“Proboscis Monkey in Threat of Extinction.”

Nasalis larvatus, also often called the proboscis monkey or Dutch monkey or in the local name called “ Bentang” or “ Bekantan “ is an endemic Bornean mammal that is threatened with extinction due to poaching and loss of habitat for foraging and sleeping due to conversion. Based on the results of a 2015 WWF survey in the Keluang River, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan Province, around 200 individuals were still found because the surrounding forest was relatively well preserved.

The proboscis monkey will appear in the morning (dawn) in the trees on the riverbank and then will enter the forest with a distance of approximately 500 meters, and return to the riverbank to rest until the evening.

Most of the proboscis monkeys are easy to see and are no longer afraid when they meet humans, but not a few are afraid when they see people because they feel threatened by poaching.

In connection with the threat of decreasing population due to habitat loss, several donor agencies between IDH and WWF have made a landscape-based management program which involves concession holders around the site and the community, in one program it was agreed to set a corridor limited to a 500 meter wide border and make operating standards joint procedures between concession holders, which include taking care of each other and reminding them about the protection of the proboscis monkey.

In this way, it is hoped that the population will be maintained, and monitoring of population and habitat quality is always carried out at least once a year. ( by Fairus Mulia, IPU )