of gibbons in the Mendolo region. We thank them for their very meaningful contribution.

translated from orginal article in bahasa here : https://swaraowa.blogspot.com/2025/05/urgensi-koridor-habitat-bagi-owa-jawa.html

 

10May/25

Mentawai Gibbon: Conservation and Monitoring Efforts in the Siberut Customary Forest

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by : Arif Setiawan

training participants with siripok bilou t-shirt

Two activities in two different locations have been and are being started in Siberut, the first in the Toloulago forest area and the second in the traditional forest area in Rokdok village. The activities at the Toloulago location are a continuation of the activities from previous years with Malinggai Uma in southern Siberut. And the second activity is a new initiative to strengthen the management of customary forests-Hutan Adat- in Siberut.

From discarded wood to hope: gibbon spotting post

The Malinggai Uma team made a gibbon spotting post or wildlife observation post in the Toloulagok forest. This wildlife observation post aims to develop community based wildlife tourism which has been developed in Toloulago by Uma Malinggai. In addition, this observation post can also be used to control illegal logging activities that continue to occur in this area.

gibbon spotting post in Toloulago forest

Ismael saumanuk who with the team has made the size of this observation post 4×6 with two floors, development that has been going on for 2 months and until now is about 75% completed. The making of this post was also initiated from the rampant felling of trees in the Touloulago forest, and the big logs were not used, they were just left in the forest, meaning that the loggers only took a part that was good or what was necessary, while the logs were left in the forest. Ismael, Visen and Damianus initiated the use of these trees to be used as observation posts.

 

Siripok Bilou : Gibbon Monitoring Team

Starting this month, the siripok bilou ( mean friends of the gibbon in Mentawai language ) team will be strengthened again with the monitoring team, Aman Tara, from Mailepet as a locals who will lead the gibbon survey and monitoring activities in the traditional forest region. This activity is part of a consortium for the conservation of the Mentawai gibbon  between Yayasan Citra Mandiri Mentawai, Swaraowa and Green Justice Indonesia. This collaborative project aims to strengthen the current management of customary forests and has received recognition from the government. Swarawa in this regard will contribute to provide technical support for monitoring Bilou as one of the flagship species in this customary forest.

gibbon monitoring team in customary forest of siberut

The survey will be carried out for the next 6 months, in the customary forest area in the villages of Madobag and Matotonan. The preparation for this survey is the introduction of the gibbon monitoring technique based on their vocalization and from April 24 to May 1, 2025 we trained a special team from Rokdok village, this technique was used in the previous survey in Siberut (Setiawan et al 2020). The Malinggai uma team who have become familiar with this survey technique became mentors, Aman Andei and Aman Tebai came along to accompany and train the team that will be thrown later. The initial socialization about this activity was facilitated by the YCMM team on the night of April 25, 2025 and was attended by approximately 30 people from the village of Rokdok. Then some of those present that night were selected to join the monitoring team, then continued with the introduction of gibbon-based survey techniques, guided by Adin and Wawan from SwaraOwa.

training participants in the forest

Bilou- Mentawai Gibbon ( Hylobates klossii)

That night basic knowledge  about gibbons in Indonesia and the monitoring technique was presented by Wawan and Adin, and the next morning the team was divided into 3 for data collection practice. Adin introduced the apps we use to support i.e kobocollect and avenza map for data collection. The triangulation system was put into practice for 4 days in a row. The first experience for the team so there are many things that need to be discussed together, the unexpected field conditions also provide additional information for the next locations. One of the interesting things from these 4 days of observation, 2 teams did not hear Gibbon’s voice at all, only the 3rd team heard Gibbon’s voice, even that was only 1 group and the distance was very far. For the time being there is indeed a difficulty for the team that does not hear the voice and from the results of these 4 days it is also possible that the gibbon around this customary  forest area is also very sparsely populated. We will go deeper into this in the next surveys.

Capacity building and program development that is sustainable and economically beneficial is highly expected by Mentawai communities, what are the economic benefits of this? That is one of the things that is asked a lot and to answer it is not short. Ismael and Vinsen were very helpful in their presence at this event, meaning that without any language barrier from the swaraOwa team who explained Vinsen and  Ismael’s experience of developing Toloulago gibbon watching with swaraOwa since 2016 could be told to the participants in Rokdok. Visits by tourists who are interested in seeing and participating in the program offered is one of the economic benefits of gibbons, staying for a few days to eat, stay and need transportation are some of the impacts of economic activities that occur with the existence of Gibbon in the forest area in Toloulagok.

The customary  forest area is certainly very potential to be developed for its benefits, the existence of endemic species that cannot be found in other parts of the world will be an economic asset and socially and culturally can strengthen the global identity for Mentawai Island’s biodiversity.

