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Authorities to evacuate rare anoas from mining site in Konawe regency
Videos showing an anoa strolling around a mining site made rounds on social media, raising concerns over the harmful impact of mining activities to the midget buffalo’s population and natural habitat.
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New life: An adult lowland anoa (Bubalus depressicornis), an endangered species of buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, watches over her newborn calf on July 9 at the Anoa Breeding Centre in Manado, North Sulawesi. (menlhk.go.id)
T
he Northeast Sulawesi Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) plans to evacuate critically endangered anoas from a mining concession owned by PT Sulawesi Cahaya Mineral (SCM) in Konawe, Northeast Sulawesi, to prevent a population decline.
The anoa, also known as the midget buffalo, is endemic to Sulawesi and has been on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of endangered species since 1986.
On Thursday, an anoa was spotted in a nickel mining concession of SCM. Videos showing the anoa strolling around the site made the rounds on social media, raising concerns over the harmful impact of mining activities on the midget buffalo’s population and natural habitat.
Apparently, it was not the first time an anoa had been spotted in the nickel mine. Last month, two anoas were also found crossing the mining concession.
Northeast Sulawesi BKSDA chairman Sakrianto Djawie said the three anoas seemed to cross the specific site regularly, but it was estimated that a total of 15 anoas were living in the 3,800-hectare mining concession.
"We will evacuate the anoas to protect the animal from extinction," he said on Saturday as reported by Antara news.
Read also: Rare Javan rhino calf spotted in Ujung Kulon
Sakrianto assured that the conservation agency had cooperated with SCM to evacuate the anoas to a conservation area owned by the mining company.
The government mandates all mining companies to provide an animal conservation area before they can acquire forest area utilization permits (IPPKH) for mining.
SCM has agreed to provide 422 ha of land for the anoas conservation, far away from the company’s mining activities.
The company has also issued a regulation banning all employees from harming the endangered animals and said it would immediately fire anyone who violated the rule. (nal)
