nature travel, wildlife tours, adventure travel and general travel to Thailand, Indonesia and Southeast Asia

PROFAUNA INDONESIA

Profauna actively promotes wildlife conservation on a number of fronts.

Profauna Wildlife Education Center

It operates an educational outreach program, in their Profauna Wildlife Education Center (P-WEC), based at Petungsewu village, near Malang. This center has developed programs including children's, high school, collegiate, outbound, family and a summer vacation program. There is a hostel on site, and meeting and learning centers. All programs aim to develop wildlife a conservation ethic through education, activities, games and other pro-active methods - "learning by doing". Find out more about these programs here.

Wild Animal Rescue Center

A Wild Animal Rescue Center (PPS) has been constructed at Petungsawa as well. Although endangered species are protected by law in Indonesia, enforcement has been lax, and there has been considerable difficulty in placing most species after confiscation. Naturally, confiscated animals are often young orphans or in ill-health, and need special care. PPS, built with assistance from The Gibbon Foundation, and operated in cooperation with the Indonesian Forestry Dept which has responsibility over wildlife, serves to house and rehabilitate confiscated wildlife. Learn more about the PPS here.

Live Animal Trade

Profauna investigates and reports on illegal trading in wildlife. Such trade may involve killing for meat, such as the primate trade on Sumatra and sea turtles on Bali; or medical trade in parts, especially bear parts - about one-third of drugstores checked had bear part medicines for sale. Live animal trade is especially strong for parrots and other birds, and Jakarta's Pramuka Bird Market, and Medan's Bird Market, are full of illegally taken species. Mammals including bears, orangutans, other protected primates, lorises and many others can also be bought from behind the counter, and sometimes in front of it, at these and other regional markets. Click here for more information on the bird trade, bear trade and turtle trade.

Profauna is active in educating the public about the need for wildlife conservation, through outreach programs and through orderly and often light-hearted demonstrations in various cities. Despite the serious nature of the problem, Profauna is careful to be respectful of other's rights, the democratic nature of their society, and Indonesian law.

Helping and Donating to Profauna

Profauna can benefit from your involvement, whichever form it takes. We encourage you to become a member of ProFauna or make a donation. Perhaps you have skills they could use, either through the internet or in person. Donations of goods, both educational for P-WEC and medicinal for PPS are always welcome. Remember, donations of money go directly to ProFauna, without any siphoning along the way. Please note, however, that due to banking regulations, foreign checks of less than $US100 cannot be cashed in Indonesia. For smaller donations, please contact Nature Travel Specialists, who can accept both checks and credit card payments for Profauna membership and donations and transmit them to Indonesia for you. We can also assist with donations of goods in kind, or to travel to Indonesia. Larger, or any, donations can also be made to the International Primate Protection League, a US tax-deductible organization. Please mark your donation for Profauna, and the entire amount will be forwarded to them by IPPL.