28Apr/25

Freshwater Fish and Critically Endangered Kingfisher: Safeguarding River Life Together

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by Imam Taufiqurrahman

Mr. Irwan lead group discussion on freshwater fish in Mendolo

Efforts to conserve the blue-banded kingfisher cannot be separated from efforts to preserve the river as its habitat. On that basis, we are SwaraOwa together with the Mendolo Young Farmers Association (PPM) held a River Workshop and Discussion in Sawahan Hamlet, Mendolo Village, Lebakbarang District, April 19-20, 2025.

The two-day workshop and discussion were part of a program supported by the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) and the Oriental Bird Club (OBC). The activity was attended by a total of 13 members of PPM Mendolo.

Themed ” Fish Monitoring, Protecting the Habitat of the Blue-banded Kingfisher”, this activity presented Susilo Irwanjasmoro. Mr. Irwan, as he is familiarly called, is a local fish researcher and river observer. One of the initiators of the Wild Water Indonesia community organization, he began the discussion by sharing his activities. Efforts to preserve rivers and local freshwater fish are actively carried out through movements against illegal fishing and saving local fish species.

Together with the participants, Mr. Irwan tried to unravel the practices related to rivers and fish that have been running in Sawahan Hamlet. What the Sawahan residents did for the Wisnu River felt close and in line with the theme of the movement that Mr. Irwan has been carrying all this time.

The Sawahan residents have a history that they do not want to repeat because it has an impact on the loss of fish in the Wisnu River. In the past, there was a kind of ‘tradition’ of poisoning river or what is commonly called ngobat. A kind of celebration, residents went down to the river in droves to harvest fish and shrimp.

In fact, “We even skipped school,” Rohim recalled, greeted by laughter from other participants.

The prohibited activity was routinely carried out during the dry season, when the river water level receded. Until then, residents realized that the practice was damaging, resulting in the loss of local fishes ragalan or tombro . The loss of ragalan then encouraged them to do re-stocking, the seeds of which were taken from the Sengkarang River.

The success of restoring the ragalan population, made the practice of uncontrolled harvesting happen again. Ragalan almost disappeared for the second time. From that, they, especially the youth, then agreed to make a ban on taking in Kedung Bengang river. The informal ban has now even become an agreement in the community meeting, which is stated in the Hamlet Regulation on fish protection (read: Protection of fish, birds, and primates in Sawahan Hamlet: a new milestone in efforts to preserve wildlife in Mendolo Village https://swaraowa.blogspot.com/2025/03/perlindungan-ikan-burung-dan-primata-di.html).

As for a species of large freshwater shrimp, known to residents as urang sempu, it has really not returned. Mr. Irwan suspects that the species is giant prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).

However, the disappearance of this species of large shrimp must also be seen in a wider scope, considering its unique life cycle. Its living space spans a wide area, from the estuary to the upper reaches of the river. It will spawn in brackish water and will move upstream to grow into adulthood. And so on as a cycle throughout its life.

So, when its existence disappeared from the Wisnu River due to the practice of ngobat, there is actually a natural possibility that the urang sempu will come back. However, when looking at the expanse of the Wisnu River, there is a stretch of flow of more than 24 km to its estuary in the Java Sea. There have been so many obstacles or barriers that have been able to break the migration cycle of this shrimp, both in physical and chemical forms.

The presence of pollution downstream, for example. That is a chemical barrier. Physically, the existence of a dam that is not designed to have a fishway will cause the movement of giant prawns to stop. They will not be able to pass through it, resulting in the urang sempu never returning.

fish monitoring at wisnu river, on 20 April 2025

Fish monitoring

The establishment of a fish sanctuary like that carried out by Sawahan residents for Wisnu river, including the existence of its protection regulations, is an appreciation in itself. However, this process must then be accompanied by routine monitoring.

Awareness and efforts to maintain the possibility of threats from the entry of foreign species need to be a continuous concern. Consideration and the principle of caution regarding the preservation of local fish diversity must be the main consideration. Do not let the practice of enriching fish species occur, but deplete local fish.

From the discussion, it was revealed, for example, the encounter of ragalan in the upper flow. Previously, it had never been found there. The participants suspected that its presence also came from release, not natural factors.

Concerns also arose because its presence could potentially threaten smaller lunjar (Rasbora sp). When the lunjar that is the food for the blue-banded kingfisher disappears, the existence of this endangered bird has the potential to disappear. “What should be done when the practice of releasing fish has been carried out and there is a possibility of impacting the existence of other fish?” asked Cashudi, the head of PPM Mendolo. An expression of concern over the existence of ragalan in the upper stream.

Mr. Irwan suggested that efforts to observe and monitor fish could be focused on the existence of ragalan and lunjar. Routine monitoring will be able to anticipate adverse impacts on the sustainability of the river. If necessary, control and even prevent the population from growing further.

The presence of non-native species of fishes has a real impact. Renny Kurnia Hadiaty in “Diversity and loss of fish species in the lakes of the Cisadane River”, revealed the loss of more than 70% of fish species in the various lakes of the large river. A paper published in 2011 in the Indonesian Journal of Ichthyology, mentions the existence of a total of 86 types of fish.

