Persepsi Masyarakat terhadap Konflik Manusia dengan Beruang Madu (Helarctos malayanus) di Desa Penyangga Taman Nasional Batang Gadis (Studi Kasus: Desa Maga Lombang dan Desa Sibanggor Jae)

Abstract

Conflicts between humans and sun bears often occur in the Buffer Zone Villages of Batang Gadis National Park, namely Maga Lombang Village and Sibanggor Jae Village. The increasing incidents of conflict are detrimental to both the local communities and the wildlife, necessitating efforts to address the conflicts. This study aims to understand the community's perception of sun bears, determine the economic losses experienced due to sun bear conflicts, and identify the mitigation measures implemented by the community. Data on community perceptions were collected through interviews and questionnaires using purposive sampling methods, with criteria including respondent characteristics and community knowledge about sun bears. Based on the perception measurement results from 70 respondents, the lowest score obtained was 630, and the highest score was 3150. The total overall score was 2383, categorizing it as an agreeable perception. The community acknowledges that the entry of sun bears into plantation areas is due to a lack of food sources and changes in the forest ecosystem, forcing sun bears to damage the community's crops. The damage caused by sun bears includes damage to management huts and sap collection facilities, resulting in losses for respondents, especially for palm farmers. The common response from the community is to light torches to address the conflict. Both directly affected and indirectly affected communities share a common perception, agreeing that sun bears are protected by law and efforts to address the issue involve creating noisy disturbances. The total losses experienced by respondents over the past 3 years amount to IDR 24,000,000.