Latest news with #WestJava
Arab News
2 days ago
- Science
- Arab News
In Java, Indonesian conservationist leads efforts to protect endangered silvery gibbons
JAKARTA: It was deep in the heart of an Indonesian rainforest in West Java that Rahayu Oktaviani, known as Ayu, first heard the 'song' of the Javan gibbon. She had her first encounter in 2008 while visiting the Mount Halimun Salak National Park for an undergraduate research project that required her to obtain a voice sample of the primate. After waiting patiently for two weeks, coming in and out of the forest, she finally heard a Javan gibbon make its distinctive call. She recalled how the sound she described as melodic and haunting had created a hush, as it echoed throughout the forest. 'It's like the most beautiful song that I ever heard in my life. It's so amazing,' Ayu told Arab News. 'They are non-human primates, but they can have like this beautiful song that can make all of … the creatures in the forest just keep silent.' In the 17 years since, Ayu has dedicated her life to protecting the endangered animals, which are also known as 'silvery gibbon,' or 'owa jawa' locally. A vast archipelago stretching across the equator, Indonesia is a top global biodiversity hotspot and home to over 60 species of primates, about 38 of which are endemic to the country. 'Maybe a lot of people know about the orangutan, about the rhino, about the tiger, but how about the overlooked species, just like, for example, the Javan gibbon? Not so many people know about them,' Ayu said. Fewer than 2,500 Javan gibbons remain in the wild today, according to an estimate by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. About half of them live in the 87,000-hectare Mount Halimun Salak National Park, where Ayu and her team have laid the building blocks for grassroots conservation of the endangered species. The gibbons rely on a continuous canopy for movement and foraging, making them particularly vulnerable to forest fragmentation and habitat degradation. As around 55 percent of Indonesia's 270 million population lives in Java, the survival of the endemic species found only in the island's forests is threatened by deforestation and illegal animal trafficking. 'With the situation in Java, where only like 10 percent of the natural forests are remaining, it means the forest itself should be intact. The forest itself still needs to be there not only for the Javan gibbons, but also for the other species that need this habitat for their lives,' Ayu said. In 2020, she co-founded the conservation nongovernmental organization Kiara to expand efforts to save the Javan gibbon, believing that a key aspect in protecting the species was to engage the local community. When she started out as a primatologist, spending much time in the forest to study the gibbons, Ayu did not realize that she was neglecting the very people who lived alongside the primates. She recalled a question a villager posed at the time, a woman named Yanti, who was curious as to why Ayu always went to the forest but rarely stopped by the village. 'That's a really casual and simple question, but it kept me thinking about what I've been doing so far. Is there something that I've been missing?' Ayu said. Yanti's query eventually led her to realize that she needed to do more with the community. 'We want to build together with the communities, where actually the gibbon can be something that they can be proud of,' she said. 'Community engagement is 100 percent the core for conservation because without community, we cannot do everything.' Ayu has employed people from Citalahab, a small village enclave located within the national park where locals make a living working in tea plantations or as rice farmers. Eight of them now work in the field alongside Ayu and her team to monitor the gibbons in the wild. With Kiara, she also established the Ambu Halimun initiative, which involves 15 local women between the ages of 17 and 50 in ecoprinting workshops and financial literacy training. In April, Ayu won the prestigious Whitley Award, which recognizes achievements in grassroots conservation, to advance her work in protecting the Javan gibbons. With 50,000 British pounds ($67,000) from the award, Ayu plans to scale up her programs with Kiara to mitigate threats from human activities and to protect the gibbons' habitat. This includes developing a data management system to enhance park-wide conservation efforts, training the park rangers in biodiversity monitoring techniques, and guiding conservation strategies. The 38-year-old, whose role models are 'the Trimates,' primatologists Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas, has faith that humans can live in coexistence with wildlife. 'Actually, if we put aside our ego, we are part of the ecosystem itself. We are not separated from the ecosystems, so it means we have to have more balance with nature,' she said. 'And to do that, we also have to respect what else (is) actually living together with us in these ecosystems.' Ayu said the Whitley Award served as good momentum to raise awareness about the species she loves dearly, the Javan gibbons. 'I believe not so many people are aware of the existence of the Javan gibbon, so it's the right momentum to share the love for the Javan gibbon and make people care about it,' she said. 'Because how can you care about the species if you know nothing about them?' With the award and the coverage that it garnered internationally, Ayu is also hopeful about inspiring a new generation of conservationists from Indonesia. 'I think women also play a good part to be conservationists in the future … It's also about … regeneration: the importance of nurturing the new generation of conservationists and primatologists from Indonesia, especially because we need more and more people who work in this field.'
