Data on Kerinci Seblat national park unreliable

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.