YOGYAKARTA - Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) is one of the protected animals. But their population and distribution are increasingly threatened to extinct due to habitat destruction and feed scarcity. Moreover, this animal is still hunted for commercial purposes or for its meat. One way to maintain their existence is through the security of conservation habitat.
That was raised in an open examination to achieve a doctorate degree for Novianto Bambang Wawandono in the UGM Graduate School of Forestry on Thursday (30/12). Novianto who now serves as the Director of Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, said Javan lutung in Indonesia spread over several places, among others Java, Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara and Sumatra. "The spread has now decreased," said Novianto who passed the doctorate exam cum laude.
In Java, the presence of this animal is in the vicinity of certain forest, which is conservation forest that is managed by Perhutani. Although located in forest conservation, this animal continues to struggle with the frequent harassment from human activities. "(They are) often hunted down, stolen, consumed so that the population is diminishing," he said.
Apart from these natural and human disruptions, Novianto research results showed that the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park gave habitat support for the Javan lutung to grow and expand up to 25 more years. "We have found 55 Javan lutungs in this national park; with optimum efforts, they can reach 317 in number within 25 years under the current habitat condition," he said.
Admittedly, the Trisula Coban region supporting the capacity in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is still very high. This showed that the welfare of the Javan lutung in the conservation forest is quite good. The important factors according to Novianto are that the running/jumping behavioral factor is higher than the factors in walking, eating, resting and playing. Meanwhile, the basic welfare factor of time is higher than the space and energy factors.
"The support capacity of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is relatively good although still below the maximum threshold. About 2-3 Javan lutungs are born each year," he said.
However, the Javan lutung is one of the species that needs to be protected from extinction. Therefore, efforts to maintain the stability of regional conservation from human threats need to be made remembering that in the area of conservation forest, wood and fodder gathering by the local community still occur.