Protecting Indonesia’s endangered wildlife

Indonesia is one of the world’s largest biodiversity hotspots, but its animals face dire threats. 

Problem 

One of the world’s most biodiverse countries, Indonesia is home to many animals that are found nowhere else on the globe, such as Javan hawk-eagles, anoas, Komodo dragons, Javan rhinos, and Sumatran orangutans. It is also an epicentre for disasters like volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, and landslides and a hotspot for wildlife trafficking. 

Indonesia leads the world in endemic mammal species, but it also has the highest number of threatened mammals. These mammals and other types of animals are particularly vulnerable to exploitation through the illegal wildlife trade and the destruction of the forests they call home. In addition, they face injury, death, and loss of habitat and food sources when disasters strike. 

Solution 

For more than 10 years, we have partnered with the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) to protect Indonesia’s wildlife from trafficking, habitat loss, and disasters. We have worked together to stop wildlife crime by disrupting online trafficking networks and seizing animals taken by poachers and illegal traders. We coordinated these efforts with our partner Wildlife Trust of India, focusing on identifying the wildlife cybercrime that occurs every day on social media and messaging apps.  

IFAW supports JAAN in the rescue of animals, such as sun bears and orangutans, from illegal trade and their rehabilitation, with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. The rehabilitation process isn’t just about healing physical wounds or overcoming psychological trauma—it also involves teaching these animals the skills they need to survive and thrive in the wild. For instance, the young sun bear cubs need to learn how to climb, make nests in trees, and find berries, nuts, and termites. Our support has also helped to ensure JAAN is equipped with the supplies and infrastructure needed for these rescues and ongoing care. 

To strengthen frontline enforcement, we train law enforcement officers in safe wildlife handling and identification. Together, we equip officers with the knowledge, equipment, and skills needed to identify confiscated wildlife and safely handle animals until they can be transported to a care facility. Funding from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) enabled us to support JAAN in delivering training sessions for frontline officers and provide the equipment they need. 

We also contribute to long-term species protection by supporting the training of tracking dogs to help rapidly detect poachers and safeguard the critically endangered Javan rhino in Ujung Kulon National Park. 

In parallel, IFAW and JAAN provide urgent veterinary care and relief to animals affected by disasters—including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. JAAN has deployed emergency teams across the archipelago and, together, we are building a national network of trained animal rescue organisations to strengthen Indonesia’s disaster response capacity. 

Together with JAAN, we are working to protect Indonesia’s diverse wildlife and helping to ensure these species survive and thrive long into the future.   

Impact 

Through our decade-long partnership with JAAN, we’ve helped rescue hundreds of wild animals from the illegal trade—including critically endangered species such as the Javan slow loris, Sunda pangolin, Bornean orangutan, and sun bear. Each rescue represents not just a life saved, but also a step toward dismantling trafficking networks and giving animals a second chance to thrive in the wild where they belong. 

Our collaboration has led to the arrest of wildlife traffickers and the confiscation of illegally traded animals. We’ve supported the rehabilitation of these animals, preparing them for reintroduction to their natural habitats through expert care and species-specific survival training. 

This work is changing lives, ecosystems, and the future of conservation in Indonesia.