Helping farmers resolve their conflicts with wild animals

The Kukang Rescue Program

We are zoologists and conservationists fighting the illegal trade in wild animals and especially striving to protect the greater slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) and Sumatran slow loris (Nycticebus hilleri) - poisonous primates that fall victim to their cuteness. We have been running a non-profit organization on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia since 2014, within which we have built a rescue and rehabilitation centre for confiscated slow lorises in order to return them to the wild. We work with local communities on several levels. We educate local children in whom we develop a positive attitude towards nature. We employ former poachers, who are now our field assistants. We are also transforming local farmers into conservationists by supporting the “Kukang Coffee” eco-friendly coffee project. In addition, we help them peacefully resolve conflicts with wild animals. The main purpose of all our efforts is to reduce the rate of illegal trade (not only) in slow lorises, and thus protect the population of (not only) these endangered animals in the wild.

Program Goals

Cooperation with local government agencies on wildlife conservation and on the enforcement of laws on slow loris protection.

Operation of a rescue and rehabilitation centre for slow lorises confiscated from the black market.

Setting up an Indonesian team that will implement most of the slow loris conservation activities.

Raising awareness about the illegal trade in animals and about the conservation of slow lorises.

Cooperation with and support of local communities.

Securing a sustainable population of slow lorises in human care, i.e. ex situ.

Helping farmers resolve their conflicts with wild animals

We discuss with farmers and advise them on how they can protect their crops from wild animals without having to injure or kill them.

Due to the loss of the natural environment and food, animals are increasingly penetrating close to human dwellings and into fields where, as “pests”, they are persecuted and killed by humans. We have therefore created a unique brochure for Indonesian farmers providing simple tips and tricks on how farmers can protect crops from wild animals without having to injure or kill them. In addition, the brochure serves as educational material on the biology and ecological benefits of 18 endangered animal species. According to 67 farmers surveyed living near a protected rainforest in North Sumatra, these species most often enter their fields. It also draws attention to the penalties for killing or capturing protected animals. The manual is written in Czech, English, and Indonesian, and is complemented by original drawings of animals (download: Brochure - How to protect your farm against animals while letting them live).

1) Protected species shown in the brochure for farmers
2) Helping farmers to understand the issue of endangered animals through a brochure
3) Working with farmers and handing out brochures
4) Distributing brochures to farmers

Stolen Wildlife

Illegal trade in animals and their body parts is one of the main causes of wild animals becoming endangered. A problem and responsibility of Asia, Africa or America? Yes, of course, but also European states are to blame, and so are even many citizens of the Czech Republic. You don’t believe it? You can now learn more thanks to the new, unique campaign named Stolen Wildlife. Stolen Wildlife is the first complex campaign in the Czech Republic, disclosing often overlooked facts about illegal wildlife trade.

I Am Not Your Toy!

The "I Am Not Your Toy!" campaign, yet another activity of The Kukang Rescue Program, is focused against the popularization of slow lorises as pets on the internet. This is most often done through "cute" videos on YouTube and by sharing videos and photos on social networks. It has already been proven that these videos have a direct impact on the illegal trade in slow lorises, i.e. they support it. The aim of the campaign is to inform the general public about the real background of these videos. Help us spread this information - together we can join forces and use the increasingly popular social networks and websites to raise awareness about wildlife protection.