In February 2023, Alobi Foundation Team conducted a habitat survey in Menumbing Hill Forest Park area with the collaboration and support from the West Bangka Environmental Office. Alobi Foundation Team conducted a field survey in Menumbing Hill Forest Park area for 3 days and 3 nights. During the survey, Alobi Foundation Team only found one tarsier, several bird species, and pangolin tracks and houses or holes. Based on the results of the field survey, the existence and population of wild animals in Menumbing area can be said to be very few and concerning. This is because the total area of the entire Menumbing area is large enough to relocate various wild animal populations, which is 3,333 hectares.
Not stopping there, Alobi Foundation Team continued a habitat survey regarding wildlife populations and the condition of forest vegetation in Mangkol Hill Forest Park, Central Bangka which has an area of 6,009.51 Ha. However, part of the total area of the Mangkol Hill Forest Park has been converted into plantations and illegal mining. In addition, access for the public to enter Mangkol Forest area is also very easy and free. With these conditions, the existence of wild animals in it should be difficult to find. However, in reality in Mangkol Hill Forest Park area there are still many types of wild animals found. Alobi Foundation Team also conducted a field survey in Kampung Zed, which is a plantation area. Alobi Foundation Team found various types of wild animals while conducting searches in the area, some of which were tarsiers, langurs and tenggalung civets.
Based on the results of a field survey in the three areas, Alobi Foundation Team determined a tentative hypothesis that “Why is there so litle presence of wild animals in the virgin Menumbing forest area?” This is because in the Menumbing forest area there are no fruit trees that produce fruit throughout the season. Alobi Foundation Team only found fruit trees that produced fruit in only one season of the year. Therefore, Alobi Foundation Team will organize activities to plant fruit trees that bear fruit throughout the year, one of which is the Ficus tree in the Menumbing Hill Forest Park area during the May 2023 event.
Ficus Plant or commonly know as Figs, are important source of forest food for the herbivorous wildlife at large. In this project initiatives, we tried with the first lot of stem planting of the ficus plants and in just few days its showing good results. Crediting this to Langka’ effort. Next week, Alobi Foundation Team will continue to collect 500 of this cut stems for planting. These new off-shoots will be ready for replanting along menumbing forest fringe by month of May community planting day event.
This initiative by Alobi Foundation is to create more food source for the herbivores species, and its mainly to target Langurs, Binturung, Squirrels, Loris, Bats & birds etc.
In addition, wild animals in the Bangka Belitung Islands often leave the forest and enter plantations and even residents’ housing. This occurs because the food needs of wild animals in the forest are not met due to the lack of fruit trees and causes wild animals to look for food outside the forest. Because of that, Alobi Foundation Team organized fruit tree planting activities in the Menumbing Hill Forest Park.
Alobi Foundation is optimistic that if the planting and replanting of fruit food trees for wild animals is successful, then in the next few years the wildlife population in the Menumbing Hill Forest Park area will increase. In addition, this activity has an important role for forest ecosystems and natural balance. In the future, it is hoped that the role of the government and all parties will participate in preserving and maintaining the diversity of flora and fauna throughout the ecosystem, especially in Menumbing Hill Forest Park and its surroundings.
Don’t forget to come and join us for the May Community Event at Menumbing Hill Forest Park!
Registration CP: 089613497939 (Trisna)
Greetings Conservation!
Writer : Trisna Rizky Martiyani, Jay Lim, Langka Sani, Guruh Jaya Wisnuwardana
