No, this is not about the movie Fantastic Beasts, which corresponds to Harry Potter’s anthology. But this is all about finding the Wallacea animals that happen to live mainly in Indonesia.
To give you a bit of background, the Wallacea Line is an imaginary boundary that separates the ecosystems of Asia and Australia. It was named after Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist, who noticed that animals on either side of the line were very different, even though the islands were relatively close to each other.
To the west of the line (towards Asia), you find animals like tigers, elephants, and orangutans. To the east (closer to Australia), you find animals like kangaroos, cockatoos, and marsupials. This division exists because deep ocean trenches between the islands have prevented species from easily migrating across.
In short, the Wallace Line highlights a biological divide between the animal life of Asia and Australia.
The first animal that I would like to discuss is coming from the western part of Indonesia, the island of Sumatra.
Tucked away inside Sumatra, Indonesia, Bukit Lawang is a beautiful village famous because of its natural beauty and biological diversity. Being adjacent to the Gunung Leuser National Park, Bukit Lawang would take you on a rare trekking activity, that is, going into one of the world’s remaining rainforests. It is also prominent for its various wildlife, including the Rangers, who house the last Sumatran orangutan population, which is sadly dying out. The trekking program that one will undertake in Bukit Lawang is not only about the beautiful views that one gets but also about interaction with these great apes in their natural setting.
In order to get the most out of your Bukit Lawang experience, you must properly prepare. Comfortable and breathable, lightweight clothes are recommended, along with a pair of sturdy shoes to withstand the awful dirt paths during mountain trekking. It goes without saying that items like refillable water bottles, insect repellents, sunscreen, and pens are essential to take time to prepare when planning to take an adventure in Bukit Lawang. Trekking in the wilderness requires that travelers carry proper clothing, for instance, breathable material and trekking boots. Some of the items that should be carried include a refillable bottle, mosquito repellent, sunblock, a friendly camera, and other such items that enhance the enjoyment in the area. Though local treks are easy to do, hiring local tours makes sense as there are chances that you may learn something during the trek.
There are guides who can point out different plants and animals and it is often advisable to opt for a lot of things in a trek for both safety and educational reasons.
In Bukit Lawang, trekking typically starts at the base village, where you will notice the sounds of nature from every direction. Once you start your trek inside the pristine rainforest, every step on the path whose progressive intrusion into the goddess nature elicits sounds of leaves rustling, and animals far-off communicating. It’s such a thrilling experience; seeing some wildlife, such as gibbons, macaques, and many kinds of birds, is possible. All this diversity of life can be explained by the need for naturalists as conservationists of the area.
An essential part of the trekking tour in Bukit Lawang is the observation of orangutans in the surrounding area. These beautiful creatures are intelligent apes and playful, too. With a bit of luck and a few good guides, those out on the treks can expect to see these apes scampering about in trees or peeping into various soil layers looking for food. Watching orangutans in their natural habitat is good and worth the sight, and the place emphasises the need for conservationist management.
Efforts are made to improve the trekking activities, and local guides are of great help in this regard. They have an essential understanding of the rainforest and its fauna, which helps unravel the delicate ecological web. Guides are responsible for the safety of the pathways and also have quite excellent expertise in tracking animals, making the chance of seeing orangutans and other creatures higher probability. Their love for the environment and education inspires even the trekkers to become the ones for the cause of the wildlife.
A trek in Bukit Lawang is more than an adventure; it is more of an adventure to enjoy nature, see amazing animals and help the locals. Life cannot be complete without the experience of seeing the orangutans in their habitat; only that leads one to be passionate about the conservation of nature. It doesn’t matter whether you love to trek or enjoy nature; Bukit Lawang will give you an experience that will be inspiring and more than what you would expect in your entire life due to the wonderful aspects of nature that you will appreciate even more after the adventure.