Leuser National Park: Sumatra

Indonesia is blessed with a rich variety of flora and fauna, and, some that are not found anywhere else in the world. A majority of this wildlife is to be found in many of the vast national parks in the archipelago.

Asean Biodiversity has a website that details quite a few of them. Here is what they say about the magnificent Leuser National Park:

Location: The park, established in 1984 with an area of 1,094,692 ha, straddles a huge area of northern Sumatra between the two provinces of Aceh and Sumatera Utara and is bisected by the Alas valley. The park takes its name from the high peak of Leuser 3,381 m but also includes extensive lowland areas and reaches the sea on the west coast in the Kluet region.

On the east side of the Alas River the park extends over the mountains into the Langkat region and extends south as far as the active volcano of Sibayak.

Habitats: The park includes the best examples of all montane formations of northern Sumatra but also extensive lowland dipterocarp forest including some extensive forests on limestone. In the Suaq/Kluet area in the southwest of the reserve, there are peat swamp forests and some small lakes.

Wildlife: The bio-diversity is breathtaking and approximately 700 different species of animals (320 birds, 176 mammals and 194 reptiles and amphibians) live in this region. Mammals include the orangutan, tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros, leopard cat, banded leaf monkey, silvered leaf monkey, long-tailed macaque, sun bear, red giant flying squirrel, Asian elephant, golden cat, siamang, serow, and clouded leopard.

Of the 10,000 plant species recorded in the West Indo-Malayan region, it is estimated that 45% are found in the Gunung Leuser ecosystem. The Rafflesia which has the largest flower in the world is found here, as is the Amorphophallus, which has the tallest flower in the world, also the spectacular palm Johannesteijsmannia altifrons with its tall umbrella leaves and star-shaped Rhizanthes zippelnii. Among the trees and flowers live more than 300 species of bird.

Gunung Leuser would be best known for its Sumatran tigers and the two orangutan stations which fall within its boundaries. Gunung Leuser is widely considered to be the most secure reserve area for the highly endangered Sumatran tiger. An estimated 110-116 of Sumatra’s total of 400 tigers live in and around the park.

Other interests:The park offers a variety of pastimes from orang-utan or bird viewing, visiting the orang-utan rehabilitation centre of Bohorok, trekking up the peaks of Leuser or Sibayak and the town of Brastagi. In Sibayak, visitors can visit the sulfur fumeroles and watch the local villagers collecting and carrying back heavy load of this yellow mineral. Some stretches of the Alas and other rivers can be used for white water rafting.

At Bohorok-Bukit Lawang is the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre which takes captive orangs and reintroduces them back into the wild. Visitors can see the station and visit an education center there. Ketambe is a research station north of Kutacane but restricted to scientists. Tourism is not permitted here.

There is a botanic gardens and visitor centre at Serbolangit, Brastagi. Local culture shows some variation from the muslim Giao peoples of the upper Alas valley to the Christian and animistic Batak tribes of Renun and the southeast of the park. Artifacts of the Bataks reveal an aggressive past of magic ritual and cannibalism.

Visiting:The park is most easy attainable from Medan. From Medan, buses go to Kutacane and Bohorok-Bukit Lawang. The 233 km ride from Medan to Kutacane goes through Brastagi and Kabanjahe and takes 5 hours to 6 hours. There are also regular and faster minibus services between Medan and Kutacane.

Minibuses run from the Pinang Baris bus terminal in Medan. From Kutacane, (mini) buses serve the Lawe Gurah Tourist Park, about 43 km from Kutacane. From there you can enter the Gunung Leuser National Park. Visitors can take a boat from Kutacane down the Alas River to the coastal town of Singkil.

Access to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Bohorok-Bukit Lawang is by bus from Pinang Baris bus terminal in Medan. There are trips a day and takes 3 hours. Regular buses run the 22 km from Medanto Binjai. From there buses run to Bukit Lawang.

Buses to Binjai leave more frequently from the same bus terminal in Medan. From the south, visitors can reach Bohorok- Bukit Lawang by bus from Brastagi. In Bukit- Lawang, visitors enter the park through the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre.

PHPA permits to access Gunung Leuser National Park:Permits are available from the PHPA offices in Medan, Tanah Merah (2 km north of Kutacane) and Bukit Lawang. Permits are also available from Wisma Rindu Alam in Kutacane and Pondok Wisata or Wisma Gurah (PHPA) in Ketambe.
Conservation Programmes

Leuser was already established as a reserve under Dutch colonial rule. It was aided after independence by a special Netherlands Gunung Leuser Committee and by projects of World Wildlife Fund. Research stations were set up under grants from VOTRO, Frankfurt Zoological Society and Drake University. Leuser and several adjacent reserves were consolidated as a national park in 1983. Since 1997 The entire park plus an extensive external buffer totaling 2 million ha was assisted under the $40 million EU Gunung Leuser Project.

Threats:Leuser faces many threats. Due to the highly sensitive issue of Aceh Independence movement and occasional civil conflicts in the region, law enforcement is sometimes and in some areas weak. Illegal logging and illegal land clearance remain a problem with the offending villagers and companies often strongly encouraged and protected by local politicians. Illegal logging in Langkat resulted in a blocked river suddenly flooding and destroying a village with heavy loss of life in 2002.

An even greater potential threat is a planned road that will cut through the reserve from east to west, greatly facilitating access to the parks rich resources and lands and creating a gap and barrier to the free passage of many species either side of the road route. Poaching of elephants, tigers and Sumatran rhinos continues.

Source: Asean Biodiversity