A DISCUSSION about the conservation of the Sumatran rhinoceros wouldn't be complete without mentioning Arief Rubiyanto, who for the past 15 years has been working hard to save the species from extinction.
ARIEF RUBIYANTO (JP/Oyos Saroso H.N.)Thanks to Arief and his Rhino Protection Unit (RPU), the threat against the Sumatran rhinoceros has been reduced. The past few years have even seen an increase in population numbers of the species in the Lampung area thanks to intensive patrols conducted by the RPU team.
Arief, 38, is one of only a few experts in the country willing to work in the forest. Born in Bandung in 1970, he studied at the animal health department of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture. After graduating in 1993, Arief worked in rhinoceros conservation as a surveyor in the Sumatra Rhino Survey program at Kerinci Seblat National Park (BTNKS).
He has been involved in the preservation of the threatened species ever since.
He was a program volunteer at the anti-poaching unit of Friends of Rhino Foundation in Bengkulu from 1994 to 1995, patrol coordinator of the RPU at BTNKS from 1995 to 1997, field coordinator of the RPU in Way Kambas National Park from 1997 to 1998, field coordinator of the RPU in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park from 1998 to 1999, supervisor of the RPU Lampung from 1999 to 2003, and field manager for Save the Sumatran Rhinoceros Program at BTNKS from 2004 to 2005.
Arief is now the coordinator of the intelligence and law enforcement unit of the RPU.
"In the 1980s there were some 500 Sumatran rhinoceros at Kerinci Seblat National Park. But in 1994, it was estimated that there were only about 20 left," Arief told The Jakarta Post recently.
"And they were found in different habitats, not only in the protected forest areas.
"Poaching and illegal logging in the 1990s threatened the Sumatran rhinoceros population. Their habitat had dwindled due to the deforestation and poaching. The hunters used steel wires to trap the rhinoceros."
Because of his dedication in saving the species, in 2007 he received the Disney Conservation Hero Award from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund in the United States, beating 12 other candidates from all over the world.
"The award was not just for me, but also for my friends in the RPU," he said.
"They have worked very hard and are dedicated to saving the Sumatran rhinoceros."
His best achievement, he said, was when he started the RPU program in Sumatra in 1994. The unit's success in reducing the threats facing Sumatran rhinoceros prompted Arief and his colleagues to make additional efforts to save the Javanese rhinoceros population.
"When we started the program, we got support from the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Development Program. Later on, we were supported by a number of international agencies under the coordination of the International Rhino Foundation," he said.
As an RPU activist, Arief protects not only the rhinoceros, but also other protected animals such as Sumatran elephants, tigers and orangutans.
Thanks to the RPU's patrol activities, illegal hunters now think twice before hunting in the national park area.
According to Arief, after the RPU was established and started to operate, the number of wild rhinoceros killed dropped dramatically, as did illegal hunting activities.
In the Way Kambas National Park, the estimated population of Sumateran rhinoceros in 1988 was between 19 and 22; by 2007, numbers were believed to have increased to between 24 and 30.
In the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park forest, numbers were estimated to be around 25 to 40 in 1988, but had increased to around 60 by 2007.
RPU team members such as Arief carry with them a letter of assignment from the BTNKS office, which gives them the authority to arrest hunters found operating illegally in the forest.
The RPU team works in coordination with the forest police and civil servants as well as the general police to support law enforcement against illegal hunting and logging as well as other crimes in the forest.
As a guard of the Sumatran rhinoceros, Arief works in the forest between 16 and 20 days per month on average. He leaves his wife, Rinalia, and their three children, Satria Ibnu Rinanto, 11, Farhan Surya Rinanto, 7, and Arya Putra Rinanto, 2, at home in Bandarlampung.
"But I really enjoy my work," he said.
"My wife and children are used to the situation when I go to the forest. My wife fully supports me in my decision to work in this field."
Source: The Jakarta Post | Tue, 09/16/2008
Yuhu, namanya sama Rubiyanto juga...!
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