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  • Conserving Javan gibbons habitats

Conserving Javan gibbon habitats and promoting shade coffee

Central Java, Indonesia

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Javan gibbon

(Hylobates moloch)

The IUCN Status

LC Least Concern
NT
VU
EN Endangered
CR
EW
EX Extinct
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

The challenge

Fostering harmony within a shared home

Can humans and wildlife live together in harmony? Indonesian primatologist Arif Setiawan came to grips with this question in Sokokembang village in central Java. Here, farmers make a living by engaging in paddy rice cultivation and selling agroforestry products such as coffee, ginger and cardamom. But it was the coffee trees that caught his attention. Arif discovered that they were growing under the shade of forest canopies inhabited by the native Javan gibbons, one of the world’s most threatened primates.

Numbering between 4,000 and 4,500 in the wild, Javan gibbons face severe habitat loss caused by increasing land use for human development. The primates end up in fragmented pockets of forests which are too small to support them. Worryingly, half of their population live in seven unprotected forests where land can be potentially cleared for other uses in the near future.

With the forests providing a means of livelihood for the villagers as well as food and shelter for the gibbons, Arif knew more could be done to strike a balance.
 

The goal

Cultivating wildlife-friendly coffee

As villagers grow coffee right under the homes of the gibbons, their actions easily impact the animals above. The challenge Arif foresaw was convincing the villagers that they could continue to grow shade coffee and benefit economically without clearing land to increase the coffee yield. This would ensure that forest canopies, which are the natural habitat of Javan gibbons, are preserved.

With this in mind, Arif and a group of friends started the Coffee and Primate Conservation Project (CPCP). It aims to build relationships with the village chiefs and farmer collectives to encourage the cultivation of shade-grown coffee.

Before the project kicked off, farmers in the region weren’t aware of how to harvest and process coffee in an efficient and economically viable manner. The team realised that if the harvesting and processing techniques were improved, the villagers would see a significant improvement in their livelihoods. All of this could be achieved without disturbing existing forests and the habitats of the local wildlife of the Dieng area. Over the course of several years, CPCP went from building trust with the farmers to roping them into broader conservation outreach. So today, the farmers are spokespersons for conserving forest habitats and protecting the Javan gibbon.

Apart from sustainable coffee farming, CPCP is also active in law enforcement and gibbon population monitoring in their project sites. Patrols are carried out to deter illegal poachers, and field research is conducted through remote cameras and sound recordings to assess the result of conservation efforts.
 

Our role

Paving the way for gibbon conservation

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) believes that with the right support, Javan gibbons can be protected. WRS provides funding for regular gibbon population surveys. The surveys have the added benefit of creating on-ground presence and provide the gibbons with extra security.

In October 2015, we had sent a coffee consultant to introduce industry-level expertise in ways to improve coffee quality. We also source and sell the project’s shade-grown coffee at Singapore Zoo. This directly supports the villagers and contributes towards habitat conservation work in and around their villages. In addition, WRS provides support in developing materials for community outreach activities to engage the villagers so that trust can be built and farming knowledge can be shared.

The outcome

Keepers of the forests

Indeed, the work of CPCP has thrived. The villagers now understand the need for them to farm responsibly, and take pride in sharing more about the local wildlife in this part of Java with local students as well as foreign visitors. Some even take part in forest patrols together with rangers and others have set up ‘kedai kopi’ (coffee shops) to sell shade-grown coffee and advocate wildlife protection. Also, by involving villagers in their field-based conservation efforts and ensuring that coffee is sustainably harvested, CPCP has shown them that doing good can provide a reliable source of income.

With continued efforts, the hope is to see Javan gibbon numbers increase and create more awareness for Indonesia’s unique biodiversity.
 

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