POTENSI SUAKA MARGASATWA RAWA SINGKIL
Hutan rawa gambut merupakan hutan rawa yang tumbuh di atas tanah gambut dengan kedalaman gambut paling sedikit 50 cm. Hutan rawa gambut yang ada di Indonesia merupakan gabungan antara hutan gambut dan hutan hujan tropis. Hutan rawa gambut sangatlah penting perannya sebagai daerah tangkapan air. Hutan gambut dan hutan Melaleuca (kayu putih, kayu gelam) yang luas dapat berperan sebagai tempat cadangan air  More...

RHINO SURVEY AND MONITORING OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THE LEUSER ECOSYSTEM

The Leuser International Foundation (LIF) is currently in the process of conducting a Sumatran rhino  (Decerorhinus sumatrensis)  habitat and population survey in the districts of South Aceh and Southeast Aceh in collaboration with the Mount Leuser National Park Agency (BBTNGL) and the Indonesian Rhino Foundation (YABI). This activity, funded by US Fish and Wildlife Service, began in February 2011. Signs or evidence of the presence of the Sumatran rhino in the  form of tracks, dirt, wallows and remains of its feed have been detected.  To follow up on this finding the LIF team in cooperation with BBTNGL are currently setting up camera traps in the Sumatran rhino habitat area.

The results obtained through this survey will form a basis for future Sumatran rhino protection programs in the Leuser Ecosystem.  Besides observing the rhino habitat and population, the monitoring of illegal activities in the Mount Leuser National Park area is also being done. These illegal activities include poaching, illegal logging, encroachment and the stealing of aloe timber by locals in the rhino habitat area. More...

RED WINGED WOODPECKER

THE LEUSER ECOSYSTEM has a very rich biodiversity including the Read Winged Woodpecker (Picus puniceus), known to the local community as Toktok Beurago. The typical adult Red Winged Woodpecker is approximately 25 cm long with green feathers, red wings, a black tail and a yellow neck. A red band with cream-coloured stripe on the stomach distinguishes the female bird from the male, as the stripe is thicker on the female.This bird normally lives in the canopy of primary and secondary forests, as well as in plantations and coastal bushes at an altitude of approximately 900 meters above sea level and can be found in the Malaysian peninsula, Kaliman­tan, Sumatra and Java.

The uniqueness of the Red Winged Woodpecker

The Red Winged Woodpecker has many unique features, for example it can walk upright up and down the tree trunk and peck on it with its beak. But why is it doing that? At first sight it might look like the bird is destroying the tree trunk, but actually it is eating insects and maggots and hence acts as a preda­tor protecting the tree from being damaged by bugs. The bird uses its beak when searching for food and it has a very good instinct. Some­times the bird uses its tongue to reach food deep inside the tree trunk. Considering that the Red Winged Woodpecker is able to peck on very hard wood at the rate of 38 to 43 times in 2.10 to 2.69 seconds, it may seem strange that this does not cause any damage to the organs on its head. Its beak is connected to the very strong and thick skull that is able to soften the impact of the pecking. The Red Wing Woodpecker spends most of its time in the trees. The smart bird builds its nest with two entranc­es, to make sure it has an “emer­gency exit”.