Working Together to Protect Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Celebes Crested Macaque

(Macaca nigra)

The IUCN Status

LC Least Concern

CR Critically Endangered

EX Extinct

The challenge

When eating meat is murder

Sulawesi, the largest island in the Wallacea biodiversity hotspot, has the greatest number of endemic species in all of Indonesia. It’s estimated that 25% of its bird species and 62% of its mammal species are unique to the island. Amongst this wealth of biodiversity resides the Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra), one of 7 macaque species found only on Sulawesi. Endemic to the Eastern tip of Sulawesi’s Northern peninsula and restricted to small forest fragments, the populations of these macaques have experienced severe declines and faces a high risk of extinction. The consumption of macaques for meat in North Sulawesi is commonplace, and is potentially the greatest threat to the species’ survival. Despite Sulawesi’s incredible biodiversity and the extinction risks of numerous species, it has received relatively little conservation attention. The hope is that charismatic species such as the this can be promoted as valuable flagships to protect the forests, its unique biodiversity and the people living in the region.

The goal

Creating Protected Areas and training field guides

Selamatkan Yaki is an integrated research, conservation and education programme run through the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (UK) and the Pacific Institute for Sustainable Development (Indonesia), focused on protecting the last remaining populations of macaques and mitigating the threats they face. WRS supports Selamatkan Yaki for this project. Experts working in both in situ and ex situ conservation have come together to identify the threats posed to the current population of the Celebes crested macaque within their native range, culminating in the production of a Species Action Plan. By combining a top-down policy level governance approach with local grassroots initiatives, the team hopes to increase a feeling of responsibility and stewardship among the local communities through participation in forest management and village patrols. Villagers will also be trained to become nature reserve field guides. The long-term goal is to establish a system of protected areas that are integrated into landscapes already used by people, to safeguard the habitats of native species.

Our Role

Field-based conservation and partnering with zoos

The WRS funding goes towards supporting field assistants and project staff, as well as field supplies, processing equipment and capacity building materials for the proposed monitoring program. Our assistance will also enable the team to continue conducting field surveys to study the crested black macaque. Selamatkan Yaki works closely with WRS and going forward, the hope is to strengthen this relationship by facilitating a visit to the Yaki Youth Camp, so that WRS staff can learn more about Selmatkan Yaki.

The Impact

A sustainable plan for the future of Sulawesi’s wildlife

By combining collaborative governance with ongoing surveys of the local population, their needs and interactions with the surrounding environment and the impact that has on threatened wildlife, the team hopes to develop effective conservation projects in North Sulawesi for the long-term.