Pengetahuan Masyarakat terhadap Keberadaan Orang Utan Sumatra (Pongo abelii) di Zona Penyangga Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (Studi Kasus: Desa Batu Jong-jong)

Abstract

Sumatran Orang utan currently face multiple threats such as deteriorating habitat quality and quantity as a result of forest conversion, exploitation, forest encroachment, and increased poaching. Batu Jong-jong Village, Bahorok District, Langkat Regency is a buffer zone of Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP). Sumatran rangutans often leave the forest to enter gardens and community settlements, causing human-orang utan conflicts. This study aims to explain the level of community knowledge of the existence of Sumatran Orang utan in the buffer zone of Gunung Leuser National Park and analyze the interactions that occur between the community and Sumatran Orang utan in the buffer zone of Gunung Leuser National Park. In this research, the method used is descriptive quantitative method with sampling using Purposive Sampling method with Snowball technique. The results of the study explain that the level of knowledge of the Batu Jong-jong Village community towards the existence of Sumatran Orang utan is in the high category and the interaction that has occurred between humans and Sumatran Orang utan over the past 5 years is a positive interaction. There are no people who consider orang utan as pests and the people of Batu Jong-jong Village support Sumatran Orang utan conservation efforts.