Emma Hankinson

Tropical rainforests are one of the most fundamental ecosystems on earth and home to over half of the world's floral and faunal species. Indonesia possesses the third most extensive tropical rainforest in the world however, tropical rainforest loss in Indonesia contributes to the highest annual deforestation amongst tropical countries. Over the past 70 years, Sumatra has experienced one of the greatest losses of any tropical rainforest. The largest and most sustainable remaining tropical forest is the Leuser Ecosystem located in north Sumatra and Aceh measuring 2.6Mha. This area is now the last place on earth that the critically endangered and endemic Sumatran orangutan (pongo abeli), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris), Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) and the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) still exist together. The rich diversity of Sumatra (as well as biodiversity globally) is facing a major extinction crisis, with numerous species now listed as critically endangered due to their disappearance from many of Sumatra’s provinces, including the Critically endangered Sumatran elephant.

Until the 1930’s, the Sumatran elephant was thought to inhabit the entire country with a continuous distribution from north to south. In one generation (between 1985-2008), over 69% of potential elephant habitat was lost and up to 50% of the island’s elephants. Much of the remaining forest now remains in blocks of less than 250km2, too small to contain viable elephant populations. The population estimate now stands at ~1724 individuals. Despite this, up to date information on the distribution and population size of Sumatran elephants is lacking for many remaining populations, especially in the north of the country.

To prevent the extinction of the Sumatran elephant and their tropical forest habitat, the most important steps are;

1. reduce deforestation in elephant habitat to provide adequate areas required for their survival
2. allow them to fulfil their ecological role in viable populations
3. halt illegal killing of elephants

To achieve these goals, governments need to produce policies to protect elephants and put these into practice. Up to date information on the availability of elephant habitat and connectivity, and the distribution of Sumatra’s last remaining elephants will be essential for effective conservation planning. Identifying areas of high-level conflict and reducing illegal activities within these areas are of crucial importance to mitigate conflict and therefore decrease illegal killings. My project aims to contribute some fundamental knowledge on these issues, to help towards securing a future for these globally important species.