Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The sky above the northern slopes of the Kelud Mountains stirred the soul that morning.
At around 11:10 AM local time, three individual Javan hawk-eagles (Nisaetus bartelsi) glided calmly over a patch of successional forest before perching atop towering trees.
The team witnessing the moment were not birdwatchers — they were trekking a rugged path as part of the Java-wide Leopard Survey (JWLS), the island’s first large-scale survey designed to save the critically endangered Javan leopard from extinction.
This rare encounter was documented by a joint team from the SINTAS Indonesia Foundation and the East Java Regional Center for Natural Resources Conservation (BBKSDA Jatim), who were navigating steep ridges rarely touched by humans.
The path was part of a transect system for installing camera traps aimed at monitoring the presence of key predators and their prey.
“The Javan hawk-eagle is a primary indicator of a healthy forest ecosystem. When they’re present, it means the food chain is functioning, the forest canopy is intact, and human disturbance is minimal,” said Kuswoyo, a forest ecosystem controller (PEH) from BBKSDA Jatim and a member of the survey team, as stated in a Ministry of Forestry press release on Monday (May 19, 2025).
Spotting three individuals at once is a rare occurrence and signals that the Kelud Mountains still harbor remnants of a landscape urgently in need of real protection.
The Java-wide Leopard Survey (JWLS) is the first collaborative initiative aimed at comprehensively mapping the population of the Javan leopard across the island.
It brings together the strengths of various stakeholders — the government as the area authority and regulator, the SINTAS Indonesia Foundation as project leader, PT. Djarum as the donor agency, and local organizations and communities as the key players in on-the-ground conservation efforts.
However, this moment of wonder came with a shadow of threat. Not far from where the hawks were seen, the team discovered several hunters’ nets set up along the steep ridges, quietly stretched between cliffs and trees.
Species such as the white-flanked sunbird, Asian glossy starling, drongo, tailorbird, and green pigeon are often targeted to be removed from their habitats — even though all are crucial parts of the same ecosystem.
This discovery reflects a stark dualism: on one hand, hope — signaled by the presence of rare apex predators; on the other, vulnerability — brought about by human exploitation.
The forests of the Kelud Mountains are not yet dead. Their skies are still guarded by the Garuda, the national symbol. But how long that guardian can hold its post now depends on how strong the collaborative commitment is — among the state, science, grassroots actors, and the wider public — to restore the dignity of Java’s forests. *
