Point, shoot, get paid: How Indonesia’s Borneo villagers turn wildlife into a side hustle
KAPUAS HULU, Sept 18 — Indonesian villager Octavius wades through the forest in rubber boots and tattered joggers,...
In Borneo, villagers are earning cash by capturing images or recordings of wildlife through a conservation program. Octavius, a local resident, wades through the forest with a telephoto lens and captures photos of orangutans, monkeys, and birds. The KehatiKu project pays individuals in nine West Kalimantan villages for wildlife observations, ranging from 5,000 rupiah (US$0.30/RM1.26) for common birds to 130,000 rupiah (US$32.80/RM1.26) for endangered orangutans.
The top earners can make up to 10 million rupiah (US$570/RM2,410) per month. Borneo Futures, an environmental consultancy, launched the program two years ago and has received about US$300,000 in funding, with half used for development. Early results show the program is working, with participants realizing the value of photos over hunting. Some villages have even introduced bans on hunting to support the initiative.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
