The second “Wildlife Conservation Camp” in Bukit Lawang, North Sumatra, operated by SUMECO in partnership with Singapore’s The Untamed Paths, was conducted while SUMECO demanded to be more focused on rescuing animals nearby Bukit Lawang and Medan city. This second “Wildlife Conservation Camp” has given me a new perspective on where this camp will go.
The team’s arrival in Medan on January 4, 2022, was motivated by good timing to rescue two black-shouldered kites (Eleanus caeruleus) that had been tracked by SUMECO’s surveillance staff. SUMECO’s primary goal will never change; it is dedicated to combating wildlife trafficking.
Together with BBKSDASU and TNGL, we have rescued five animals in seven days, they are; two black-shouldered kite (Eleanus caeruleus), two asian forest tortoises (Manouria emys), and one crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela). It was hard working days, but we made it for the best in a short time, once again, in 7 days.
At the second “Wildlife Conservation Camp” the participants were out almost without me during their five activity days in Bukit Lawang. The demand for more animal rescue has led me to prioritize animal rescue over leading participants in biodiversity explorations inside and outside Gunung Leuser National Park.
SUMECO is still struggling financially, but the financial empowerment provided by the second “Wildlife Conservation Camp” in Bukit Lawang has likely convinced wildlife authorities that SUMECO is not in financial trouble. However, a friend from Wildlife Crime Unit has said, SUMECO can’t go down, SUMECO must keep fighting for animals.
“This second Wildlife Conservation Camp in Bukit Lawang, North Sumatra, has shown me how important it is to keep the work going, although I am the founder of SUMECO, I’ve even started to realize I must keep fight by any help from good friends. The work was not easy, it was about how to keep the money goes to the right way with more animals can be saved” Bobi Handoko (Founder of SUMECO).
On the fourth day of the second “Wildlife Conservation Camp” in Bukit Lawang, the authority of Gunung Leuser National Park and SUMECO teamed up to confiscate a protected species of crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela), located about 25 km from Bukit Lawang. A sad poor eagle that has been captivated illegally since it was a chick, had no idea how to fly and hunt. The eagle has been brought to the SUMECO facility to be taken care of and observed until it’s ready to fly free again. It will take a long time, for sure, but the willingness and the patience are there. It’s SUMECO and GLNP’s commitment, to protect the biodiversity of Gunung Leuser National Park.
