On the front lines of conservation in Sumatra: Rangers safeguard Batutegi forest

Forest ranger Wandi Harmoko and a team of eight officers protect 60,000 hectares of Batutegi forest in southern Sumatra, a critical watershed and refuge for endangered Sumatran tigers, slow lorises, pangolins and sun bears, supported by technology-driven monitoring systems and social forestry schemes that allow local farmers to cultivate crops within conservation rules.

The forest faces ongoing encroachment pressures and the ranger team is small for the territory; sustained protection requires long-term collaboration with communities and adequate resources.