Amidst the conservation challenges in Kalimantan's tropical forests, encouraging news comes from the production forest concession area owned by PT Wana Bakti Persada Utama (WBPU) in the Wehea Kelay Landscape, East Kalimantan. In collaboration with Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN). PT WBPU installed 27 camera traps and bioacoustic devices in the concession area in February 2025. The results of the first monitoring carried out in May 2025 showed something extraordinary, visual and sound recordings of various rare and protected species that still survive in the company's concession area.
For PT WBPU, this finding is not only a success in terms of technical monitoring, but also evidence that the company's sustainability-based forest management approach is working well. The footage shows the presence of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), a key species whose existence is highly dependent on the availability of primary and secondary forests that are still sustainable. The individual orangutans caught on camera were walking around the forest area, indicating that the production forest landscape still provides a decent habitat.
No less interesting, the camera also captured a clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), an apex predator that is rarely seen due to its solitary nature and nocturnal activity. In addition, a sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), an omnivorous mammal typical of Southeast Asia, was also recorded foraging on the forest floor. These findings indicate that the WBPU concession area is an important route and habitat for these species.
From the results of the bioacoustic tool, the sounds of the White-crested Hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix) and the King Kuwau (Argusianus argus) were heard at several points. Both of these birds are endemic species that require calm and sustainable forest conditions to breed. WBPU considers that the emergence of these sounds is an important indicator that human pressure in the production forest area is still within controllable limits.
In addition to predators and rare birds, footage from the installed camera traps also shows other animals such as sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), pangolins (Manis javanica), and Bornean wild boars (Sus barbatus). Especially for pangolins, which are one of the most hunted mammals in the world, their presence in the concession area is an important signal for PT WBPU to further strengthen protection in sensitive areas that are their habitat.
For PT WBPU, these findings are a strong impetus to continue integrating wildlife protection into forest management plans. In addition to being part of environmental responsibility, this biodiversity data is also an important component in internal and external evaluations of PT WBPU's commitment to implementing sustainable and sustainable forestry principles.
These animal recordings show that production forests do not always mean loss of biodiversity. In fact, with proper management, production forests can be a home for rare and protected animals. The company is also committed to strengthening the Reduced Impact Logging-For Climate Change Mitigation (RIL-C) method and adjusting operational plans with animal distribution data obtained from monitoring.
Furthermore, PT WBPU plans to make wildlife monitoring activities a routine program, not only for documentation and conservation, but also as educational material and transparency to stakeholders. Further collaboration with YKAN will continue to be built to expand the scope of monitoring and protection of priority species in Kalimantan.
The results of this monitoring confirm that production forests are not dead zones for biodiversity. On the contrary, if managed with a long-term vision and scientific approach, as is done by PT WBPU, the area can become the heart of valuable tropical wildlife conservation, proving that economy and ecology can go hand in hand.
