Using Crowd Funding to Protect Endangered Sumatran Tigers
Full Solution
Sapu Jerat Crowdfunding Page at Kitabisa.com
Jeffrey Eiser and Fieni Aprilia
Sumatran tiger is the last remaining tiger subspecies in Indonesia. IUCN listed Sumatran tiger as critically endangered species. One of the most imminent threats for Sumatran tigers is wildlife traps set up by hunters and illegal wildlife poachers in Sumatran tiger’s habitat in Sumatera.
Another challange, although tigers are seen as both fierce and the symbol of peace for many, humans are now threathening their lives. People living in close proximity to sumatran tigers are using cruel traps to protect their communities and livestock from them.
Sumatran Tiger Project in collaboration with Forum Harimau Kita and UNDP Indonesia set up Sapu Jerat campaign to raise public funding to clear the tiger traps in Bengkulu, part of Kerinci Seblat National Park landscape.
Volunteers involved in this successfull campaign have cleared 49 traps to reduce threats to endangered tigers. Campaign will be conducted regularly in all project's landscapes as part of sustainable financing solutions for wildlife.
Photo and video gallery
Context
Challenges addressed
Population of Sumatran Tigers is declining. This is due to the increasing trend of deforestation, land use changes, illegal hunting and wildlife poaching and human and tigers conflict. Hunters use severe wildlife traps that bring casuality not only to tigers but also to ther wildlife species like boars & deers that in effect destroy wildlife ecosystem that hold Sumatran Tigers habitat. People living in the surrounding of protected areas also use wildlife traps to protect their livestocks from animal attacks. There are two main challanges here. First is the fact that there are many wildlife traps use by hunters in wildlife habitat & lack of awareness of people living in surrounding protected areas and wildlife habitats to set ut traps that trigger human and wildlife conflicts. These two problems trigger the need for immidiate actions to clear & destroy traps and build awareness among communities. Crowndfunding is the ideal strategy to make the actions happen at national & local levels.
Beneficiaries
Benefeciaries include: local communities by preventing tiger & wildlife conflicts, Kerinci Seblat National Park Authority by increasing protection in national park area, national & international communities by saving the majestic sumatran tigers .
Location
Kerinci, Jambi Province, Indonesia
Southeast Asia
Process
Summary of the process
Sapu Jerat Crowdfunding Campaign has enabled national park to perform protection intervention in coordination with other intervention like SMART Patrol. By implementing Sumatran Tiger Communication Strategy i.e using existing communication networks in targeted landscapes, the crowdfunding scheme can increase awareness and open new opportunities for public to be involed in saving endangered species. The technology platform provided by Kitabisa.com has enabled us to share the campaign to wider audiences thus reaching younger generations.
Building Blocks
Crowd Funding Campaign Using Kitabisa.com Platform
Sumatran Tiger Project, Forum HarimauKita and UNDP Indonesia started the campaign in conjunction of Global Tiger Day to bring awareness about Sapu Jerat campaign to local and national audiences.
Sapu Jerat Crowd Funding to Protect Sumatran Tigers used local crowdfunding platform, Kitabisa.com that has enabled us to reach wider supporters (communities, philantropies, artists, influencers) by campaigning in social media. KItabisa.com generates funding online to support campaigns set up by organizations, individuals and communities. Sapu Jerat Crowd Funding to Protect Sumatran Tigers has given an examples for others to set up new campaign in supporting wildlife and biodiversity conservations.
The Sapu Jerat campaign was also promoted using Sumatran Tiger, FHK and UNDP Indonesia social media channels and project's communication networks in four national parks. The networks consist of local journalists who - in coordination with Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in each landscape - continue to report Sumatran Tiger Project's initiatives, .
Enabling factors
First, modern communication infrastructures have enabled people in cities and regions to access the campaign. Second, building communication networks that target relevant stakeholders has enabled the campaign to get support and funding needed. By combining modern technology and targetted network, Sapu Jerat crowd funding campaign at Kitabisa.com has been successfully completed and the money will be used to clear tiger traps in national park areas.
Lesson learned
1. As part of Sumatran Tiger's communication strategy, the campaign should be strategically connected to communication network to increase the outreach and widens its impacts.
2. This communication network should be encouraged to be involved in the campaign. Different landscape uses different communication network and communication method, thus they should be generated accordingly
3. Coordination is the key to reach the target of the campaign in timely manner. Endorsements or supports from relevant stakeholders can be amplified by the communication network.
