Establishing occupancy baseline data, situational analysis, and conservation education for Siamese Crocodile conservation in East-Kalimantan, Indonesia
[box] Organisation: Yayasan KolaborasiInklusiKonservasi (KONKLUSI)Project title: Establishing occupancy baseline data, situational analysis, and conservation education for Siamese Crocodile conservation in East-Kalimantan, Indonesia Location: Bongan Village, Kalimantan, Indonesia Project date: April 2021- April 2022Species: Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis[/box]
The challenge
The Siamese Crocodile is Critically Endangered with less than 1,000 mature individuals thought to persist in Southeast Asia. The few known remaining populations are severely fragmented and in Indonesia the species is known only from a single locality in East Kalimantan in the Mesangat-Suwi weltand, with only approvimately 30 mature individuals. Facing threats such as land-use change, electric fishing, and pollution from agricultural runoff, the population of Siamese Crocodile in East Kalimantan is on a rapid decline. A second site in the Bongan Wetlands has been overlooked despite having a high possibility of supporting a population of Siamese Crocodile.
The project
The project aims to establish a new conservation initiative in the Bongan wetlands and support ongoing conservation efforts in Mesangat by conducting surveys in known and previously overlooked habitat in East Kalimantan. The team will also seek to understand the socio-cultural and political dynamics of local communities to inform and develop conservation initiatives and raise awareness among students in local schools about the importance of conserving the Siamese Crocodile.
“This project is important towards longer-term initiatives aimed at conserving Siamese crocodile in East-Kalimantan. It expected to provide species' occupancy baseline, situational analysis, and a baby step to behavioural change through conservation education. ASAP's fund made this project possible and valuable for our newly established conservation organization initiative.”
- HerdhanuJayanto, Co-Founder, KONKLUSI
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Project reports
Project reports will be added here [/box] Photo credit: Herdhanu Jayanto