Data on Kerinci Seblat national park unreliable

By Yusran Edo Fauzi

KERINCI SEBLAT, West Sumatra (JP): Kerinci Seblat National Park is about 1.4 million hectares in size, making it Indonesia's second largest national park after Lorentz National Park in Irian Jaya, which measures 2.15 million hectares.

Kerinci Seblat National Park, which covers parts of Jambi, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and South Sumatra, is said to be rich in biological diversity with numerous endemic animals, but a thorough study has yet to be conducted to prove reliable data.

Data from supposedly authoritative sources say the park is home to a number of endemic biological species, such as the two- horned Sumatran rhino and the Sumatran tiger. But data concerning their populations varies widely.

"Unfortunately there is as yet any valid data," said the head of the national park, Wandoyo Siswanto.

He added that no official research on the park's biodiversity had ever been conducted by the park in cooperation with relevant non-governmental agencies and foreign consultants.

"What we have is a concept of a species research program. However, it is still in the preparatory stage," he added.

Since the area was declared a national park based in Ministry of Agriculture Decree No. 736/14 in October 1982, there has been no official database created of the park's biodiversity. One of the main reasons for this is that there is not enough money to created a database.

However, in 1997 the park received a donation of over Rp 48 billion from the World Bank to carry out four projects. The scope of the projects included improving the park's management and species inventory. They were also meant to bridge the differences between the conservation and economic interests involving locals, NGOs and the authorities. Previously, the park was funded only through the state budget, with the funds earmarked only to finance the national park's center and patrol operations.

According to data compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), another potential for development is the park's water, which flows over 10 million hectares of rice fields and is a source of drinking water for rural and urban people in the four provinces where the park is located.

Also, according to the results of the 1996 Earth Conference in Rio de Janeiro, the park produces huge amounts of oxygen, making it one of the world's "lungs". This is true because the park is located on the equator, is covered by tropical rain forest and is influenced by the Northeast monsoon (December to February) and the Southeast monsoon (June to September).

However, it is likely the natural wealth of the national park has decreased in quantity and quality over time. The main culprit is the same one as in other protected areas: man's activities prompted by greed. Animals' habitat have been destroyed, causing a population reduction.

"Of course, accurate data is as yet available," Wandoyo reiterated.

Nevertheless, when one explores the national park to find endemic animals, it is like searching for a ghost. The compiled data says the animals are in the park, but it does not say where to find them. Frequently, foreign researchers stay in the forest for some time and fix "photo traps" in various points. However, the results show very few rare endemic animals.

Sahar, a local guide who comes from the foot of Mount Tujuh, Kerinci district in Jambi, said he once accompanied a group of Western researchers to Pasir Putih, an area at the edge of a lake which is encircled by seven mountains with thick forests.

After staying in the area for three months, the researchers were only able to get minimum results. They were only able to take pictures of tapirs, macaques, forest cats, deer, horned frogs and various species of butterflies, as well as Rafflesia flowers and parasitic flowers.

According to Sahar, if one wants to see rare endemic animals at the park, like the Sumatran tiger, the Sumatran rhinos, gibbons, tapirs and elephants, it all depends on luck.

"I myself wonder whether these animals are shy," said Sahar, who is now in his fifth year as an assistant to the forest ranger unit in charge of guiding visitors in the park.

Visitors, however, can count on seeing two elephants, a male and a female, at the foot of Mount Tujuh, close to Pelompek village; they are chained there. The elephants came from the Way Kambas elephant training school in Lampung.

If visitors are keen on seeing rare animals, they might come home disappointed. There may be some data and pictures in the park's booklet, but seeing the animals depends entirely on luck.