Herdhanu (Dhanu) Jayanto is one of Conservation Nation’s 2022 emerging conservationist grant winners. He is originally from Indonesia, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree at New Mexico Highlands University. His graduate thesis centers on researching the movement ecology of the Sunda gharial to help inform local conservation strategies for this threatened crocodilian species.Â
Dhanu has experience conserving wildlife throughout his home country and hopes to become one of Indonesia’s leading crocodile conservationists. He recently co-founded the nonprofit KONKLUSI (Kolaborasi Inklusi Konservasi) to conserve neglected endangered species by putting local people at the center of conservation efforts. He is the co-leader of four conservation projects for the organization, including those focused on Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, Malayan giant turtles, the Siamese crocodile, and the Sunda gharial.
Dhanu is a member of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Crocodile Specialist Group, the member relationship coordinator at Tambora Muda Indonesia (a conservation networking organization), and the conservation coordinator at the Indonesia Herpetological Society.
Movement Ecology Study of Threatened Sunda Gharials
Dhanu will study the home range size and seasonal migration patterns of the Sunda gharial—a threatened crocodilian species—in the Berbak-Sembilang National Park (BSNP) in Sumatra, Indonesia. To conduct his research, he will attach GPS trackers to four or more adult gharials to gather 12 location coordinates for each individual per day. He hopes to determine if gharials ever temporarily enter into human settlements, what types of habitats they use, seasonal movements of males and females, and potential corridors that might connect different populations. Dhanu understands that for his project to succeed, he should prepare for challenges related to potentially harsh climatic conditions, challenging access to his field site, and time constraints. His long-term vision is that his research project—the first-ever robust movement ecology assessment of the Sunda gharial conducted in the BSNP—will lead to this species being well-managed so it can thrive in its natural habitat.
