Malua Biobank lowland rainforests important for orangutans in Sabah

Malua Biobank in Sabah supports the highest density of a sub-species of the orangutan family when compared to other parts of the world.



KOTA KINABALU: Ground and aerial surveys of 34,000 hectares of lowland rainforest known as the Malua Biobank in Sabah has revealed the area to be one of the most important refuges for the orangutan in Borneo.



Sabah Forestry Department’s Malua Wildlife unit leader, Hadrin Lias, who led the surveys, said the population of orangutan was increasing with the current conservation activities in Malua Biobank.



Logging in Malua ceased in 2007 and since then the habitat for orangutan has remained undisturbed and the area is regularly patrolled.



Dr Marc Ancrenaz, an international expert on orangutan, assisted and trained the Malua Wildlife Unit to undertake the surveys and believes that the Malua Biobank supports the highest density of this sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus morio) of orangutan anywhere in the world.



“Malua Biobank is critically important for the survival of this subspecies, though all three sub-species of orangutan in Borneo are endangered due to extensive habitat loss,” Ancrenaz said.



“For orangutan to survive in Borneo, it is vitally important to preserve large contiguous blocks of lowland rainforest such as Malua Biobank and the nearby Danum Valley Conservation Area,” he added..



He said the orangutan density was found to be particularly high in eastern Malua.



The individuals in this part of the reserve are physically and genetically isolated from the rest of the population due to the presence of the Malua River which cuts across the reserve and which orangutans are unable to cross.



In an effort to connect populations, the second of two suspended orangutan bridges across the Malua River has been constructed and remote cameras will be installed to record any wildlife movements across the bridges.



The new orangutan bridge consists of a lattice of chains that provides the orangutan hand and footholds to cross the river, mimicking the function of overhanging tree branches in areas where large trees are now absent.



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Danum Valley research boost

KOTA KINABALU: Research efforts into micro-organisms and insects at the Danum Valley in Sabah's east coast are about to get a boost.



The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry plans to fund Yayasan Sabah research programmes undertaken in collaboration with the Royal Society's South-East Asia Rainforest Rehabilitation Research Programme (SEARRP).



Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said that the study was important as the conservation area was globally known for its nature assets and research facilities.



The role of insects and micro-organisms in the tropical forest ecosystem is crucial to maintain biodiversity sustainability and natural resource renewal.



Dr Ongkili said insects and micro-organisms had huge potential for medical biotechnology such as sources of enzymes and anti-toxins for known ailments and for manufacture of pharmaceutical products.



Dr Ongkili, who visited Danum Valley on Monday, said that a tripartite memorandum of understanding would be signed between the Royal Society, Yayasan Sabah and the ministry's National Biotechnology Institute after specific terms are finalised.

Continue reading at: Danum Valley research boost

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Imbak Canyon biodiversity must benefit people

KOTA KINABALU: Effort must be taken to ensure that exploitation and development of biodiversity resources at Imbak Canyon would directly benefit the local communities, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

As a government that cares about its people, he said the State Government would like to see that those living close to the protected area be roped in and be involved, especially in reserach activities.

“Our indigenous people have a wealth of knowledge on medicinal and healing properties of plants, and would serve as important information providers on the value of what our rainforest holds,” he said in his speech at the launch of Yayasan Sabah-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation Partnership here, yesterday.

His speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin who also officiated at the launch on behalf of the Chief Minister.

Musa said Imbak Canyon can play a globally recognized role in producing products that are crucial for medicinal and pharmaceutical advancements.

He pointed out that research done so far indicated that the area has the potential to offer a lot more than what is known now.

Realising this, he also urged scientists to conduct further investigations on commercializing biodiversity resources that exist in the reserved forest.

“This would fit in with one of the objectives of the National Biotechnology Policy, which is to extract greater value from agriculture and natural resources by leveraging on Malaysia’s unique biodiversity,” he said.