The species are collected from various previous research in the span of 1920-2000. In every 10 years throughout the period, the rate of loss of existing types is seen. Finally, in the research conducted by Renny, only 24 species were successfully found. Even so, eight of them are non-native species.

Reflecting on that, including the fate of local fish in various other rivers in Java, monitoring efforts have become imperative. Monitoring can also touch many aspects, starting from the river’s physical, biotic, and abiotic aspects. So, early prevention can be done before damage to the river or loss of local fish occurs.

Species documentation

Data collection of local fish is one of the fundamental things to do and should be owned as a basis. A documentation workshop on the species of fish that live in Kali Wisnu was also conducted after the presentation.

According to the participants, there are at least nine species of fishes in Kali Wisnu. Seven of them are local species, namely wader pari or lunjar (Rasbora sp), tombro or ragalan (Tor tambra), bokol (Barbodes binotatus), bogo or kutuk (Channa limbata), kékél (Glypthotorax platypogon), sili (Macrognathus maculatus), and uceng (Nemacheilus sp).

Documenting the species of fish at night and during the day, 19-20 April 2025

Sili (Macrognathus maculatus) Doc. Alex Rifa’i, April 19, 2025.

kékél (Glypthotorax platypogon). Dokumentasi Alex Rifa’i, 19 April 2025

While guppy (Poecilioides reticulatus) and mélem (Osteochilus vittatus) are known as non-native species that were not previously found in Kali Wisnu. There is also tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) which is invasive, but is not found in the river. That species appears in fish ponds near the river and must be careful not to enter the Kali Vishnu.

Mélem (Osteochilus vittatus), one of the foreign species. Doc. of Restu Wijaya, 20 April 2025.

Documentation begins with sampling. Seven species, namely ragalan, sili, lunjar, are obtained through fishing techniques during the day until the afternoon. After getting permission from Mr. Kasnadi as the Head of RT, who was also present in the meeting, at night they did nyénér ( catching fishs with scoop net) and got kekél from the tributaries, including shrimp and crab. An attempt to catch the uceng was made the next day, but was unsuccessful.

Nyénér and some fishes obtained, April 19, 2025

Ibnu shows the sili fish obtained by fishing rod, April 19, 2025

Mr. Irwan suggested that documentation efforts are not limited only through photography. The richness in local terminology and nomenclature is also important to document, which may very well be different from other regions. Various techniques for taking fish, there are nyénér for example for taking using seser (scoop net or hand held dip net). There is also nggogoh, which is done without using a tool, just by touching the part of the river bed.

There is a name on the fish. Kutuk baby fish, for example, when they are very small are called lenthis and when they are the size of a thumb they are called licing. While ragalan baby fish, known as kemprung. The same is true of the stories or myths that many Sawahan residents have. Its existence needs documentation because of its nature which is still in the form of speech from generation to generation.

Fish watching

The existence of protection for fish and the river that has been running in Kali Wisnu, plus the wealth of local fish species has great potential to develop fish watching. When you usually see fish in the river only from above the surface, fish watching offers the sensation of seeing fish while swimming. It’s like snorkeling, but done in a shallow river.

Ragalan ( Tor tambra) in Kedung Kali Bengang, Wisnu River

Mr. Irwan shared his experience in developing the fish watching tour in the Oyo River. Participants are provided with modules of various species  of fishes that can be baited, then together they search and observe them equipped with snorkeling goggles. A different way in an effort to introduce the diversity of local fishes, while also inviting people to care more about its sustainability.

Planning is very necessary and should be the main concern in developing this special interest ecotourism. Various stages as prerequisites need to be studied in depth, tested. Starting from preparing locations, lanes, which should prioritize security and safety. The existence of supporting facilities and infrastructure, visitation systems, institution management, packages,  standards operational procedure, and much more.

This river workshop open up insight into the existence of the river as a complex living system. Even from a discussion about the existence of fish and shrimp, the conversation spanned from the headwaters of the Wisnu River to its flow in the estuary.

The existence of fish and rivers are inseparable from the surrounding environment. It is also closely related to human activities that live around. So, its existence needs to be maintained, as a space that many living beings, including humans, depend on it.

19Mar/25

“Protection of fish, birds, and primates in Sawahan Hamlet: A new milestone in wildlife conservation efforts in Mendolo Village.”

Blog Post, ,

by Imam Taufiqurrahman, translated from blogpost.

local fishes Tombo, family caprinidae in wisnu river, Sawahan

A significant breakthrough in wildlife conservation efforts in Sawahan Hamlet, Mendolo Village, Indonesia. On March 15, 2025, a community meeting led to new agreements for the protection of fish, birds, and primates in the region. This initiative originated from the concerns of the youth group Paguyuban Petani Muda (PPM), supported by the SwaraOwa Foundation, aiming to address the disappearance of local wildlife due to overexploitation and hunting.

The conservation efforts include long-standing practices like prohibiting fishing in certain river areas and expanding them to include the protection of bird and primate species. The community has also agreed to protect natural primate food sources by banning tree cutting and discouraging direct feeding to prevent behavioral changes in wildlife.

