By: Natalia Trita Agnika

A visitor to Singapore's ArtScience Museum was amazed to observe the lush Sumatran wilderness. His breath caught when a Sumatran tiger stared at him while roaring. Then suddenly the tiger disappeared among the green trees. The encounter with the charismatic animal made him happy. But the feeling of happiness and awe immediately turned into worry when the forest he visited caught fire. He tried to put out the fire, like a ranger.

This memorable experience at Singapore's ArtScience Museum is a snapshot of the state of Sumatra's forests and the threats they face. Sunarto, WWF-Indonesia's wildlife ecologist who provided input into the process of creating the virtual forests and animals, as well as trying out the augmented reality presented at ArtScience Museum, enjoyed and was amazed by the work of the multi-faceted team. "As a technology that has just been introduced to the public, the atmosphere of the tropical forest and the movements of the animals presented are very good and make me really feel as if I am in the middle of the Sumatran jungle," he said after enjoying the adventure of exploring the virtual forest.

Sunarto added, "Animal and forest conservation has been less than optimal because many people do not understand the condition of our forests and animals. This exhibition allows more people to feel and understand the condition of forests and animals that have recently been under a lot of pressure and threats. And most importantly, after enjoying the virtual adventure, visitors will have the opportunity to get actively involved in the real world and express their support for restoring deforested or damaged land."

Rimbang Baling Forest is one of the most important habitats for tigers in Sumatra that has gone unnoticed. This area is an ideal breeding ground for tigers. In addition, due to its strategic position on the border of Riau and West Sumatra, right in the heart of Sumatra, Rimbang Baling also serves as a link to several other tiger landscapes in Sumatra. The destruction of tiger habitat in Rimbang Baling also means a break in continuity between the Kerinci-Seblat tiger landscape and Rimbo Panti. This approximately 500,000-hectare landscape is also a key part of the conservation of a wide variety of other flora and fauna, and is important both to local communities as a source of livelihood and to regional communities as a climate stabilizer, oxygen supplier, and provider of other environmental services.

Starting February 11, 2017, visitors to ArtScience Museum Singapore can experience the thrill of exploring the Sumatran wilderness through interactive technology titled Into the Wild: An Immersive Virtual Adventure. A collaboration between WWF, Google, Lenovo, and Singaporean artist, Brian Gothong Tan, in collaboration with Panasonic and Qualcomm, the public space at ArtScience Museum was transformed into a virtual tropical rainforest.

In addition to allowing visitors to experience the thrill of exploring the Sumatran wilderness, this virtual experience can turn into real action when visitors take part in planting in the Sumatran forest. For every tree planted virtually through MyBabyTree in the venue Into the Wild: An Immersive Virtual Adventure, a real tree will also be planted in the Rimbang Baling Landscape, Sumatra, Indonesia.

In a press conference held on Thursday (09/02), Honor Harger, Executive Director ArtScience Museum said, "Into the Wild is driven by a deeply shared commitment to making the world a better place. By combining art, science and technology, and nature, Into the Wild goes beyond the virtual and makes a significant impact in the real world."

Elaine Tan, CEO of WWF-Singapore, echoed similar sentiments. "At a time when deforestation is rampant, Into the Wild sends an important conservation call for the growth and renewal of our natural environment. Only through collaboration can we effect positive change, restoring tropical rainforest biodiversity, protecting tiger habitat and transforming the lives of communities and millions of people across West Sumatra and Riau," she explained.

During the opening week of Into the Wild, ArtScienceMuseum will hold a talkshow titled "Open Wide Wilderness" on Saturday (11/02) at 2pm local time. The scheduled speakers are Brian Gothong Tan (artist and filmmaker), Kevin Teng (Executive Director of Sustainability, Marina Bay Sands), and Sunarto (WWF-Indonesia Animal and Landscape Ecologist). Into the Wild is available for free to visitors of the ArtScience Museum Singapore.

You can also virtually plant a tree and choose your own planting location at wwf.id/mybabytree.