Tasikoki is a wildlife rescue centre in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, that was established in 2004, along with several other rescue centres across Indonesia. We focus on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of Indonesian protected and endangered species.
Tasikoki is a unit of the Masarang Foundation, led by Dr. Willie Smits, which strives to protect the forests of North Sulawesi for the benefit of the people, the flora and the fauna. Masarang has developed many initiatives to educate the local people and provide sustainable alternatives as well as environmental solutions locally that can have a global impact.
North Sulawesi has been a hotspot for the smuggling of wildlife out of Indonesia onto the global market via the Philippines. Animals from all over the vast Indonesian archipelago have suffered this trade route. Tasikoki is therefore in a strategic location to help the authorities tackle this crime and take care of the wildlife confiscated from this trade.
The rescue centre employs a team of dedicated local staff, who care for the animals as they undergo quarantine, followed by physical and mental rehabilitation in their preparation for release of sanctuary care. Alongside the rescue and wildlife rehabilitation, Tasikoki is developing education programmes locally and regionally to spread awareness of the threats being faced by Indonesia’s previous biodiversity.
