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Indonesia’s Wildlife Crimes Unit

Wildlife Crimes Unit Slideshow
Tigers are fast disappearing in the wild, due in large part to increasing illegal wildlife trade across Asia.  Our Wildlife Crimes Unit is working to support the arrest and prosecution of poachers and wildlife traders so that we can ensure a future for these cats in some of their last strongholds. Take a look at what WCS conservationists working throughout tiger territory have come across in their surveys and patrols.
©WCS
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
Police display confiscated tiger skin with other seized animal skins and body parts in Indonesia. The country is Southeast Asia’s largest exporter of wildlife, both legal and illegal.
©WCS
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
Many of the wildlife pelts and other items that are poached in Indonesia are part of complex trade chains, which often terminate in illegal markets in China.
©WCS
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
The Wildlife Crimes Unit provides technical assistance to Indonesian police conducting anti-poaching raids.
©WCS Indonesia
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
This tiger was caught in a snare in northern Sumatra, a hotspot for the big cats in Indonesia, and therefore a draw for poachers.
©WCS Indonesia
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
In addition to tigers, tons of turtles are also exported from Indonesia on a weekly basis, and about 1.5 million wild-caught birds are sold in a market every year in Java.
©WCS Indonesia
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
Tiger bones in Sumatra are sold as souvenirs and talismans, and ground up or boiled down for use as ingredients in traditional medicines.
©WCS Indonesia
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
Tiger pelts are considered a status symbol by some and many wealthy people consume tiger products for purported medicinal qualities.
©WCS
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
WCS conservationists in India calculate tiger numbers by setting up remote camera traps that photograph the big cats in the wild.
©Eleanor Briggs
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
The camera trap technique is also used in the Russian Far East, where this Siberian tiger was photographed.
©WCS
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
Tiger scat contains a unique DNA signature that gives researchers another way to accurately identify and count individual animals.
©S. Gopinth
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
In the protected areas of India’s Western Ghats region, where WCS has worked for over 20 years, tiger populations are holding steady.
©Ullas Karanth
Tiger Rescue Operations Photo
Help the Wildlife Conservation Society save tigers in the wild by making a donation.
Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS
Tarsius Indonesian Wildlife Crimes Unit Photo
Tarsiers are among the wildlife impacted by hunting and wildlife trade.
©WCSIP

A spectacular variety of wildlife species live on the islands of Indonesia, from birds of paradise to tigers and elephants. As one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, it also has one of the highest human populations—the fourth largest in the world. The island faces heavy development pressure, and increasingly, its people are harvesting the wealth of natural resources to supply a growing wildlife trade. The islands are now home to the highest number of internationally threatened mammals and birds, largely due to uncontrolled hunting. To help stem the trade, WCS and the Indonesian Department of Forestry work together as “Wildlife Crimes Units,” conducting on-the-ground enforcement as well as education campaigns.

Challenges

Hunting and wildlife trade have tremendous impacts on the biodiversity of Indonesia. Tons of turtles and pangolins (a type of scaly anteater), are exported on a weekly basis, and about 1.5 million wild-caught birds are sold in a bird market every year in Java, according to the wildlife trade monitoring network known as TRAFFIC. A steady demand for tiger parts fuels a lucrative export trade from Sumatra to China, where tiger skins and bones are sold as souvenirs, talismans, and ingredients for traditional medicines.

While Indonesia does have a system of laws to control wildlife hunting and trade, enforcement is weak. In addition, many of its protected areas lack adequate resources and staff to prevent poachers from entering.

Goals

  • In key locations, establish Wildlife Crimes Units comprising teams of staff members from various government agencies, including the judiciary, as well as local NGOs and the media.
  • Mount a media campaign to raise awareness about the perils of wildlife crime and to promote strict controls.
  • Expand the network of Wildlife Crimes Units throughout Indonesia.

What WCS is Doing

WCS created the first Wildlife Crimes Unit in 2003. Since then, others have been established in southern and northern Sumatra, and WCS is working to create teams in Maluku and Jakarta. The units provide data and technical advice to law enforcement agencies to support the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crimes. They also work to raise community awareness of prohibitions against wildlife trade.

From the Newsroom

Tiger Poachers BustedAugust 13, 2009

Recent arrests and prosecutions in Sumatra and Jakarta put the heat on illegal wildlife traders attempting to sell Sumatran tiger skins. WCS’s Wildlife Crime Unit played a key role in the arrests.

Busted: Poachers Feel the HeatSeptember 9, 2008

The Wildlife Crime Units help intercept the trade in illegal tiger parts on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Ten arrests have been made in three months.

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