Dukuh Sawahan residents’ meeting attended by all residents, March 15, 2025

These measures align with the conservation of the critically endangered  Javan blue-banded kingfisher, whose survival depends on maintaining forested river habitats and Javan gibbon conservation program in the landscape.  Overall, this initiative demonstrates the power of community-driven conservation to protect biodiversity for future generations.

Several notable conservation practices initiated by the community in Sawahan Hamlet:

  1. Fish Conservation:
    • Prohibition of fishing or any form of fish harvesting in specific river sections, particularly Kedung Kali Bengang in Kali Wisnu, which serves as a fish breeding ground.
    • Introduction of local fish species through community efforts since 2012 to restore the fish population.
    • Prohibition on harmful practices like electrocution (nyentér) and poisoning for fish capture.
    • New agreements to prevent the release of non-native fish species into the ecosystem.
  2. Bird and Primate Protection:
    • Community-wide ban on hunting or capturing birds and primates, extending the protection to all individuals, both locals and outsiders.
    • A tailored approach to problematic species like long-tailed macaques and sparrows, focusing on humane deterrent methods rather than harm.
  3. Forest and Habitat Preservation:
    • Ban on cutting or damaging natural primate food source trees to sustain their habitat.
    • Avoidance of direct feeding of primates to prevent dependency or behavioral shifts.

These efforts reflect a grassroots, community-led approach to biodiversity conservation, combining traditional practices with modern ecological awareness. Implementing this agreement should be assisted, to implement co-existence between wildlife and humans, moreover they can be beneficial relationships.

09Mar/25

A Dance of Spirits : Sacred Farewell in Mentawai Traditions

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by Arif Setiawan

a sikerei, mentawai shaman, spiritual leader, healer and mediator between physical and spiritual world

Located in Malinggai Uma, South of Siberut,  the traditional stilt house measuring 25 meters x 12 meters appeared crowded. The extended Tateburuk clan gathered at Uma, with around 200 families present. Including small children, there were likely over 400 people. This Punen Eeruk was considered a large ceremony because it did not conclude in a single day. The significant involvement of tribe members and their sacrifices included approximately 13 pigs and 200 chickens. The women were also very busy in the kitchen, cooking taro and sago in bamboo, preparing meals for everyone present.

sacrificial pig for Punen eeruk traditional ceremony

Sikereis prays for sacrifice animals

This Punen eeruk aimed to “pacify” the spirits of the deceased. The belief in spirits or souls within every object remains deeply ingrained in the Mentawai community, especially in Siberut. The Arat Sabulungan belief holds that nearly every place and object, every animal, every plant, and every natural phenomenon possesses awareness and feelings and can communicate directly with humans. This Punen can also be described as a farewell party for the spirits of the deceased, marking the end of the mourning period. It is the final celebration as an eternal farewell between the spirits and their families, accompanying and praying for the safety and happiness of those left behind, ensuring they are free from all difficulties and dangers. This relationship is relatively complex but can be understood, and there are those who can assist in communicating with these non-material entities, namely the “Sikerei.” They can all communicate through the intermediaries of dance, song, sacrificed animals, or ceremonies.

peforming gibbon dance during Punen Eeruk, in Uma (long house) a sacred farwell in Mentawai tradition

Through dances accompanied by the beating of drums, the ringing of bells, and the stomping of feet on wooden floors, a harmonization of movements and sounds full of magical and emotional nuances is created. The bilou dance, uliat bilou, becomes both entertainment and a communication medium, telling stories of several Bilou joyfully playing in the forest. The sikeerei’s voice also emerges softly, imitating the call of the bilou on a bright morning.

the meat of the sacrificed animal is divided equally among all members of the tribe

Efforts to preserve natural knowledge, enrich culture and its content, especially in Mentawai, become a challenge of their own. This identity might only be a mere romanticism, with the unique nature and culture only beautiful in reports and writings while extinction continues to occur on a micro scale. The messages implied in this ceremony should be a reflection continuously conveyed to the current generation that the history of nature heavily depends on humans. We can harm, damage, or eradicate our natural culture, but we are also endowed with intellect, energy, and perfect communication abilities to manage nature wisely.

26Feb/25

**Performing Arts for Gibbon Conservation**

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By Arif Setiawan

Gibbon and Jingkrak sundhang dance perform

This piece highlights how traditional practices in Javanese culture align with environmental sustainability, from using bamboo containers and leaf wraps to batik patterns inspired by nature. Traditional Javanese houses reflect the philosophy of nature in their construction. The richness of Javanese performing arts is an invaluable cultural asset, with traditional dances like Javanese dance incorporating messages about life, ecological, and social critiques.

