12 Proboscis Monkeys Found Dead After Forest Fires in South Kalimantan
The South Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has confirmed the deaths of 12 proboscis monkeys due to forest and land fires in their habitat in Balimau village, Hulu Sungai Selatan (HSS) regency.
“According to the head of Balimau village, there are around 60 proboscis monkeys in the area, but that population figure still needs to be verified by BKSDA through field monitoring after the fire struck the protected animals’ habitat,” said the head of BKSDA South Kalimantan, Agus Ngurah Krisna, when contacted by ANTARA in Banjarmasin on Monday (14/9).
He said the agency received a report on Sunday (13/9) from the Hulu Sungai Selatan fire brigade and local residents regarding proboscis monkeys affected by the fire in the Other Use Area (APL) of Balimau village.
“So, there were 12 proboscis monkeys, more or less, as well as one python and one king cobra that were burnt,” he said.
Besides the Kalimantan-endemic species, Agus said the area is also a habitat for other animals, such as lutung, known locally as hirangan, and long-tailed macaques. BKSDA South Kalimantan’s team is still monitoring the presence of these animals.
The BKSDA South Kalimantan rescue team has visited the site to examine the condition of the burnt habitat, the size of the affected area, and to determine whether any surviving animals still need rescue or evacuation.
The inspection showed that the proboscis monkey habitat at the site consists of two separate areas, each around two to three hectares in size and separated by a road, with one area being village land and the other owned by the community.
Agus revealed that the fire mainly occurred in the community-owned area, with around 80 per cent of the land burnt, while the village land area was safe. The dead proboscis monkeys were found in the community-owned area.
He said both areas form part of the proboscis monkeys’ roaming range. The area is a movement corridor for the monkeys, even though their habitat is fragmented and does not form one contiguous ecosystem.
“Their habitat is indeed fragmented, so it is not one continuous stretch of habitat or one unified ecosystem, but separated into pieces,” he said.
He said the limited habitat conditions, combined with a fire that was quite large and accompanied by strong winds, were suspected to have prevented the proboscis monkeys in the area from escaping the flames.
BKSDA South Kalimantan has handled all the proboscis monkey carcasses found by burying them. If indications are found that the deaths were caused by other factors, such as shooting, the carcasses will be taken for examination by a veterinarian.
BKSDA South Kalimantan is now coordinating with the regional government, village and district administrations, and is encouraging the community to protect the proboscis monkeys’ habitat. Residents are also urged to help monitor for any animals that may still need evacuation.
“The BKSDA team is still checking the condition of the landscape and land status in that APL area to determine the next handling steps and to ensure the condition of the habitat and wildlife affected by the fire,” Agus said.