In 1850s, a naturalist from England named Alfred Russel Wallace explored one of the big islands in Indonesia, Sulawesi. The largest island in the “Wallacea” region is home to one of the largest marine biodiversity areas, with over 700 different species of coral and fish, and where Australian marsupials and Asian monkeys living next to one another.
Nestled in the northern part of the island is Manado, where Tangkoko Nature Reserve located. Spanned for around 8700 hectares of forested area comprised of hills and valleys, Tangkoko calls many endemic animal species and unusual plants as its inhabitants. Black crested macaques, tarsiers, Sulawesi bear cuscus, and hornbills are some of them.
Black crested macaque or locally known as yaki is a critically endangered species according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. These black macaques are considered a local delicacy and hunted at an unsustainable rate. Thus, the main threats for yaki are poaching, illegal encroachment, and forest fires; but poaching remains the biggest concern.
There are currently two main groups of yaki, known as Rambo 1 and Rambo 2, and they’re hoping that there will be more Rambos in the upcoming years. (I read from an online source that there are actually 4 Rambos, but the field officer told me that there are only 2 Rambos. So, the value is up for updates)
Assignment for UNDP Indonesia
Up close and personal
Two macaques lounging on a block of wood
Gorilla pose
Small yaki sitting on a branch
Sulawesi bear cuscus, shy in nature.
Tarsius tarsier, vulnerable little primate
Observing cuscus
Argen, Dylan, and Nina. Local residents who live close to the reserve; Argen was demonstrating how yaki walks.
Dylan, Argen, and a bag of fish