Tri Sayektiningsih
The Moluccan babirusa is an endemic species with restricted geographic range on the islands of Buru and Sula (Taliabu and Mangole). The species is protected based on Indonesian Law. The IUCN lists the Moluccan babirusa as vulnerable and CITES includes the species in Appendix I. This species is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and hunting by indigenous people.
Recent research confirmed the presence of the Moluccan babirusa on the east of Buru Island. It is reported that currently human activities are expanding in this region, indicated by a massive forest loss in lowland areas for agriculture. It is exacerbated by the fact that intact forests are now under various authorities. While an effective conservation strategy is required, it is hindered by a lack of ecological knowledge of the species. Thus, this research aims to fill this knowledge gap with objectives:
1) To map distribution of the species using occupancy model
2) To examine factors determining habitat use of the species
3) To provide recommendations on how to manage the Moluccan babirusa based on the findings
4) To build the capacity of local communities by providing the experience of using camera traps for babirusa survey
The Moluccan babirusa is among the endemic wild pigs prioritised for study by the IUCN/SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group. A similar attempt has been mandated by the National Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK) for Babirusa Conservation but it has not been successfully implemented for this species. Therefore, this study will be the first field-based study on the Moluccan babirusa on the east of Buru.