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WWF-Indonesia staffs in Riau: Tiger Research and Tiger Patrol Unit

WWF-Indonesia Tiger Research Team

follow their journey at belangsumatra.wordpress.com

Karmila Parakkasi
Survey and Monitoring Coordinator of WWF-Indonesia’s Tiger Research Team

Mila fearlessly leads her team through the treacherous paths of Sumatra's forest searching for tiger trails. In August 2009, images from camera traps installed in the Rimbang-Baling-Bukit Tigapuluh corridor showed a tiger with her cubs. Always-smiling Mila commented, "It was definitely one of the best moments for me as well as for the team. After five years of research, we finally had pictures of tiger cubs." Mila's hope for the Year of the Tiger Campaign: "I hope that next year's campaign will garner more support and commitments for tiger conservation. We would like to see active participation from various stakeholders, in or out of the field. We will try our best to contribute by providing evidence that Sumatran tigers exist in the wild and they need a healthy ecosystem to survive." Full Profile

Harry Kurniawan
Junior Research Assistant, Tiger Research Team, WWF-Indonesia

Harry started as a volunteer for WWF-Indonesia, but is now a full-time member of the research team. Harry stated, "I never knew how severe the threats were before I joined WWF. Knowing the factual truth about tiger conservation motivates me to protect nature even more. My family supports me because they know I gain knowledge every day and work for a good cause." Harry hopes for a cohesive campaign to conserve tigers during the Year of Tiger. He believes that an effective campaign should involve local communities whose lives are directly affected by the tiger. To help people understand the importance of tiger protection, Harry befriends locals in potential conflict areas. Full Profile

WWF Indonesia Tiger Patrol Unit and Wildlife Monitoring

Osmantri
Coordinator of Tiger Patrol Units and Wildlife Monitoring, WWF-Indonesia

Osmantri's role is to monitor wildlife trade cases in court to ensure that the perpetrators get the maximum sentence. He is no longer directly involved in the investigation of tiger trade or poaching because people already know his face from several articles highlighting the tiger team's work. Osmantri enjoys when evidence of wildlife trade is discovered and can be submitted to officials for further investigation. He also likes working with various people in Sumatra because he is motivated by their shared goal to save the remaining Sumatran tigers. "I was raised in West Sumatra where the tiger is culturally seen as respected animal that has power and magic, so my connection with the tiger started when I was very young." More about Osmantri