PT Antang Reforests Wetland to Save Bekantan

Banjarmasin,  South Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - A private company which is engaged in mining coal, PT Antang Gunung Meratus, which operates in the Sub-district of South Tapin, Tapin, reforest the swamp land to save the long nose Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) or known here as Bekantan.


Deputy General Director of PT Antang Gunung Meratus Budi Karya Yugi to a number of journalists who visited the site on Wednesday said the company is willing to spend billions just for reforestation of wetlands damaged by fire and destroy the habitat of monkeys who became the mascot of South Kalimantan.

"We now carry out wetlands conservation that was overgrown forest with galam and polantan wood damaged by burning during the dry season, to save Bekantan," he told reporters that members of the Pena Hina and Green Community Forum (FKH).

According to him, the conservation managed by the company is derived from the CSR funds for afforestation, reforestation galam seedlings, polantan, Lukut, and other swamp forest plants.

Replanting is to rehabilitate damaged trees after fire and now the young leaves are growing for Bekantan food, so that about 300 Bekantan  in the region could be saved.

In fact, the region will be the location of ecotourism and it turns out that the Tapin government responded by setting Tandui and Lawahan Village area, in Sub-district of South Tapin, which has been the location of proboscis habitats into ecotourism.

Local government defined an area into eco-tourism by ​​90 hectares. That is, if the company conserve 16 hectares means that there is an area of ​​74 hectares of which is the responsibility of local government.