Celebrating World Rhino Day 2019, YABI participated in “Liwa Fair” together with NGO partners in the consortium team of the Bukit Barisan Selatan Priority Habitat Conservation program in collaboration with the Government of West Lampung Regency in commemorating the anniversary date of the district.
In the event, YABI co-organised the main event “rhino walk” and conducted an outreach effort to 3 of 6 surrounding villages (buffer villages) of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, by conducting a community meeting for adults and fun games for children, delivering key conservation messages using religious approach by the local religious leader. The event was conducted from 23 to 28 September 2019.
In particular, YABI focused on outreach activities in 3 villages; Pemerihan, Bumi Hantatai, Tebaliokh. The outreach event was filled with fun learning games for village children, poetry session accompanied by traditional instrumental music, and a presentation by religious preacher trained to provide outreach to communities about conserving the environment through religious values.
With a forest area that covers more than 60 per cent of its territory, West Lampung committed to preserving its natural wealth by declaring itself as a conservation district. West Lampung is also one of the few districts in Indonesia that still has a Sumatran rhino. “This is the right moment to commemorate these two holidays. Moreover, West Lampung is one of a small number of districts in Indonesia that still have Sumatran rhinos. Rhino is a mandate for us as well as Indonesia’s pride in the eyes of the world “, said Parosil Mabsus, as the Regent of West Lampung.
Conducted in Pemerihan Village, Paku Negara Village, Suka Banjar Village (West Coast) and Bumi Hantatai Village, Tabaliokh Village, Suka Marga Village (West Lampung) the event also presented a poetry session accompanied by traditional musical instrument, hadroh, inviting village community to preserve the forest and animals in it.
In his session, Ustadz Alif Al-Maduri from the MUI of Bandar Lampung Province said, “Conservation of forests and wildlife is not only the responsibility of the government and conservation institutions but also ours because conservation is part of the faith that is in the teachings of all religion. Therefore MUI issued a fatwa on Endangered Animal Conservation for Ecosystem Balance and also insert it in our preaching,”
The World Rhino Day Celebration is part of the 2019 Liwa Fair, a collaboration of the Consortium for Conservation of Wildlife Priority Habitat in the TNBBS with the West Lampung Regional Government. “This event is a collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Society-Indonesia Program (WCS-IP), WWF, the Indonesian Rhinoceros Foundation (YABI), with support from the German Ministry of the Environment (BMU) through the German Development Bank (KfW) within the framework of the International Climate Initiative.