INTERVENTION SUMMARY

In and around Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP), Indonesia, commercial poaching posed a significant threat to the critically-endangered Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris). Local commercial hunters used wire snares to target both tigers and their prey, posing a critical risk to the already declining populations of the tiger. To address this, the conservation NGO Fauna and Flora International, along with KSNP authorities, implemented an intervention strategy which focused on routine patrols (i.e. monitoring entry points and interior routes), and intelligence-based patrols (i.e. those informed by local informants) with the aim to reduce poaching of tigers and their pray by systematically detecting and removing snares. Over the ten-year period, patrol frequency and coverage increased significantly. With the increase in patrol effort, the number of active tiger and prey snares declined, particularly in high-priority areas. However, the study did not directly measure changes in tiger and tiger prey populations, making it difficult to assess the direct conservation outcomes of this intervention.

INTERVENTION DETAILS

What was the problem?

Commercial poaching of Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris) and their prey in and around Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP) by local hunters to supply the trade in bushmeat and tiger parts.

What was the Intervention and How was it Implemented?

Improved Patrols: The intervention focused on establishing routine and intelligence-based patrols, initially comprising five, then growing to six teams. The routine patrols covered entry points and interior forest routes where people were most likely to hunt wildlife. Intelligence-based patrols were tipped off by local informants (either 30 "open" informants, made up of family/friends of the rangers, and another 30 "closed" informants who were known in hunter/trading circles). When corroborated, patrol efforts were then mobilized to the specific location to disarm snares and arrest poachers. This approach aimed to make it harder for poachers to hunt in the forest by increasing the time and effort required to set and maintain snares and increase the financial/resource losses due to the removal of the snares. (Increase the Risks - strengthen formal surveillance; Reduce the Rewards -deny benefits)

Was the Intervention Effective, Ineffective, or Promising?

The intervention was promising in reducing snare traps in Kerinci Seblat National Park. The findings indicated that the combination of routine and intelligence-based monitoring was effective in detecting snares: while between 2000 and 2010, the average decline across the entire park was 18% per year, this decline was 24% per year in the 10 most heavily patrolled areas. The study also found that intelligence-based patrols were over 40% more likely to detect snare traps when compared to routine patrols.

How do We Know?

The intervention was promising because it showed a reduction in snare traps, though the results were not conclusive. While the study found that poaching remained a constant threat, the results showed that using a combination of systematic and intelligence-based snare sweeps was more effective than employing alternative measures, such as distance walked by rangers. This showed the value of expanding patrol coverage and accessibility and augmenting it with the cultivation of a widespread informant network. Some of the major challenges that limited the success of the intervention included difficulties in effectively monitoring ranger patrol activities; the uncertainly about the impact of patrol teams operating in remote forest areas, and the significant financial and logistical constraints.

Were Conservation Outcomes Measured?

No. Tiger and prey populations were not directly assessed, however, reductions in snaring activity were interpreted as a proxy for improved conservation conditions.

ASSESSMENT

The intervention led to a decline in tiger snare detections, while the average snare detection in the larger park area was 18.3% annually, this declined to 5.1% in areas with increased patrol effort.

The intervention clearly targeted poachers as the principal actors responsible for tiger snaring and applied two primary mechanisms of change:

Increase the Risk - The study described how increased ranger presence and patrol density could deter them by increasing the risk of detection and arrest.

Increase the Effort - The systematic removal of snares aimed to inflict a financial cost on poachers, discouraging them from setting new snares.

The intervention was informed by a pre-implementation analysis that involved identifying high-priority areas for Sumatran tiger populations, as well as understanding the nature and distribution of poaching risks. An important component of this intervention was its implementation of “intelligence-based patrols” that relied on direct interactions with and tip-offs from informants who were either located near parks or were related to rangers. The study acknowledged potential difficulties in applying this intervention in other contexts, emphasizing that the success of this intervention in KSNP heavily depended on such factors as consistent funding, long-term political will, and effective collaboration with park authorities and local communities.

The intervention involved regular patrols implemented by the Fauna and Flora International Indonesia Program in partnership with the Kerinci Seblat National Park authorities. Patrol teams consisted of four-person units made up of park rangers, FFI staff, and forest police, engaged in both routine and intelligence-based patrols. Over the 10-year study period, patrol frequency and coverage increased significantly. The maintenance of regular and well-planned foot patrols, and incorporating intelligence gathered from information into patrol planning to improve the targeting of anti-poaching efforts was key to implementation. The intervention faced several challenges, including limited monitoring of ranger patrols and the difficulty of properly assessing their performance and coverage in the field; limited ability to accurately assess the effectiveness of patrol efforts, especially within the forest areas where poaching may go undetected; and constraints in funding and logistical support that affected the continuity and the coverage of patrols.

The study did not report any specific financial costs associated with the intervention, neither did it include a cost-benefit analysis.

SCP COLUMNS

Strengthen formal surveillance
Deny benefits

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Citation

Linkie et al. (2015)

Year Range

2000-2010

Country

Indonesia

Landscape

Rainforest

Target Species

Tiger

Problem type

Poaching; Snaring

Source: Linkie, M., Martyr, D. J., Harihar, A., Risdianto, D., Nugraha, R. T., Maryati, ... & Wong, W. M. (2015). Safeguarding Sumatran tigers: evaluating effectiveness of law enforcement patrols and local informant networks. Journal of Applied Ecology, 52(4), 851-860. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12461