UnEarth Magazine.

_{Writing by Frances Davis – Art by Lucia Assadi}

Sumatra, a large island in Western Indonesia, is the last place in the world where rhinos, orangutans, elephants, and tigers still roam together. It is also a prime example of how to effectively introduce and execute conservation efforts. Through the deliberate coordination of international organizations like WWF and Global Conservation, the successful efforts highlight the importance of integrating traditional knowledge, ecosystem-based approaches, and collaborative partnerships to protect this fragile environment. 

Efforts to utilize traditional conservation practices, especially regarding the Sumatran tiger, are being explored as valuable foundations for enhancing community-based conservation. Organizations like Lingkar have advanced this approach by working with Indonesia’s Islamic Scholars Council and forming groups such as JAGO IMAU, which has initiated a positive reengagement of ex-hunters in the tiger protection programs. Their work emphasizes the power of cross-sector collaboration—uniting governments, religious leaders, educators, and local communities—to achieve lasting conservation outcomes. 

In Northern Sumatra, the discovery of the new stone oak species, Lithocarpus tapanuliensis, has proven critical to the survival of the Tapanuli orangutan, the world’s most endangered ape. This tree produces year-round acorns essential to orangutan diets and nesting patterns, demonstrating the need for ongoing habitat surveys to uncover and safeguard such keystone species.  

WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network has also strengthened sustainable trade connections to reduce deforestation drivers, recognizing Sumatra as a crucial habitat for diverse flora, including the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia, and tallest, Amorphophallus titanum (carrion flower). 

Another recent conservation milestone was achieved in 2023 with the birth of a Sumatran elephant calf at Way Kambas National Park. This birth symbolizes hope for the critically endangered elephant population, estimated at only 2,400–2,800 individuals left globally. The International Elephant Project, supporting this park, runs patrols and provides veterinary care to prevent poaching and reduce human-wildlife conflicts. 

Sumatra remains a vital hotspot for biodiversity, hosting unique and critically endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger, Tapanuli orangutan, and Sumatran elephant. The multi-faceted approach to conservation and habitat protection that has been undertaken on the island is one that has reaped tangible results, and the rest of the world now needs to critically analyze the efforts taken on Sumatra and adopt them to their own situations.  

If we could globally achieve the same or even close to Sumatra’s results, the world would be in a much better position to fight the many environmental crises we currently face. What is so unique and has proven to work effectively is this multi-tiered implementation and enforcement method. The involvement of various NGOs, governmental representatives, educators and religious groups have allowed for conservation efforts in Sumatra to be streamlined on local, regional, and national levels. One of the limitations often encountered in environmental protection is the difficulty of organizing the many stakeholders needed to make change on a sizeable scale and to maintain an organized yet focused dynamic across the levels. Sumatra has overcome this through the constant hard work of many volunteers, scientists, and educators on the ground. These teams ensure that there remains close communication between themselves and those securing funding, resources, or raising international awareness. This coordinated cooperation is critical to the success of any group project, especially those on such large and complex scales as protecting the Earth’s ecosystem one island at a time.  

The births of these endangered animals, the discovery of new tree species, and the ever-increasing amount of protected land in Sumatra are all indicators of growth and successful conservation. What’s left to do now is expand this triumphant model worldwide, influencing people and governments to reproduce such positive results within their own territories. While Sumatra itself is only a singular island, it shows the possible impacts that coordinated research, and work can have on the local land, ecosystem, and communities. Sumatra presents hope no matter what and amplifies the critical message that it is not too late to focus on recovering the health of Earth’s biodiversity.