With the support and technical backup of the Aceh Government and the Forestry Department the Gunung Mas community together with IFEES has established a multi- species tree nursery in the village. The saplings will be distributed to our growing network of Pesantren Schools in those areas of Aceh where the forests have been depleted. It is not easy to reproduce a part of creation that man has destroyed. The tropical rainforest which contains a huge diversity of species and sub species - half of all the species in all the world - can rightly be considered as one of the crowning glories of Allah’s creation. To make a desert from a forest is easy and can be done in a remarkably short time. To return it to forest is not so easy and takes a long time. It is with humility that we attempt to repair the damage that has been done.
On account of deforestation this tiger was found homeless in West Aceh, where it was attacking villagers. Rather than killing it we captured it and took it 100km to a new home in the Leuser forest.
The Sumatran tiger is an endangered species, which has suffered a severe loss of its habitat through deforestation throughout the Island of Sumatra of which Aceh forms a small part. Of the estimated 400 surviving Sumatran Tigers, 300 are in the Leuser Forest.
UP..... AND..... AWAY..... FREE AGAIN!
If when the last day comes you have a tree sapling to hand, plant that sapling (Hadith)
Although we cannot replace the living creatures which have been exterminated by the loss of habitat, we can try to repair their original habitat and hope that creatures that once lived there will return in all their exuberant diversity.
Abu Ibrahim Woyla
Abu Othman
