Hubungan Aktivitas Antropogenik dengan Interaksi Orangutan dan Manusia di Suaka Margasatwa Lamandau

Abstract

Orangutan merupakan salah satu primata langka akibat tekanan antropogenik. Kajian sejarah membuktikan persebaran peradaban manusia menyebabkan isolasi geografis pada orangutan modern yang saat ini hanya berada di Asia Tenggara. Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii merupakan satu-satunya subspesies orangutan yang hanya berada di Kalimantan, Indonesia. Salah satu habitat orangutan tersebut terletak di Suaka Margasatwa Lamandau, salah satu area pelepasliaran orangutan rehabilitasi. Meskipun telah hidup di dalam kawasan konservasi tetapi tidak dapat dielakkan terdapat potensi interaksi orangutan dan manusia di luar kawasan. Tekanan keberadaan manusia mendorong orangutan untuk menjelajahi area di luar kawasan konservasi. Fakta menunjukkan bahwa 78% populasi orangutan di Indonesia ditemukan di luar kawasan konservasi. Padahal, tekanan antropogenik yang mengancam justru lebih tinggi ditemukan di luar kawasan perlindungan untuk orangutan. Latar belakang tersebut kemudian mendorong dilaksanakannya penelitian dengan tujuan untuk 1) mengukur tingkat pengetahuan dan persepsi masyarakat mengenai keberadaan dan upaya konservasi orangutan di SM Lamandau, 2) menganalisis respons orangutan terhadap kehadiran manusia maupun respons manusia terhadap keberadaan orangutan serta menentukan bentuk interaksi orangutan dan manusia di SM Lamandau, dan 3) menganalisis pengaruh aktivitas antropogenik masyarakat terhadap persebaran orangutan di SM Lamandau. Penelitian dilakukan dengan wawancara menggunakan teknik snowball dan convinience sampling. Alat dan instrumen yang digunakan untuk menunjang pelaksanaan penelitian, yaitu peta kawasan, aplikasi Carry Map, handphone, foto beberapa jenis primata di SM Lamandau, panduan wawancara, dan pernyataan berskala Likert. Pengetahuan mengenai orangutan meliputi perjumpaan, perilaku, nilai, dan perlindungan orangutan. Pengetahuan masyarakat bervariasi pada ketiga topik tetapi cenderung terukur berada pada tingkat sedang. Persepsi masyarakat juga terukur cenderung kurang baik. Bentuk interaksi orangutan dan manusia di SM Lamandau terdiri atas interaksi negatif, netral, dan positif. Bentuk interaksi negatif paling umum ditemukan akibat serangan orangutan potensial maupun aktual. Orangutan cenderung menunjukkan ketertarikan pada kehadiran manusia. Sebaliknya, masyarakat memberikan respons negatif. Hubungan aktivitas antropogenik teruji memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan pada respons dan penerimaan orangutan terhadap kehadiran manusia. Aktivitas memanen getah jelutung merupakan aktivitas yang paling ditoleransi oleh orangutan. Diperlukan upaya tindak lanjut terhadap bentuk interaksi negatif yang cenderung ditemukan di lokasi penelitian. Salah satunya ekowisata orangutan yang berkelanjutan dengan melibatkan masyarakat lokal.

Orangutans are among the rarest primates in the world due to being threatened by anthropogenic pressures around their habitat. The pressures have prompted significant habitat loss. Hence, orangutans started to explore other areas that were even near human settlements. Those areas will indeed have higher anthropogenic pressure and can threaten more on orangutan sustainability. Back then, even historical studies proved that humans had cornered orangutan distribution, limited to Southeast Asia. One of its subspecies, Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii, is found only in Kalimantan, Indonesia, with Lamandau Wildlife Reserve as one of the habitats. Despite living in a conservation area, there is no denying that anthropogenic pressures still exist near the area and may alter orangutan’s life. Those backgrounds then insinuated this study with several aims to 1) measure the level of knowledge and perceptions of the community regarding the existence and conservation efforts of orangutans in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, 2) analyze orangutan responses to human presence and human responses to the presence of orangutans and determine the form of orangutan-human interactions in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, and 3) analyze the influence of anthropogenic activities on the distribution of orangutans in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Interviews with thirty people used snowball and convenience sampling techniques with some criteria applied. The tools and instruments used to support this research consisted of area maps, a Carry Map application, a mobile phone, photos of several primate species in Lamandau SM, interview guides, and Likert-scale statements.. This research unveiled significant findings regarding human and orangutan interactions. The knowledge level of orangutans varied on the three main topics but mostly fell on the intermediate level. It might determine the community perceptions, which were also rated unfavorable overall. Such findings lead to the existing interactions comprising positive, neutral, and negative interactions. The most unfavorable, negative interactions were the most commonly linked to the community’s bad experiences suffering some material loss by this red ape. Traced back, it was because orangutans tended to show interest towards locals by displaying promoting behaviors, yet escalated to people reciprocating negatively. Regarding anthropogenic aspects, locals’ activities were found to have a significant relationship with orangutan responses rather than transportation modes. Specifically, jelutong sap harvesting was the most tolerated activity for orangutans. These findings revealed valuable understandings of how anthropogenic pressures have affected primates and humans, even in a protected area. Thus, an urgent intervention is needed to mend the bad relationship between humans and orangutans in Lamandau to ensure the prosperity of the two. One of the prospective alternatives is encouraging orangutan ecotourism implementation, which may benefit the local community and orangutans.