Biodiversity catastrophic: Overexploitation of the endemic fauna in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract

As the southernmost province, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) encompasses the eastern part of the Lesser Sunda Archipelago. It has a unique landscape with more than 500 small islands providing habitat for many endemic species. Local communities depend significantly on natural resources. Due to uncontrolled poaching, the population of several native faunas has drastically decreased, such as the Yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea), Sumba cockatoo (Cacatua citrinocristata), and Roti Island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi). All those species were common in the past. Cockatoos are even considered a pest for local crops like corn and sorghum. Roti Island snake-necked turtle is often found in the village's paddy fields or irrigation canals. Unfortunately, they are listed on the red list International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered. We reviewed and compiled data from scientific papers, technical reports, unpublished reports, birding reports, and online sources. We also collected data on opportunistic surveys for searching the species from 2010 to 2021. The study showed that the yellow-crested cockatoo could not be found in many areas. The Sumba cockatoo population is now scattered in fragmented forests, and the Roti Island snake-necked turtle is highly likely to be extinct in the wild.