BKSDA Pos Sampit Prepares Traps to Catch Sun Bears Damaging Palm Oil Fields of Residents from Bapanggang Raya

The Shiro Copr, SAMPIT – Residents of Bapanggang Raya Village, Mentawa Baru Ketapang District, Kotawaringin Timur (Kotim) Regency, Central Kalimantan, are disturbed by the appearance of a honey bear damaging dozens of palm trees owned by the residents.

The protected wildlife not only causes damage but also eats the oil palm fruits, which have been the main source of livelihood for the local community.

Village Head of Bapanggang Raya, Syahbana, reported the incident to the Sampit Resort of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) on Friday (18/7/2025).

This report was followed up by the officer the next day.

"We received a report from the village head regarding the presence of wildlife disturbances. On Saturday, July 19, 2025, we immediately conducted an observation at the location together with the team," said Muriansyah, Head of BKSDA Pos Sampit, on Monday (21/7/2025).

She said, the road to the location was quite challenging and could only be accessed by motorcycle.

The location of the damage is in the palm oil and rubber gardens of the village residents.

When the team was in the field, they met a local resident named Nawi. He claimed that seven of his oil palm trees were damaged because their buds were eaten by a bear.

That's far from the location, his father's garden also suffered damage to about 40 oil palm trees.

"All damaged trees show bite marks on the trunk. Based on the traces and damage patterns, we strongly suspect a young bear as the perpetrator," he explained.

Based on the analysis, the damage is estimated to have occurred one week to ten days before the officers arrived at the location.

As a first step, BKSDA educates the community to remain calm and not take actions that endanger the animals.

Residents are also advised to report immediately if they see the presence of bears again near the settlements.

"we urge the community to remain vigilant, but do not harm or kill protected wildlife. Just report if a bear is seen again," he emphasized.

BKSDA stated readiness to follow up on further reports by installing traps if bear activities are again monitored.

They have also prepared one medium-sized trap ready for use at locations considered risky.

"if the bear is seen again, we are ready to set up a medium-sized trap at the location," he said.

Muriansyah explained that BKSDA has two types of traps, namely medium-sized traps for young bears and plate or box-type traps intended for adult bears.

Traps will only be installed if there are recent reports from the community to avoid disturbing the balance of wildlife in the wild.

As part of further security measures, BKSDA has also evacuated one old trap that was previously installed in Mekarti Jaya Village, Pulau Hanaut District.

The trap has been in place for eight months without any bear activity, so it is now being brought back to be cleaned and inspected.

"During eight months, there was no bear activity around the trap, so we retrieved it," said Muriansyah.

The evacuation process of this trap involves personnel from Koramil Pulau Hanaut and members of Polair Polda Kalimantan Tengah.

Transportation is carried out using three-wheeled motor vehicles and river ferries.

This step, according to Muriansyah, is a form of commitment by BKSDA to ensure the safety of the community without neglecting the importance of protecting wildlife that is protected by law.

"We reiterate, do not act on your own. Handling wildlife requires the right approach to avoid endangering both humans and the animals," he concluded.