Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Head of the South Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Mahrus Ariyadi said the agency continues it effort to develop Bakut Island to be a comfortable colony for bekantans (proboscis monkey), who live and develop in the area, which is in the Barito Kuala District, South Kalimantan.
In his visit to the Nature Tourism Park (TWA) Bakut Island, Mahrus together with QHSE Division Head PT Adaro Energy Tbk Rusdi Husin lately said there have been many changes on the island since the last five years.
The island in the middle of Barito River is now a convinient place for the long nose monkeys to breed, as it is increasingly become better environment.
It is also a beautiful place for tourist from various region to visit. Here, Mahrus told, visitors can watch the activities of the proboscis monkeys, according to time and schedule of visit.
In the morning, visitors can watch the bekantan looking for food. While in the afternoon, they used to wet their bodies in the river and sunbathing as well, and chatting with members of the colony.
The BKSDA recorded, there are three colonies with 67 bekantan have been counted.
According to Mahrus, the effort to conserve the bekantan habitat is based on community participation which emphasizes educative values, especially on visitors.
Visitors, when visiting, not only to watch the icon of South Kalimantan. By seeing their activities, how the habits of this primates and the ecology along the ironwood footbridge, people gain educational value, with a number of variants.
"In Bakut Island, we also prepare a kind of clinic care for sick proboscis moneky,” said Mahrus.
In its management, he said, the surrounding community actively involve with supervision from BKSDA.
The agency is currently in the process of preparing the community how to organize and manage the tourism potential. Not only looking for economic benefits, they are expected to be able to spearhead the protection of the nature tourism of Bakut Island.
The process of strengthening the Bakut Island and efforts to realize it as a proboscis moneky sanctuary, he added, cannotbe separated from the involvement of the third party, namely PT Adaro.
"I think Adaro's response was very good. A week after we offered, Adaro immediately welcomed it," Mahrus told.
QHSE Division Head of PT Adaro Energy Tbk Rusdi Husin said, eventhough the distance between Bakut Island and Adaro's area of production is hundreds of kilometers, but it did not dampen the company's spirit to help preserve the environment.
Throughout 2019, Adaro has disbursed funds in the amount of Rp1.8 billion, for the construction of supporting facilities in Bakut island, including a 650 meter ironwood footbridge, monitoring tower, exit, ticket post. Adaro is also preparing Rp5 billion fund for cooperation in the next 5 years.
“We also will be involved in preparing human resources of operators through trainings,” Rusdi said.
In 2020, a number of addition shelters, bekantan care clinic, biofil or portable septic tank, clean water facility, and a model of community development will be built.
