Picture credit: Auckland Zoo

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Indonesia collaborates with Indonesia law enforcement agencies through two broad approaches Wildlife Crimes Units (WCU) and Tiger Protection Units (TPU).

Picture credit: Times of Oman

WCU trains law enforcement agents on the best practical techniques for combating crimes against wildlife, collect information about illegal poachers and traders to hand over to law enforcement agents who then make the arrest. They also train the prosecutors ensure the poachers and traders are successfully penalised, and work with Indonesia media to ensure transparency of all wildlife crimes to prevent corruption. WCU have been operating since 2003, and have led to the arrest and successful prosecution of hundreds of tiger poachers in Sumatra.

The second approach, TPU focus on preventing illegal tiger habitat loss inside the protected areas in Sumatra. WCS staffs collaborate with park rangers and local community members to prevent new encroachments into the National Parks in Sumatra. This has successfully prevented agriculture expansion and timber felling from clearing of forests in the National Parks.