Assessing the local farmer’s perspective on Tapanuli Orangutan in Agroforest Landscape of Batang Toru Ecosystem, Indonesia

Abstract

Crop raiding by great apes presents a challenge to conservation due to enhancing human and wildlife conflict, and it is one of the main threats to the existence of newly identified species of Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo Tapanuliensis). Our study aims to understand communities’ socioeconomics, farmers’ knowledge, perception, attitude, action against Tapanuli Orangutan. Nearly 33% of our respondents showed negative action against Tapanuli Orangutan. Farmer’s claimed that they drive the Orangutan out of their agroforests using tools such as air rifles, sharp tools, as well as stones and sticks. Farmer’s knowledge of Tapanuli Orangutan as a forest engineer is very low. Seventy three per cent of the respondent did not know any ecosystem services provided by Orangutans. We found out that cultural services of orangutans are the most understandable services by local farmers (14%), followed by regulation services (10%) and provisioning services as they consume the bushmeat of Orangutan (3%). Simultaneously, we found that knowledge, perceptions and attitude affect farmer actions by 62.2%. Understanding the farmer’s action against the Tapanuli Orangutan will provide vital information for the stakeholders. We suggested further research to determine farmers’ willingness to accept compensation for their crop-raiding by an Orangutan and the resolution conflict scheme of humanorangutan conflict. Using the economic valuation of orangutans, some strategic approaches may be taken to solve the conflict.