The Sumatra Project  

> Location > Objectives and Importance > Human Means > Infrastructures > Kloss’s Gibbon Project   > Sumatra Reserve Project

Location  The Marak Island , 1000 hectares wide (around 2471 acres ) is situated south west of the capital city of west-Sumatra province, Padang , and 5 kilometres ( 3.125 miles ) from the coast, between Sumatra and the Mentawai Islands .   Please see slideshow The programme office is in Padang City . Padang , is in the centre-west of Sumatra, in front of the Mentawai Islands and is the most strategic point to control animal trafficking in Sumatra . The west province is one of the most wooded provinces of Sumatra . The village which contributes to the protection of the island is Nagari Sungai Pinang (5 km/ 3.125 miles from Marak Island ). Medical and educational aid is given to this village every year.

Objectives and Importance  The aim of Kalaweit Sumatra is to collect gibbon and siamang species, native of Sumatra, but which may have been seized by the authorities all over Indonesia . The species located in Sumatra and the surrounding islands are : The Agile Gibbon or Black-Handed Gibbon ( Hylobates agilis agilis and H. agilis ungko ), the Lar Gibbon or White-Handed Gibbon ( H. lar), the Kloss's Gibbon or Mentawai Gibbon or Bilou ( H. klossii - Mentawai islands), and the Siamang ( Symphalangus Syndactylus ). Marak island, 1000 hectares wide ( 2471 acres ) is divided in two parts, 10% of the island is used for the infrastructure, what is left is a protected area which can receive the animals once released. Up to now, 120 animals have been received (70% are Siamangs). These animals had been seized by the authorities all over Indonesia . As in Borneo , the centre now has its own clinic where minor surgery is possible. The whole village, as a partner, receives yearly medical and educational aid.

 Human Means   

The staff which runs the centre is composed of 19 number of employees including 1 vet and 2 paramedics.

 Infrastructures 

> Camp with 5 rooms
> 13 quarantine cages
> 60 aviaries
> Clinic
> Speed-boat
> Office (located in Padang )

 Kloss's Gibbon Project   

The Kloss's gibbon (Hylobates klossii) is an endemic species of the Mentawai archipelago (Westside of Sumatra), highly endangered and doomed if nothing is done, because of the mass deforestation throughout the four islands where it lives. In addition there is domestication.

Kalaweit has decided to launch a rescue programme for 25 to 30 of these captive gibbons by persuading their owners to let Kalaweit have them and by taking them to Marak in new aviaries.

Kalaweit has just received (in June 2008) the first Kloss's gibbon rescued at Siberut Island where it was illegally held. This is a great new hope for Kalaweit because we had been waiting for this moment for several months. This first rescue was done with the support of the « Silvery Gibbon Project ». This gibbon (a young male) is called Mandu and is now in a quarantine cage in Marak.

Kalaweit wishes to set up a long-term breeding and reintroduction programme. It is the first time Kalaweit works on such an endangered species.

This species cannot be seen in any zoological gardens (except two animals in Jakarta Zoo and one or two individuals in Asiatic zoos). No couple has yet been formed in captivity.

You can follow the different stages  of this project on the blog

Marak island is, de facto, a natural reserve of 1000 hectares ( 2471 acres ) for fauna and flora. Kalaweit is looking for an area to create a reserve in Jambi province or west Sumatra to release the siamangs and gibbons of the programme. This reserve will be partly financed by IFAW.