Swaraowa initiated the use of art and culture to convey messages of nature conservation through the gibbon puppet show in 2021. Collaboration with artists like Ki Sujono (javanese cultural artist) has resulted in performances that combine science observations with performing arts. The first gibbon puppet show was held in Tlogopakis Village, Petungkriyonon (watch here), followed by a second performance at the World Gibbon Day event in 2024.

gibbon puppet show with gamelan instrument

In January 2025, Swaraowa collaborated again with the Saujana art studio to create a dance performance titled “Jingkrak Sundhang x Owa jawa ,” depicting the condition of animals’ habitats that are damaged. The performance also involved the community of Mendolo village in the preparation process, fostering creativity and unity while enhancing cognitive skills among participants.

Through performing arts, conservation messages can be effectively communicated, raising awareness about the importance of ecosystem preservation and encouraging communities to contribute to cultural and environmental preservation efforts. Through swaraOwa culture and conservation program, we open the opportunity to work together to increase the number of performances of this conservation art, anywhere, especially for Indonesian gibbon species and local culture.

10Dec/24

Asian Primate Symposium 2024, swaraOwa Attendance and North Sumatera Primate Wathching adventure.

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By Arif Setiawan

APS 2024 participants

The largest primate enthusiast meeting in Asia was held in Medan on 24-27 November 2024. The 9th  Asian Primate Symposium had the theme “Living harmony with Primates” and the event hosts and organizers were OIC, YEL, USU, FORINA and KIARA.  Panut Hadisiswoyo, chairman of the event at the opening of the Asian primate symposium, reported that almost 300 participants from 20 countries attended and 54% of them were participants from Indonesia, showing the huge potential of our primatologists and their role in primate conservation globally. The event is held every 2 years, this time taking place at the University of North Sumatra, Medan.

There are many benefits to attending a symposium like this, including:

  1. To access specific knowledge, because through the symposium participants get a direct opportunity to find out research results, knowledge ideas on specific topics.
  2. In-dept discussion, in the symposium we will meet directly with the PI (principal investigator), program manager or conservation project leader, so we can ask questions or exchange opinions directly.
  3. Building networks, after we present or other participants present there is an opportunity to interact directly, introduce our projects or conservation activities.
  4. Collaborate: A smaller number of symposium participants can create a better collaborative atmosphere and build closer relationships. Possibility of collaborating with other institutions, or even meeting with donors.
  5. Time commitment as a professional conservation worker, the timeline from registration for abstract collection to presentation, will train us to appreciate time. We are very busy with our activities or programs, but we must also be able to make time to share experiences with others.

swaraowa delegates

SwaraOwa delegated 4 oral presentation titles at the 2024 Asian Primate Symposium :

  1. Preliminary survey: Biodiversity Monitoring by Local Community in Mendolo Village, Lebakbarang District, Pekalongan Regency, by Kurnia Ahmaddin, presented at the symposium on the topic “Community empowerment”, talk about community involvement activities around gibbon habitat for monitoring primates and biodiversity, which aims to increase citizens’ appreciation of biodiversity.
  2. Community conservation for Javan Gibbon through beekeeping program, by Sidiq Harjanto in the symposium topic “community empowerment”, presenting bee cultivation activities to support Javan Gibbon conservation activities.
  3. Siripok Bilou: Mentawai gibbon, culture and natural value, by Arif Setiawan presented in the symposium topic Cultural value of Asian Primates, presenting primate conservation activities in the Mentawai Islands, the result of collaboration with local institutions, Malinggai Uma Mentawai.
  4. Triangulation for Javan Gibbon Density: The Effectiveness of Human Observers vs. Passive Recording, by Nur Aoliya, on the topic Behavior, Spatial, Vocalization, the presentation was delivered by Arif Setiawan because Aoliya could not attend due to illness, is the result of preliminary research on the use of passive recording devices for monitoring gibbons compared to human hearing methods.

MSP alumi at APS 2024

We have great moments  because in this symposium we meet participants that they were joint in annual sokokembang gibbon field course known as  MSP alumni. Its make us proud that we have positive impact in Indonesia primate conservation.

Gibbon Coffee Confrence, Owa coffee and Myanmar gibbon coffee at APS 2024

At this event, Swaowa also displayed a booth, which contained conservation products from our  activities. This event was also part of conservation promotion and fundraising through the sale of souvenirs and merchandise and of course OWA COFFEE presented as an ambassador for Javan Gibbon conservation. What’s interesting about this product exhibition is that it sometimes results in warm discussions apart from in the presentation room, nice atmosphere, with a cup of coffee chatting with other participants feels more intimate, and what’s fun is that at the Kopi Owa booth the products we brought from Jogja have sold out, leaving only 3 Just pack coffee which we then give to other participants who haven’t gotten it yet.

Primate Watching Bukit Lawang

Hylobates lar at Bukit lawang

Presbytis thomasi

Orangutan

After the closing of the symposium, 9 of us from 4 countries chose our own field trip rather than joining a big trip which would visit Oranguntan Heaven. We rented 2 cars, that afternoon went straight to Bukit Lawang, one of the legendary tourist spots for seeing Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelli) in the wild. The journey was approximately 3 hours from Medan City and there was heavy rain and our car had two tires flats at onc due to hits unseen road hole, making us arrive at the ecolodge in Bukit Lawang at exactly midnight. After getting to our respective rooms and meeting with our guide for tomorrow morning we rested.

