[FEATURE] Saving the Beautiful Bawean Deer

Bawean – End taper eyes with eyelashes probe carefully. One by one horned-heads poked through the trees, looking shyly from behind the mango trees. Shortly thereafter, elephant grass rustled gently, enticing them to come out of their hiding places.

"After a few minutes, they will be used to seeing humans. They won’t be scared anymore," said Ahkam, the nurse deer, while moving the grass.

In late December 2015, Tempo visited breeding conservation of Bawean deer (Axis kuhlii) in Beto Gebang, West Pudakit Village, Sangkapura. The deer live in Princess Island, 128 kilometers northern of Gresik, East Java.

Bawean deer have petite stature with 60-70 centimeter height. They have short brown fur and a little white color in the crease of the inside parts of their legs. There is also a part of white color around his bright eyes. The adult males have a pair of three-pronged horns, while the females do not. That’s why Bawean deer are referred as the world's most beautiful deer.

The number of the Bawean deer is ups and downs. Sudirman, a teacher, who lives in the East Pudakit Village, built Bawean deer breeding, recognizing that it would/could be extinct. When poverty and hunger was rampant in Bawean before the 1960s, deer hunting activity increased. "The forest,which is the habitat of these animals, are replaced with teak trees," he explained.

The story of breeding conservation began in 2002, when the poor Bawean deer being chased by the dog, fell into a well. Residents clustered around the well, trying to catch her. Sudirman felt sorry, knowing that the deer was pregnant. "I stopped people from killing the deer. I offered to exchange it with beef. The people agreed and the deer was rescued," he said.

From there, the 59-year-old man felt compelled to preserve this species endemic to Bawean island. On an area of ​​4 hectares of his former garden bark, Sudirman constructed the breeding cage area of ​​0.7 hectares.

Sudirman had a unique way to prevent deer from being killed. He observed the habits of people, who liked to hunt wild boars, accused of destroying their agricultural land. The deer often became victims of the trap nets, which were actually installed to captive the wild boars. The dogs belonging to local hunters also attacked the deer cruelly.

Sudirman created a competition, whoever found a deer going down the hill, he would give him Rp 1 million prize. "As long as the deer is not wounded nor killed." At present, the breeding’s collection reached the number of 40 deer.

Center for Conservation of Natural Resources (BBKSDA) East Java made a record of Bawean deer population since the 1970s. In the 1977-1979, the deer population was estimated around 200-400 deer. In 2003-2004, BBKSDA, in collaboration with the Faculty of Forestry University of Gajah Mada, conducted a population study. "As a result, it was estimated there were 307-316 deer at that time," said the head of the East Java BBKSDA, Suyanto Sukandar. Five years later, the number increased about 405-417 deer.

He acknowledged that there were many factors, which affected the balance of the ecosystem. Mostly, it was coming from some outside factors, such as the stealing of timber and other forest products, and the poaching and encroachment of forest areas.

ARTIKA RACHMI FARMITA

*This is (shortened) English version of my Science article in Tempo Newspaper, January 13, 2016. The original version is in Bahasa Indonesia (and longer, hehe).

*Thank you for Bu Sirikit, my mentor. I learn writing English for Journalism with her (^.^)