BEST CHOICE I’VE EVERY MADE ON MY CONSERVATION CAREER. Hi guys, got a blue feeling while write this post as it means  saying adieu to my amazing loris team. It has been 13 months since I joined this team and to be honest, I was so nervous the first time I’ve got asked to have a phone call interview because my subpar english conversation skill and I hustled to prepare everything round the clock before the  time. 

My job interview

Few days after message came up to my phone for the final video interview and now with Prof Anna Nekaris, the executive director. OMG !! (because I used to have cheat sheet on my previous interview, hahaha !!)  I was so frightened on my own shadow but my parents calm myself by trusting on my own gut, everything that being destined to yourself, would come to you no matter what’s obstacle you are going through said my mom. The interview began and actually she was with another professor, Profesor Vincent Nijman, most of citation in my thesis based on him and he will be my principal supervisor for wildlife trade position. We had very good conservation despite my uprising tension for the beginning and tips from me , if you gonna have interview either with supervisor or boss, please make sure you speak clearly and truthfully then get rid of your anxiousness by take  a deep breath before any words out of your mouth as there wont be second chance then I swear you will be super-focused to the interview and list whole predictable questions based on your version to minimise stammer in the interview. Twenty minutes goes by,  they said I will get the news immediately and by the end of May, OMGG !!! my unemployment period was over and got very amazing job to save wildlife with foremost researchers.

My job: observations

I started my job by the end of June. I met Professor Anna, Professor Vincent, Helene and Ella in our field station, West Java about 8-hours trip from where I reside. Between the days, I go  forest to observe slow loris for at least 6-hours, Helene as the research coordinator will decide which loris has priority to be observed and whether you are on 1st shift (5 pm – 11 pm) or (11 pm – 5 am) or you can have a request as well but I prefer to have 2nd shift because the observation will be more exciting !!. These experience were really open my eye of this elusive and poor studied animal in the wild. Last month, I spotted Maaf was in the pursuit of Acil (might be due to territoriality or mate competition ?). I saw Acil dropped himself from the branch to ground 5-metre height but  Maaf lost his trace. With his unwillingness to let him escape, he sniffed around and Maaf saw him, clinging on higher branch but not for long-time Acil managed to flee for him. Our beautiful lady Shirley and his son, Shanti were visited by uncollared subadult (which might be Solo, a big brother) just about last week when I had chance for 1st shift observation. I dont even know before that loris is very family-based and territorial critter and that’s how we named it. For instance Tyrion and Tulala is the son of Tereh as well as Shanti is the son of Shirley.

My job: market surveys

To my primary job in wildlife trade research, I have visited more than 20 markets regularly each month in Java and Bali. At least, 1200 individual of animals were openly displayed of which songbirds are the most outnumbered species. It does break my heart everytime I have to go there and count every individual most of which were inhuman handling, crammed into barren cage without proper access to food and water. But it was not uncommon situation as bird keeping culture is extremely ingrained culture from early 90s and now there are more chance of wildlife absence than presence in Javan forest due to excessive trapping. We are working hard on our best ,submit monthly report to forest conservation agency, do social media campaign weekly and publish our work on international publication with the hope of getting heard by international conservation initiatives, government and scientist to shutdown infamous trade. So yeah this is my last post and don’t miss opportunity because now LFP is open call for three positions starting on 1st September. Check their page !!!

Ahmad Ardiansyah