At 5.30 I was awakened by the call of the Kedih (Presbytis thomasi), a leaf-eating langur endemic to North Sumatra. His topknot and hair color and style are amazing unique, like a rock star monkey. There were approximately 12 individuals observed around the inn, and they appeared to have habituated with visitors to Bukit Lawang. Also at the same time as the appearance of this kedih was a group of long-tailed monkeys, there were around 15 individuals, and were on the roofs of the accommodation houses, but were not very aggressive when looking at humans passing around them.

After breakfast at 8 am, we started trekking to the hill, accompanied by two guides, the guide was very fluent in English, and explained a little history of Bukit Lawang, which is part of the Leuser National Park, and used to be an orangutan rehabilitation site which was built in 1973. and in 2003 there was a major flood on the Bahorok River, destroying all facilities and causing loss of life. Just a few meters from the accommodation on the hill, we met Tomas’ group again, there were around 8 individuals. Then we continued trekking and saw again from a distance 2 individuals of Sumatran Langur (Trachypithecus cristatus), very different from the Kedih in their hair style, which was thick around the face and towards the face and had no crest. A few meters from the entrance gate to Gunung Leuser National Park, we saw  a white handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) and it turned out he was playing with Kedih.  The color is light brown and there is white around his face. A few moments later a great call was heard, from its mother, only one great call, and it seemed like they were avoiding the tourists who were chasing them to see.

Several guides who came down towards us said there were orangutans in shelter two, and we rushed over, and it turned out that when we arrived there were actually 2 individual orangutans (mother and child) and what was even more surprising was that underneath there were dozens of people looking at them, taking photos with cameras, cellphones, and many are just observing. The distance is quite close, approximately 2-5 meters, even though there is no direct interaction, but it seems too close. There are also around 15 guides accompanying these guests, mostly hanging out with fellow guides. It seems that the job of accompanying guests to see orangutans is very popular here.  For information, the price of this observation trip is IDR 200,000 for domestic tourists and IDR 700,000 for foreign tourists, accommodation IDR 450,000, breakfast is available. After we were satisfied with seeing the orangutans, we went down and then checked out of the accommodation considering that our journey would be very long to Lake Toba.

Siamang Sibanganding

Siamang ( Symphalangus syndactylus) at Sibanganding

Macaca nemestrina

At Lake Toba, Parapat, we visited the Sibanganding Monkey Park. What was surprising in this monkey park was that the primates (Longtailed macaque, Pigtailed macaque and  Siamang)  were very tame, meaning they often interacted with humans, especially visitors and apparently were fed by the guards there. There are around 30 individuals of Beruk – Pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) around this stall and this location is a wildlife tourist attraction but it is quite risky, because it is too intensive and can cause changes in behavior, although this is not friendly to primates , this tourism has at least kept wild animals alive in the nature. There is a family of siamang  (1 juvenile,adult male and adult female ), which was seen in Sibaganding. Conservation assistance and education for managers should be increased by related parties and primate observers in North Sumatra or anyone who cares, so that conservation education can be passed on to visitors who wander through or stop at the Sibanganding monkey park.  The location is very close to Lake Toba tourism, has the potential for tourists already available, and is very interesting if it is also linked to the geological historical tourism of the Toba supervolcano crater, at least making it an option and providing information and alternative tourism to see the wild Siamang of  North Sumatera.

North Sumatera Culinary adventure

Our trip covered approximately 1734 km overland through cities in North Sumatra Province to West Sumatra Province, around Sipirok, South Tapanuli. We were able to see the location of the Tapanuli dam from a distance and the surrounding forests which are the habitat of the Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis). Not lucky enough not to be able to see it due to the weather for a short time. We had to continue our journey to rest in Bukit Tinggi, and the next day continue our journey to Padang. We notice and tried local culinary of north Sumatera, and it was super amazing experience, Dadieh, Arsik, Naniura taste that never found in our daily life in Java.  We had time to rest in the Lembah Anai , and heard a loud call from Ungko (Hylobates agilis) , and this was the end of the APS 2024 trip. See you again next two years APS that will be in Malaysia.

09Dec/24

Gibbon Camp 2024

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by : Nurlita Uswatun Khasanah  and Dinka Aulia Nurul Ikhsan

camp site Welo Asri

Every October 24 is celebrated as World Gibbon Day. This is a reminder of the importance of the existence of this speceis. Its ecological role as a seed disperser in the forest is so important that this animal really needs to be preserved. The Javan gibbon as a primate endemic to Java also has social value as a global identity. Therefore, KP3 Primata collaborated with SwaraOwa every year to organize this Gibbon Camp event as part of the commemoration of World Gibbon Day.

The purpose of this event is 1) to campaign to voice and also disseminate conservation awareness to the public and especially to KP3 Primate members related to Gibbon Conservation. 2) Inform the general public about the existence status of gibbons and their natural habitat.