Havig gazzetted the Imbak Canyon as a Class I (Protection) Forest Reserve, he said the challenge now lies in the hand of the State Government and Yayasan Sabah in particular, to live up to the standards and responsibilities to fully protect the area.

Given its remote location, he said managing Imbak Canyon would not be easy but lessons can be drawn from the experiences in managing Maliau Basin and Danum Valley.

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Sabah to seek joint World Heritage Status for Maliau Basin, Danum Valley and Imbak Canyon

Tuaran: The Sabah Government is taking steps to secure Maliau Basin, and Danum Valley and Imbak Canyon in perpetuity by applying for joint World Heritage Status for all three conservation areas.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, when disclosing the State Cabinet's decision at the 1st Borneo Carnivore Symposium (BCS) here, Thursday, said this was to ensure that nothing would disrupt the ecosystems in these areas in the long run.

"The reason behind this is simple; we want to protect our forests so no future corrupted politician can take it away."

He said it was crucial to protect Sabah's forests and wildlife to benefit future generations and to ensure its position as a tourism destination.

"Eventually, tourism will be the number one earner for Sabah and people will come from all over the world to see Sabah's nature and it makes business sense to protect our jungles," Masidi added.

This first ever symposium on Borneo's carnivores was organised by the Sabah Wildlife Department, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research of Germany, and attended by delegates from 15 countries comprising scientists, conservationists and representatives of government agencies.

During the one-week programme, they sought to ensure the future survival of Borneo's 23 carnivore species. The carnivores of concern are a group of mammals comprising cats like the Sunda Clouded Leopard, civets such as the Malay Civet (Tangalunga), otters and badgers such as Teledu.

One of the scientists present, Andre Hearn of Oxford University, said the three conservation areas being put forth by the State Government for the World Heritage Status application, were also home to the very mysterious and endangered species of carnivores such as the Borneo Bay Cat (Pardofelis badia) and Hose's Palm Civet (Diplogale hosei).

"The Borneo Bay Cat is found only in Borneo and has been recorded by camera traps in Danum Valley at relatively high frequency, compared to other areas in Sabah," said Hearn.

The first photograph in the wild of the Borneo Bay Cat was actually taken only in 2002 in Mulu National Park in Sarawak.

The elusive Hose's Palm Civet was not found during any camera trap surveys in the lowland of eastern Sabah including Danum Valley, but was found instead only in Maliau Basin, which is the most "eastern" record of this species.

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Sabah leads global bid to save rhinos

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia, represented by the Wildlife Department in Sabah, is leading a worldwide bid to save the Sumatran rhinoceros that are in serious danger of extinction.

Dr Laurentius Nayan Ambu, director of the department, has been appointed chairman of the Global Sumatran Rhinoceros Management and Propagation Board (GMPB) for the next five years, a post previously held by Indonesia.

By virtue of the fact that Indonesia and Malaysia are the only two countries where this rare animal is found, they are known as the range states and considered the leading countries on the board of this global body.

Laurentius told the Borneo Post in an interview here that there are not more than 350 of this specie of rhinoceros left on earth and there are no more than 50 of them in Malaysia.

“To be exact, there are no more than 30 in fragmented areas, mainly in the Tabin and the Danum Valley in the Lahad Datu district of Sabah,” he added.

“These are the two areas we surveyed that have a good number of rhinos left, the bulk of rhinos in Sabah.

“The rest are in the interior, like the Tungod area, the Yayasan Sabah’s timber concession areas and some forest reserves in central Sabah.”

Elaborating on his role as GMPB chairman, Laurentius said:

“I am spearheading the movement. That means I talk to the Indonesian authorities on what they are doing there. I call on them every now and then to see what’s going on in Indonesia and find out what help do they need.”

He pointed out that there are only two captive breeding sites in the world – one in Indonesia and the other in Malaysia.

The one in Indonesia is located at Waykambas, Bogor, on Sumatra Island. This is where they keep their captive rhinos. The one for Malaysia is in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

“These are the two Sumatran rhinoceros breeding centres in the world. My duty is to call on the technical experts on the board, representatives of the donor countries and try to work out how to support these two breeding centres.

