Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - Futoshi Ishiguri, associate professor researcher from Utsunomiya University, Japan, together with his team, Ikumi Nezu and Hikari Yokoyama, studied conservation efforts at Bekantan Research Station on Curiak Island, Barito Kuala District, South Kalimantan.
"Japanese researchers were very impressed to the Bekantan Research Station, both in facilities and its well-maintaied wetland ecosystem. They want to learn a lot about conservation on Curiak Island," said the founder of Sahabat Bekantan Indonesia (SBI) Foundation Dr Amalia Rezeki here on Sunday.
Futoshi Ishiguri had a chance to see the life of a herd of proboscis monkeys or bekantans (Nasalis larvatus), a large, long-nosed primate from old world that is an icon of South Kalimantan Province.
Amel, Amalia Rezeki's nickname, also a lecturer in Biology at University of Lambung Mangkurat (ULM), hopes there will be a further cooperation with the state university in northern Japan, especially in wetland research and climate change mitigation efforts.
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Head of ULM's Research and Community Development Institute (LPPM) Professor Sunardi, who accompanied Japan delegation, said he was grateful that SBI and ULM had the Bekantan Research Station as a research facility in wetland.
"This island is very important to maintain our environment both flora and fauna, most of which are almost extinct, and it is our obligation to protect them," he said.
Sunardi promised ULM and Utsunomiya University will realizeresearch collaboration and develop what alrady exists on Curiak Island.
"This is an effort to continue to echo conservation as initiated and pioneered by Amel and SBI team together with ULM," he said.
On the other hand, Futoshi Ishiguri acknowledged that he was interested in Bekantan Research Station and the efforts to restore the wetland ecosystem counducted by Amalia Rezeki and her team.
He saw Curiak Island was very interesting because there were so many trees planted to create a habitat and invite wild animals to live freely.
Ishiguri believes that humans contribute to maintain the ecological condition in this place which amazed him.
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