On 1-3 November 2024, at Welo Asri, 15  participants gathered at the Welo Asri camping ground area, Kayupuring village, Petungkriyono District. The event was opened by the chairman of the WeloAsri pokdarwis, Mas Muhammad Kuswoto, and an introduction to the discussion and introduction to Gibbon conservation in Petungkriyono from Swaraowa by Mas Wawan.

Gibbon camp participants

On November 2, observations were made by walking approximately 2-3 km from Sokokembang to Kroyakan along main forest road, divided into three groups, each group consisting of at least 5 people with a guide from SwaraOwa. Starting from 6.30 to 9.30 we saw 4 individuals of Rekkerjaan (Presbytis fredericae), 14 individuals of Javan Langur (Trachypithecus auratus), and 4 individuals of Long-tailed Monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). In the afternoon and evening due to rainy days observation activities were stopped.

Javan gibbon at Welo Asri

a pair of Javan gibbon

Javan langur with baby

Javan surili (Presbytis fredericae)

gbbon watching

On November 3, observations were made around Welo Asri, and we were very lucky to be able to see Javan Gibbons. We observed 3 groups of gibbons from around Welo Asri, with a total of 9 individuals. Recorded the highest number of individual gibbons observed in approximately 2 hours, in one location.

The complete report on Gibbon Camp activities can be read here, thank you to SwaraOwa and all parties involved. See you at the next Gibbon camp. (translated from original article in bahasa here)

08Dec/24

The 11th Sokokembang Gibbon Field Course (MSP2024)

Blog Post, ,

by : Arif Setiawan

MSP 2024 all participants

On October 23 2024, the Sokokembang gibbon field course  was started, located in the heart of Gibbon Habitat, of  Sokokembang Forest, Petungkriyono, Kab. Pekalongan, Central Java. This course  recognized as   Pelatihan Metode Survey Primata (MSP) nationally is an annual activity organized by Swaraowa in collaboration with the Primate Study Group at Gadjah Mada University, and this year was the 11th field course, since 2013. Goal of this course is to regenerate gibbon researchers ,  conservation enthusiast in Indonesia by introducing basic methods for gibbon population survey and build conservation networking among of them.

Sokokembang gibbon field course this year started by participants selection, was conducted two months before the date, and we received 42 applications from all over Indonesia gibbon region origin : Java, Sumatera and Kalimantan, represent universities, NGOs, and youth community. We have to select from these applications for about 15 to 20 participants berdasarkan their background and motivation letter. All participants selected are covered, transport and accommodation from their home origin to Sokokembang.

We have to thanks this year to Fortwayne Children’s Zoo, Chances For Nature, Ostrava Zoo, and Arcus Foundation and Owa coffee for all support, that make event happened. We have selected 19 participants representing Indonesia gibbon habitat  and active students from Kalimantan, Java and Sumatera.  (University of Palangkaraya, University of National, Bogor Agricultural University, Sebelas maret university, Gadjah Mada University, Brawijawa University, Kuningan University, Jakarta Islamic University, University of Sriwijawa South Soumatera, Raden Fatah Islamic University South Sumatera, Araniry Islamic University Aceh, Hutan Adat Wehea East Kalimantan, and Mentawai Community, Mendolo Youth, a youth farmer community in Pekalongan, Central Java )

field practice

The event is also part of the International gibbon day that celebrated globally  in 24th October, dan The opening of this training was on the evening of October 24, by the committee team and introduction of each participant, distribution of training kits and division of teams for the following day. On 25 October morning at 7 am, participants were in class and received the first material from the resource person, namely Dr. Salmah Widyastuti, introducing vocal count- triangulation a basic method for gibbon survey based on their vocalization and general information about Javan gibbon population and distribution in landscape Dieng especially Pekalongan and Banjarnegara regency. Following this class, Aoliya and Adin from Swaraowa give a talk and introduction on bioacoustics use for gibbon monitoring. Aoliya talk about how we collect data using passive voice recorder and basic analysis for their calls and Adin give a talk about technical set up for passive voice recorders using SM4 bioaccoustic devices.

Class room activities, presentation talk by Sinan PRCF

On October 25 participants started 06.30 collecting data in the field, at 3 listening post that have been established for gibbon monitoring, divided in to three groups and collecting. In this day participants practicing by real situation how to recognize gibbons vocalization, measuring the distance and record their compass bearing for call directions. Started at 6.00 and finished at 10.00 am. Every listening post have 4-5 participants to keep record gibbon vocalization, and 1 experienced swaraowa’s team researcher. While  collecting direct vocal data count, in each listening post SM4 recorder was installed. Base on previous guideline in the class, all  recorders started to call at 06.00 to 10.00 am.

