Human-Orangutan Conflict in Sentap Kancang Landscape, Ketapang District

Abstract

One of the challenges of orangutan conservation lies in the increasing interaction between humans and orangutans which leads to conflict. This research aims to map areas of human-orangutan conflict in the Sentap Kancang Landscape, identify conflicts and losses due to human-orangutan conflict that occur in the Sentap Kancang Landscape, and evaluate the number of human-orangutan conflicts in the Sentap Kancang Landscape. The research was carried out in March-June 2022 in the Sentap Kancang Landscape using triangulation techniques are in-depth interviews, moderate participant observation, and a literature study. Based on field observations and interviews, it was found that 5 villages in the Sentap Kancang Landscape are areas prone to human-orangutan conflict are the villages of Sungai Awan Kiri, Tanjungpura, Mayak, Tempurukan, and Sungai Putri. As a result of the human-orangutan conflict, there are two groups, (1) groups who had a negative view of the existence of orangutans, and (2) groups who experienced financial losses due to crops being damaged by orangutans. Conflicts tended to increase after forest and land fires in 2015 and occurred again with the same pattern in 2019. This shows that mitigating human-orangutan conflict must also be in line with mitigating forest and land fires. There needs to be efforts to increase the security of community fields to avoid possible disturbances by orangutans. Socialization regarding orangutan conservation and protecting their habitat needs to continue to preserve orangutans and forests. Besides, there needs to be an open discussion between the government and affected communities to produce solution actions for communities who have experienced losses due to conflict with orangutans by involving non-governmental institutions that potential to become partners in resolving human-orangutan conflict problems.