On the Ground in Ujung Kulon: Adhi

Keeping it together: Meet Adhi Rachmat , project executant of the WWF Ujung Kulon project

Adhi received his BSc in Biology from the University Of Alberta, Canada in 1994. Immediately after graduation, he worked as an aquarium technician.

He was involved in marine animals acquisition and maintenance until 1996. A stint with the Coca-Cola Company Indonesia followed, before he joined WWF-Indonesia in 1998. The adventure continues in the jungles of Ujung Kulon. Tell us about your role in the TNUK Project.

As a project executant, I am supervising and coordinating all programs and activities within WWF’s project in Ujung Kulon National Park.

Where did you work before?
I spent a couple of years working in SeaWorld Indonesia.

What did you study?
Biology.

As a child, what did you want to be?
At first I wanted to be a pilot, later I wanted to be like Indiana Jones.

What are the greatest frustrations you face in carrying out your work?
Other than dealing with bureaucracy, local politics can be a drag that could affect planned actions.

Tell us about one memorable experience through your work with the project?
Meeting a female rhinoceros during a camera trap expedition. That was the only female that could make me run away and climb a tree.

Which are the most important skills for the kind of work that you do?
Strong observation / analytical and management skills, beside basic outdoor survival skills.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned so far working on this project?
Ujung Kulon National Park seems to me like a university. One can learn many things ranging from biology to economy, even management.

What is it like working in a world-famous World Heritage Site which is home to one of the most endangered mammals on the planet?
It is a privilege and a challenge at the same time. Successful efforts will benefit the endangered species, but fatal mistake could mean extinction.

What would you say are the benefits that WWF can bring to the people living near Ujung Kulon?
Direct benefit such as employment, financial assistance, facilitation and supports as well as indirect benefit such as education.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do your kind of work?
Look at the big picture. Endangered species conservation requires multidisciplinary skills and efforts. Do not restrict only to obvious aspects. For instance, a seemingly unrelated marine conservation work in Ujung Kulon plays an important part for rhinoceros conservation.

What are your dreams for the project in the future?
I am hoping that the research on the rhinoceros would reveal more important data and information on this endangered species. In the end, I would hope to see the rhino population increase just like Asian rhinos in Nepal.

I would also hope that direct and indirect benefit of the presence of this species received by larger population, thus people’s appreciation increases.

You are handed US$100,000 for the project: what do you spend it on?
Within the current situation, I would use it to support community empowerment work. Community work has been an important component in Ujung Kulon Park project. Without this component, rhinoceros conservation work will fail.