Philippe Cousteau’s Journey to Sumatra

Jakarta Globe, September 24, 2013

In ‘Expedition Sumatra,’ Cousteau and his team take viewers to see how
 deforestation has affected the island’s endangers species and indigenous
people. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

Philippe Cousteau hopes people will be “amazed by the beauty” of Sumatra when they watch his new television series which follows his trek across the island’s rainforest on CNN.

The CNN special corespondent and environmental adventurer and his team recently journeyed to see how deforestation has affected the island’s endangered species and indigenous people.

Throughout the eight-part series “Expedition: Sumatra,” which launched on Sept. 13, the team visits an orangutan sanctuary, learns how farmers repel elephants instead of killing them, and witness the changing rainforest.

“I hope people are amazed by the beauty of this special place, I hope they are outraged by its destruction, but most of all, I hope they understand the power each of us has to change its future,” Cousteau said of the new series.

“We are linking the show with online resources and campaigns by terrific organizations who are encouraging the government to establish 30 Hills as a National Park and protect this critical habitat we were filming in.”

The 33-year-old environmental advocate, who is the grandson of French explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau, said the logistics were the biggest challenge they faced while filming in a remote location.

“Traveling with no infrastructure everything takes twice as long. All the details had to be planned out in advance,” Cousteau said .

“One of the things people always seemed fascinated by are some of the basics; for much of the expedition our toilet was a hole in the ground and our shower was a bucket.”

The social entrepreneur shared some of his thoughts with the Jakarta Globe about what he learned from his expedition across the Sumatran rainforest.

What was the most unexpected experience you had during filming?

When we visited the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the staff had me help teach an orphaned baby orangutan how to find food. They gave me a rotting piece of wood colonized by termites and told me I had to suck them out of the wood to demonstrate to the baby what to do.

This is an important source of protein for orangutans in the wild so I had to do it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the intent look on that little face as I did my best to slurp down termite larva.

What relationship were you able to develop with the local people?

One of the experiences that stands out for me was a visit to an indigenous Talang Mamak school. It was inspiring to see how engaged the young students were in learning about the truly unique part of the planet they call home. It was part of a school run by the Frankfurt Zoological Society to engage the local communities in understanding the importance of conservation. I got to test my creative skills with drawing pictures of local animals and participating in a puppet show.

In such extreme environments, what safety precautions do you take?

We couldn’t have made the trip without our friends and partners on the ground including the World Wildlife Fund and the Frankfurt Zoological Society.

From navigating issues like illegal logging and poaching to connecting with local communities and organizations, their assistance was invaluable.

Were you ever in any danger?

There was always the potential for danger. There were definitely groups that did not want us to tell this story including illegal loggers, poachers and representatives from industries and companies engaging in the pillaging of the island’s critical natural resources.

How do you think “Expedition: Sumatra” will contribute to environmental awareness?

Today, people want to experience the behind-the- scenes reality of how these types of expeditions unfold. With ‘Expedition: Sumatra,’ we made every effort to make viewers feel like they are part of the expedition team. The serialized format of the program creates a sense of anticipation of what will happen next that I think will appeal to viewers of all ages.

“Expedition: Sumatra” airs on CNN International each Friday at 10:30 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Monday at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.