4. Modern communication infrastructures by Kitabisa.com has enabled the campaign reaching targetted audiences.
Recruit conservation volunteers using internet campaign
Using modern communication network, Sapu Jerat campaign at Kitabisa.com opens new opportunity for local, national and international communities to get involved volunteering to protect endangered species like sumatran tiger by donating through the Sapu Jerat campaign and getting involved in clearing sumatran tiger traps in the buffer zones and national park areas.
Potential communities to be involved in Sapu Jerat campaign are Tiger Heart Community by Forum Harimau Kita, Sumatran Tiger Project advocacy communities (journalists, communication officers), artists, students, tourists, forest rangers, etc.
Local, national and international communities involvement in Sapu Jerat Campaign should be closely coordinated with national park officials.
Enabling factors
The success of involving local, national and international communities to volunteer in Sapu Jerat campaign is owed to the overall good coordination and communication strategy between Sumatran Tiger Project, Forum HarimauKita, and UNDP Indonesia by involving forest rangers of the National Park Authority, the community-based forest rangers, the NGO Partner leading the activity in the respective landscape, and the project coordinating office at the respective landscape.
Lesson learned
1. Communication and coordination are keys for a succesfull Sapu Jerat campaign
2. Sapu Jerat campaign increases awareness of the importance of protecting sumatran tiger as the last remaining tiger sub-species in Indonesia.
3. Sapu Jerat campaign provides ideal platform for communities to participate protecting national parks and their wildlife ecosystem.
Impacts
Sapu Jerat Crowdfunding campaign has opened new opportunities for public to be involved directly in supporting solution for human wildlife conflicts. 216 people donated to campaign and the money generated by the campaign beyond campaign targets (Rp30 millions from target Rp25 millions).
The money is used to fund 6 teams in Kerici Seblat National Parks that have been abled to clear 49 specific tiger & wildlife traps and then destroyed them.
Public fund is new and additional sources of financing – part of people and public partnerships - that could be promoted in the future. It can also be used as way to increase awareness of wildlife conservations. The campaign is using technology platform provided by KitaBisa.com. It is the first in using local online crowdfunding platform which is popular amongst younger generations.
Campaign has involved been shared 45,292 times in social media that enabled it achieving its target by 120%. The campaign has also opened new opportunities for public to be involved in supporting solution for human wildlife conflicts. It is part of people and public partnerships that could be promoted in the future.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 13 – Climate action
SDG 15 – Life on land
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the goals
Story
Tiger trapped
Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia
Fierce and majestic, Sumatran tigers are known as forest’s most-feared guardian. Living as the symbol of peace to many, their roars have echoed throughout of Sumatra, Java, and Bali. But since the 1980s and 1940s, tigers are now extinct in both Java and Bali leaving the Sumatran tigers struggling to survive.
Sumatran forests have reduced in size to industry expansions and a booming human population. As humans share the same natural resources as these magnificent tigers, it is common for humans to set up tiger traps, as well as tiger attacks on humans - we call this ‘human-tiger conflict’. In the past ten years, around 600 cases have been recorded claiming the lives of 70 people and 80 Sumatran tigers. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Sumatran Tigers have been classified as critically endangered.
Although tigers are seen as both fierce, and the symbol of peace for many, humans are now threatening their lives. People living in close proximity to Sumatran tigers are using cruel traps to protect their communities and livestock from them. These sharp, metal contraptions catch the tigers’ paws, causing permanent damage. In many cases, trapped tigers try to force their way out of the trap and end up dead. We must stop the use of these inhumane traps.
UNDP Indonesia has been working alongside Forum HarimauKita (FHK) and Ministry of Environment and Forestry to prevent Sumatran Tigers from extinction by educating the locals about the dangers of the traps. One of the initiatives to prevent human and tiger conflict is called ‘Sapu Jerat’ where volunteers and conservationists removing traps set up by hunters at Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Balai Rejang area. 20-30 local volunteers joined the five-day initiative.
FHK has raised Rp 25 million to implement Sapu Jerat. The money raised was used to fund travel and living expenses for all volunteers and logistical needs of the ‘Sapu Jerat’ or sweep. Whether you are a wildlife activist or an animal lover, join our campaign to save the tiger!
Source: https://kitabisa.com/savesumatrantiger
