INDONESIA

Saving Sangihe’s Endangered Wildlife

Project Cost: $45,920

Funding Raised: $45,920

$2.00 per acre (1 acre = 43,560 sq ft)
Please note that your donation may not be immediately reflected in the funding thermometer above.

100% of your donation goes towards Conservation Action.

2X The Impact

The Indonesian island of Sangihe, long noted for its endemic wildlife, holds the highest concentration of threatened bird species anywhere in Asia, and possibly the world. Thanks to generous support from our donors, we have successfully reached our fundraising goal for this project.

These species, however, lack protection, and each day the destruction of Sangihe’s tropical forests continues unchecked, the potential for species loss grows more likely.

To conserve Sangihe’s tropical forest and its rare and endemic species, Rainforest Trust is partnering with Burung Indonesia to create the 22,000-acre Gunung Sahendaruman Reserve. The proposed reserve will be Sangihe’s first protected area and will provide its endangered species with the critical habitat they need to survive. For only $2 an acre we can create this urgently needed reserve with your help.

Fast Facts

Location
Sangihe Island, Indonesia

Key Species
Cerulean Paradise-flycatchers (CR), Talaud Bear Cuscus (CR), Sangihe Strike-thrushes (CR), Sangihe Tarsier (EN)

Habitat
Tropical forest

Threats
Deforestation and hunting

Action
Create 22,000 acre Gunung Sahendaruman Reserve

Local Partners
Burung Indonesia

Financial Need
$45,920

Price Per Acre
$2

Biodiversity

Sangihe is home to 9 endemic bird species, 8 of which are threatened. Facing the most danger are populations of the Cerulean Paradise-flycatchers and Sangihe Shrike-thrushes, which may number as few as 50 individuals each.

In addition to its extraordinary avifauna, the island also contains populations of the Talaud Bear Cuscus (top), a threatened marsupial, and the Sangihe Tarsier, an endangered primate confined to Sangihe. Threatened birds on Sangihe include: Sangihe Hanging-parrot, Sangihe Kingfisher, Sangihe Dwarf Kingfisher, Sangihe Shrike-thrush, Sangihe Golden Bulbul, Cerulean Paradise-flycatcher, Sangihe White-eye, and the Elegant Sunbird.

Challenges

Despite the island’s high conservation value, deforestation has already claimed much of Sangihe’s forests.

Making things worse, the illegal pet trade and hunting continue to take a toll on Sangihe’s endemic species and their numbers have dropped significantly in recent years.

Communities

Upon receiving independence from Dutch rule in 1945, Sangihe Island was incorporated into the Indonesian province of North Celebes.

Local inhabitants earn their income by fishing, weaving, farming and, increasing, through tourism. Among other agricultural products, Sangihe’s fertile volcanic soils are used to grow nutmeg, rattan, and coconuts. The island’s Sanghir-speaking population totals 194,253.

Solutions

Rainforest Trust’s conservation project includes fieldwork on Sangihe Island that will assess the distribution, abundance, and habitat-use of its endemic birds.

The project will also update information on forest cover and conversion rates, review current land-use management, and develop a long-term plan for forest protection, site conservation, and habitat management on Sangihe Island. The result of this work will be the establishment of Sangihe’s first protected area, the 22,000-acre Gunung Sahendaruman Reserve.