“Babi and Lasia Islands are home to high numbers of endemics, including songbirds, macaques and bats, making them unique and amazing islands worthy of protecting”
Babi and Lasia are two uninhabited neighbouring rainforest islands of which both maintain close to 100% primary forest cover. As two deep sea islands that have never been connected to mainland Sumatra, Babi and Lasia are home to high levels of endemism, with two endemic mammal subspecies, the Critically Endangered Lasia long-tailed macaque and Lasia lesser false vampire bat; six endemic bird subspecies; along with being one of the last remaining locations to have an extant population of Critically Endangered Nias hill myna. The island's beaches are nesting sites for leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles. However, poaching of both turtle eggs and songbirds remains prevalent threatening the islands unique biodiversity.
Through deploying rotating ranger teams, who carry out twice daily patrols and data collection transects, the Babi and Lasia Community Ranger teams have significantly reduce the threat of poaching.
From previous data collected, it is known that close to 100% of turtle nests were poached by fishers and coconut collectors who use the island. With the turtle community ranger team having started patrols and nest relocations into a semi-natural hatchery the first sea turtle hatchlings have successfully reached the sea again!
