Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict with Tesso Nilo National Park Foundation

Since 2006, Musim Mas has partnered with the Tesso Nilo National Park Foundation to mitigate human-elephant conflicts in the Tesso Nilo landscape in Pelalawan, Riau. The habitats of Sumatran elephants in the region have been under threat for the last 20 years due to historical development by agriculture companies in Riau and encroachment of national parks. Elephants are attracted to planted crops and enter farms and plantations. This leads to conflicts between elephants and humans, sometimes resulting in the death of some elephants.

The 12-year collaboration has improved the capacity of the ‘Flying Squad’ to engage the local community on the vulnerability of elephants and the importance of elephant-human coexistence. The role of the ‘Flying Squad’ is to intervene and de-escalate any conflict between farmers and elephants, and to support conservation efforts that increase the elephant population in Riau.

In 2021, we renewed the partnership for an additional three years. A portion of Musim Mas’ funding will be used to purchase new technologies for the project, including drones, Global Positioning System (GPS) elephant collars, and satellite tracking systems to support monitoring efforts. The program is a key stakeholder supporting the Riau government’s conservation vision. Musim Mas also works closely with the Nature Conservation Agency of Indonesia (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BKSDA)). We have also partnered with local stakeholders, including communities, to develop a Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK), which will serve as a regional guideline on elephant management.