Dr. Salmah Widyastuti course tutor, class room activities

Afternoon activities, started with how Data Analysis conducted based on series of observation, lead by Salmah Widyastuti, guided all participats conducted mapping and population density analysis using classic methos ( Brockelman and Ali, 1993)  and advanced methods ( Vu and Rawson, 2016) . Followed by Aoliya who assist all participants how to anaylise biouacoustic data that collected from passive voice recorder. At evening invited guest lecturer Sinan Serhadli  gibbon conservationist from PRCF Bangladesh gibbon conservation project, give a talk on current gibbon conservation program of Hoolock gibbon ( Hoolock hoolock) in Bangladesh. This talk give different perspectives and insight on current situation of gibbon conservation outside of Indonesia. Before the talk Arif Setiawan founder and director of Swaraowa was presenting history of MSP gibbon field course and swarowa’s conservation project activities.

Nur Aoliya course tutor, introducting bioacoustic devices for gibbon

26 October all participants did the same activities and finished at afternoon, back to the class and doing data analysis both from listening post listening and bioacoustics devices. Discussion and evaluation during two days practice conducted actively involving swaraOwa team and among participants, and followed report write up and writing presentation of their result.

fild practice in the forest

Javan Gibbon, observed during the course

27 October all participants invited to do primate watching in Sokokembang route, using local pickup vehicle, this regular route for monitoring and primate watching. And all participants records all primates in Sokokembang, Javan gibbon, Javan surili, Javan langur and Macaca fascicularis. After these activities all participants back to class and do result presentation and closing ceremonies.

doplak ride for primate watching

We are on behalf of swaraOwa and Primate study group, Gadjah Mada University  thanks to all of all of local organization who support activities the 11th Sokokembang MSP, Perhutani KPH, Kayupuring villages govt and our annual donors Fortwayne Children’s Zoo, Chances For Nature, Ostrava Zoo, and Arcus Foundation and Owa coffee who provide support for all participants, activities for this event. See you again next year the 12th Sokokembang gibbon field course- MSP 2025.

29Oct/24

Agro-forest Mendolo Village, Habitat of the critically endangered Javan Slow Loris

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Javan slow loris ( Nycticebus javanicus) .Photo by M Yoga Saputra

Let me introduce myself, Muhammad Yoga Saputra, I am a student of the Forest Management study program at Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta. Through the 2024 SwaraOwa scholarship program, with my colleague Ratna Dwi Setyowati and we got the opportunity to research for a thesis on the Javanese slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus). The Javan slow loris is one of seven species of slow lorises that live and are distributed in Indonesia. Based on the International Union of Conservation of Nature Resources (IUCN) Red List 2021, the Javan slow loris is included in the critically endangered category and is also included in Appendix 1 by Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

We observed the population, distribution and habitat of the Javan slow loris in Mendolo Forest, Lebakbarang, Pekalongan. Mendolo Forest is located in 4 hamlets, namely Sawahan, Mendolo Kulon, Mendolo Wetan, and Krandegan. Field observations were carried out in the second-fourth week of September 2024. We were accompanied by the Mendolo Village Young Farmers Association (PPM) who always accompanied us in collecting data. During our observations, we found 8 individuals of Javan slow loris in the Mendolo Forest. In the four hamlets in Mendolo Village, only Mendolo Wetan Hamlet did not find the Javan slow loris species. Our observations start at 19.30 – 24.00. We took night observations because the Javan slow loris is a nocturnal animal and when exposed to a flashlight, the eyes of the Javan slow loris emit eye rays which makes it easier to find the Javan loris’s whereabouts compared to daytime observations. We used the line transect method, where the transects were placed in areas where the Javan slow loris was believed to be present.

an individu of Javan Slow loris spotted in Mendolo agro-forest habitat. Photo by M Yoga Saputra

During night observation, we found several species in the Mendolo Forest such as the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), Rekrekran- Javan surili (Presbytis fredericae), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Black Banded Barbet (Megalaima javensis), Sunda scops Owl ( Otus angelinae), and Sunda flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus). Apart from that, during daytime observations we also found various species such as the Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Serpent  eagle (Spilornis cheela), black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis), banded kingfisher  (Lacedo pulchella) and Javan langur (Trachypithecus auratus).

The Javan slow loris is a semi-solitary animal. This can be seen in our observations where almost all individuals of the Javan slow loris were found alone. However, one of the Javan slow lorises was found with its infant. Observing at night requires precision and patience because sometimes we misidentify when there are eyes light on the tree that there is a Javan slow loris.  However, when you look closely the glow from the eyes can come from civets, squirrels,  or from Sunda flying lemurs. Apart from taking population and distribution data, we also took habitat data for the Javan slow loris in the Mendolo Forest.

Habitat data collection was carried out during the day by creating several plots to identify the habitat of the Javan slow loris in the Mendolo Forest. The habitat of the Javan slow loris in the Mendolo Forest is generally found in stands of coffee  and durian trees. Apart from that, the Javan slow loris can be found on jackfruit trees and trees containing sap, because the Javanese slow loris’ favorite food is the sap produced from twigs, stems, flowers or leaves. As in coffee stands, we saw that young coffee leaf twigs were often eaten by the Javan slow loris