The Lamandau Wildlife Reserve is a conservation area spanning over 158,000 acres in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, that was established in 1998 from two former logging concessions. It mainly comprises peat swamp forests that store an estimated 36.5 million tons of carbon and supports a viable, self-sustaining orangutan population of over 600 individuals.
This reserve is currently protected by 8 continually manned guard posts established and run by Orangutan Foundation’s Habitat Protection Programme. The posts are located around the Reserve at strategic access points, from which regular foot and river patrols are conducted. This programme is intended to protect the Reserve and its biodiversity from ongoing threats from illegal activities comprising illegal logging, encroachment and hunting, as well as early detection and prevention of forest fires. Guard post staff also undertake joint patrols with the Indonesian Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).
The programme has been successful in eradicating large-scale illegal logging however the Reserve is still a target for illegal loggers who continually try to carry out small scale illegal logging operations, mainly due to the high value of timber in the reserve compared to the lack of access to free timber in the surrounding area. One such instance of illegal logging was discovered thanks to reports from local villagers as it was in an area in the southern part of the Reserve that is not currently protected by a guard post. The loggers had been operating in the area long enough to have laid down a rail track to transport cut logs to the river to then be floated out of the reserves. To help prevent future incursions in this area, Ozone is pleased to fund the running of a 9th guard post that will help to protect this habitat, which is so vital for the survival of orangutans.