Pertamina EP Tambun Field and TNGGP collaborate to preserve Mount Gede Pangrango.

BEKASI – Behind a thin mist slowly enveloping the forest canopy of Mount Gede Pangrango, a small, gray-haired primate with a distinctive crest moves nimbly among the trees. Its long tail maintains balance as it leaps from one branch to another. Its small face, adorned with cream-colored fur around the eyes, occasionally glances downward.

This is the Surili (Presbytis comata), an endemic primate of West Java that has become a symbol of the struggle for nature conservation in the face of extinction threats. For some, the Surili may be just a small, rarely seen animal. But for the ecosystem of Mount Gede Pangrango, it is the “mandate”—a guardian of life circulation, playing a crucial role in seed dispersal and maintaining forest balance.

Unfortunately, its habitat is gradually shrinking. The estimated population of the Surili, classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, ranges from 1,000 to 6,000 individuals in the wild, drastically declining due to habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and human disturbance. Recognizing that the biodiversity crisis is an imminent challenge, a major step was taken by PT Pertamina EP (PEP) Tambun Field, which officially partnered with the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park Authority (TNGGP) to forge a stronger synergy through a joint program agreement for “Strengthening National Park Functions.”

This agreement embeds a grand mission: to bolster institutions and ensure that the flora and fauna within—especially the Surili—continue to have a safe home for the future. The Senior Manager of PEP Tambun Field emphasized that in today’s era, protecting nature can no longer be done alone.

“Current environmental challenges require cross-sector collaboration. This collaboration is a tangible form of corporations and conservation institutions uniting their visions to produce broader impacts,” said the Senior Manager.

The Senior Manager also stated the full commitment of Pertamina EP Tambun Field to supporting the TNGGP Authority through the integration of expertise and innovation, to safeguard the “green lungs” of Java.

Both parties agreed on three main pillars. First, synergy of expertise, combining human resources from industry with field knowledge from forest rangers, aiming to create a more effective ecosystem protection system for threatened species. Second, innovation and research, incorporating the latest technology and precise scientific data into every conservation step. Third, sustainable benefits, to prove the narrative that a preserved nature does not have to marginalize people.

On the contrary, a healthy forest must be able to coexist with the well-being of surrounding communities. The steps taken by Pertamina EP Tambun Field and the TNGGP Authority give new breath to conservation efforts that may have previously felt isolated. By uniting missions, efforts to protect the Surili and other biodiversity now have a stronger foundation. After all, as forest rangers often remind us, protecting Gede Pangrango is not just about trees and primates, but about preserving a dynamic legacy of life so that it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations. This collaboration proves that when energy and conservation meet, the resulting impact far exceeds the boundaries of any work map.

<