Sumatran Rhino Protection: No Poaching Signs Since 2008 in Leuser Ecosystem

Efforts to protect the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) in the Leuser Ecosystem (KEL) are ongoing. The Leuser Conservation Forum (FKL), in collaboration with the Gunung Leuser National Park Center (BBTNGL), the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA), and the Aceh Environmental and Forestry Agency (DLHK), continues to secure the habitat and population of this rare, protected animal. The Leuser Ecosystem is a vital tropical rainforest expanse of approximately 2.5 million hectares, spanning Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. It serves as a habitat for various wild animals, including the Sumatran rhino, whose population is now critically low and faces extinction. Dedi Yansyah, FKL's Wildlife Protection Coordinator, stated that a significant indicator of protection efforts is the absence of any signs of rhino poaching since 2008. The tools commonly used by poachers to capture rhinos, known as 'seuneubok' in Acehnese, were last found in 2008. "Since then, there have been no further indications of poaching in the areas we secure. However, patrols remain intensive," he explained on Sunday (June 13, 2026). FKL has deployed 12 teams across 10 security posts, along with 37 ranger teams and one K9 unit (tracking dogs), and monitors the area using online cameras. The security teams are a collaboration of officers from BBTNGL, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Police, local communities, and FKL staff. Meanwhile, rangers are FKL staff working alongside forest police from BBTNGL and DLHK Aceh, conducting patrols for at least 15 days a month. Dedi noted that the challenges in rhino protection extend beyond poaching, encompassing habitat degradation, which is a complex issue. This includes encroachment, illegal logging, forest fires, and human-wildlife conflict.