Rhino Protection Units (RPUs) Program

The Protection Program is the main program of YABI to prevent illegal hunting and harassment of Sumatran Rhino and Javan Rhino habitat through the establishment and operation of Rhino Protection Units (RPUs). The RPUs that have been established since the beginning of 1995 are still running until today.

Purpose of RPUs Program

On this day, YABI operating RPU teams in Ujung Kulon National Park (7 units, consisting of 5 terrestrial units and 2 marine units), Way Kambas National Park (13 units), and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (6 units). Purposes of RPUs team in these area are:

• Creating a safe habitat for rhinos and other animals, free from hunting disorder and forest encroachment.
• Effective law enforcement for animal hunting cases, particularly the Sumatran rhinos and cases of forest destruction.
• Ensure that animal hunters, especially the Sumatran rhino and Javan rhino hunters, can be brought to justice and punished according to Law No.5 of 1990.

Technical Activities

• RPU consists of 4 people, consisting of a unit chairman who is from the National Park Police Forest and 3 people from the surrounding community who have passed the selection and training.
• RPU conducts intensive patrols. Each month (more about 20 days) in national parks to prevent illegal hunting, forest encroachment and other illegal activities, conduct intensive observations through area patrols to detect the presence of snares, intruders and also catch illegal poachers; Destroying the traps found in the area, monitoring the rhino population through surveys of the area to identify signs of rhino presence such as footprint, feces, wallow, etc., conducting intelligence operations to assist the ILEU team in capturing illegal poachers; Assist national parks in decrease in forest encroachers activities, such as joint operations and community outreach activities.
• Implementation of patrols and surveys within the park area has been granted permission from the local national park by issuing a Task Order (SPT) signed by the Head of the National Park.
• The results of patrols and surveys conducted by the RPU are reported to the National Park periodically, monthly, quarterly and yearly.

The process of implementing the establishment and operation of protection units (RPU)

• Recruitment and training of new members for Patrols to prevent / deal with early illegal activities, capture TSK & BB security, and destruction of traps;
• Survey training to determine the population and rhino distribution;
• Refreshment and advance training for members, as well as other organizations that require it.

RPU’s Contribution to Indonesian Rhino Conservation Database

One of the results of RPU patrol activities is a database of rhinos population and habitat condition in each national park where YABI works. These informations contributes to each National Park and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia to develop database of rhinos condition in Indonesia. The process of managing the rhinos database carried out by RPU consist of:

• Setting the report format;
• Collect reports for processing (data processing);
• Data analysis;
• Prepare reports (quarter, semester, yearly, and particular).