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Indonesia secures US$2.3b Dubai investment to build major data centre in West Java
JAKARTA, June 19 — Indonesia has secured an investment worth US$2.3 billion (RM9.8 billion) from the Dubai-based digital infrastructure company EDGNEX for data centre development, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid said on Thursday, Xinhua reported. Meutya said that the investment would be used to build modern data centre infrastructure on a 12-hectare site in the Cikarang industrial area, West Java province. The initial phase of the project is targeted for completion by 2026 and will continue to develop through 2028. 'The data centre is part of the backbone of Indonesia's digital transformation. The presence of EDGNEX is seen as a positive signal of the increasing trust from global investors in our country's digital ecosystem,' Meutya said in an official release. According to data from the ministry, Indonesia's data centre capacity has increased to 290 megawatts (MW) since last October. The national capacity is projected to soar to 900 MW by the end of 2025. 'The rapid increase in capacity indicates that Indonesia is pursuing a strategic position in the region. The government will continue to open up extensive opportunities for new investments. Indonesia has great potential to become a major digital data hub in the South-east Asian region,' Meutya added. — Bernama-Xinhua
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
My Harimau King: When Indonesian tiger folklore mixed with life in Western Sydney
SBS Indonesian 18/06/2025 10:18 Annie McCann, a Western Sydneysider of Indonesian heritage, started out as a fan of fiction works. After trying her hand at writing her own stories, she is now launching her teenage adventure fiction novel starring a character representing her own identity: A Muslim Sundanese who grew up in Western Sydney. McCann's first ever novel, which falls under fantasy adventure, is titled My Harimau King. Its story line has strong ties with the legend of Prabu Raja Siliwangi, who is known to take on the form of a tiger at times. The novel contains multiple elements, including myths and legends hailing from Indonesia and West Java in Particular, such as objects with supernatural powers and the babi ngepet demon-swine creature. However, the main character is depicted as having a very strong Muslim identity. While Annie has always been well-acquainted with her Indonesian side, she was, after all, raised in Australia. Therefore, writing a story rich with reference to West Javanese traditions presented its own challenges, such as the use of multiple languages and the representation of folklores, including that of Prabu Raja Siliwangi. In her writing process, she was often assisted by family members and her travels to historical sites in West Java. Aside from being rich in its reference to Indonesian cultures, My Harimau King also depicts scenes that are familiar to young people living in Sydney, particularly its western part, such as munching on camel burgers and struggling through Australian schools' exam periods. Melati Lum (L) and Annie McCann. Credit: Supplied/Melati Lum Melati Lim, the owner of Melby Rose Publishing, under which My Harimau King is released, lauds the novel for its inclusion of Indonesian elements, which are rare in books targeting middle-grade readers. Listen to the full podcast. Listen to SBS Indonesian on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 3pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , and don't miss our podcasts.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Three Generations Strong: Bali Zoo's Silvery Gibbon Legacy Grows
From Boris's journey back to the wild to the birth of baby Seruni, Bali Zoo leads efforts to conserve one of Indonesia's rarest primates. BALI, Indonesia, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In line with its mission Love. Conserve. Share., Bali Zoo shares a powerful story of hope in wildlife conservation. The silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch), endemic to Indonesia and classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, is not only surviving but thriving through dedicated conservation efforts. This year marks the first birthday of Seruni, a healthy female silvery gibbon born at Bali Zoo in 2024. She is the offspring of Boris's sister. Boris, a male silvery gibbon born at the zoo in 2010, was successfully released into the wild at Situ Patengan, West Java, in 2019. After spending one year at a rehabilitation center, Boris was deemed fit for release. The reintroduction was carried out in partnership with The Aspinall Foundation and Indonesian conservation authorities. "To have bred an endangered animal, released it into the wild, and now welcome the next generation of its extended family is an extraordinary achievement," said Emma Chandra, Public Relations at Bali Zoo. "It shows that our long-term commitment to conservation is working." Bali Zoo's silvery gibbon family now spans three generations, beginning with parents Koko and Minul (both born in 2000), who raised Boris along with four other offspring including Paris, Syahrini, Cincin, and Dahlia. The arrival of Seruni, born to Boris's sister signals not only successful breeding but also a sustained effort to protect one of Indonesia's most endangered primates. Over the past five years, Bali Zoo has recorded key breeding milestones, including: One silvery gibbon, Seruni (born in 2024) One male Sumatran orangutan (born in 2022) Two male Sumatran elephants (born in 2022 and 2023) Multiple births of Indonesia's endemic and exotic species from 2020 to 2025, including: Javan langur, Yellow-crested cockatoos, Papua wallabies, Timor deer and Spotted deer. Since 2019, Bali Zoo supports the Chainsaw Buyback Program in collaboration with Yayasan ASRI. This initiative helps former illegal loggers transition to sustainable livelihoods while protecting vital forest habitats, particularly for orangutans. About Bali Zoo Bali Zoo is home to over 600 animals and is dedicated to the conservation of Indonesia's endemic wildlife. Located in Gianyar. Bali. Click HERE for more images. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Bali Zoo
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Old Indonesian landslide clip misrepresented as deadly mining disaster
"Rockfall in Mount Kuda. The information is 8 dead, 12 injured, and 10 still missing. May the deceased get the best place in the sight of God," reads the Indonesian-language caption to an Instagram video shared on May 31, 2025. The video shows a rocky cliff collapsing while several people in the foreground run away. The video circulated after a landslide at a limestone mine in Mount Kuda in Cirebon on May 30 that local media outlet reported killed 21 people and left four missing (archived link). The company overseeing the mine was operating legally, but safety standards were lacking, according to West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, who said he had ordered its closure (archived link). Similar posts purportedly showing the landslide were also shared on Facebook, TikTok and X. The video, however, does not show the May 30 landslide. A combination of reverse image searches using keyframes from the falsely shared video and keyword searches on Google led to the same footage published on June 20, 2023 by an Instagram account that shares information about West Java (archived link). "These are the seconds before rockfall occurred in Mount Kuda, Bobos Village, Dukupuntang District, Cirebon Regency, on Monday (June 19, 2023). There were no fatalities in this incident," reads its Indonesian-language caption. The footage was also used by local media outlet Tribun Jateng and Dutch digital media company KameraOne in June 2023 (archived here and here). According to local media platform Kumparan, the landslide was caused by heavy rainfall and an undercutting mining method (archived link). No fatalities were recorded. AFP has debunked other false claims that misrepresented old landslide footage here and here.