“The other breeding centre is at the Cincinnati Zoo. They took the Sumatran rhinos from Indonesia. That one is captive, whilst the ones in Malaysia and Indonesia are in semi-wild conditions.”

Laurentius disclosed that a rhino conservation workshop, held two years ago, passed a resolution saying that an active intervention had to be taken to save the rhinos.

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28 new orchid species discovered in Imbak Canyon

KOTA KINABALU: A 10-day expedition to the Imbak Canyon, Sabah’s last untouched lowland rainforest has yielded 28 species of orchids that have never been recorded in the state.

Sabah Foundation group manager for conservation and environmental conservation Dr Waidi Sinun said researchers had also found 50 species of medicinal plants in the 30,000ha conservation area which is slightly larger than Penang island and located some 250km from the city.

He said this at a seminar on the 10-day expedition there which was opened by Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor here yesterday.

The expedition from Nov 26 to Dec 5 last year, involved more than 100 local researchers.

It was jointly organised by the Foundation along with ASM, Sabah Parks, the state Forestry Department, WWF Malaysia and two universities.

Dr Waidi said the Imbak Canyon would soon join Sabah’s other pristine conservation areas – the Danum Valley and Maliau Basin – as a research area for biodiversity.

He added that the foundation, which was responsible for managing the area, was planning to build a research centre and several satellite camps at Imbak Canyon.

Continue reading at: 28 new orchid species discovered in Imbak Canyon

NOTE: Photo Copyright to Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation)
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Maliau Basin to get more protection

KOTA KINABALU: The state Forestry Department plans to expand the protective zone surrounding the Maliau Basin.

Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said under the plan, more forested areas around the 588 sq km basin, about twice the size of Penang island, would be protected in perpetuity.

“We plan to enlarge the protective buffer around Maliau Basin even further, locking up more forests from future harvesting forever,” Mannan said here yesterday.

The plan, he said, would be done by gazetting more Protection Forests (Class I) surrounding the basin.

“The concern shown by the Prime Minister during his last visit here has had a contagion effect on us,” he added.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had expressed deep interest in Maliau Basin during his visit to the conservation area on Jan 28.

Mannan said Najib had shown much interest in the area, particularly the naturally rusty coloured Maliau River, the tallest tropical tree in the world – the 88m Yellow Seraya of Tawau Hills Park – and even its frog species.

Mannan said the department was able to embark on a massive sustainable forest management programme as it received full support from the state government.

The conservation momentum, he said, started with the gazetting of the pristine Danum Valley (43,800ha) as a Protection Forest Reserve (Class I) in 1995, followed by Maliau Basin.

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Sumatran Rhinos Not Extinct But Face Bleak Prospects

TUARAN -- Despite all the odds against the Sumatran rhinoceros, the species "stubbornly refuses to go extinct", an official here said.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Nayan Ambu said this was the main good news derived from the first day of the Sumatran rhinoceros Global Management and Propagation Board meeting held here.

He said there were still Sumatran rhinos in the same protected areas which were their strongholds in 1995, namely in Bukit Barisan Selatan, Way Kambas and Gunung Leuser in Sumatra, Indonesia, and Danum Valley and the Tabin Wildlife reserve, both in Sabah.

"Also potentially a good news is we can confirm that the Sumatran and Borneo rhinos are genetically close. We may be confident that mixing the two for breeding does have scientific backing.

"In any case, we know that pregnancy in the Sumatran rhino is likely to be the best way to prevent the reproductive tract pathologies which afflict this species," he said at dinner in conjunction with the meeting here, Tuesday night.

The two-day meeting from Tuesday, is the first GMPB meeting to be held in Malaysia, and represents the first international meeting of Sumatran rhino experts to be held in Sabah since 1995.

Laurentius said however that the prospects for the Sumatran rhino remain bleak, where their population in the wild appeared to continue to decline or at best, not increasing despite the best efforts to protect their habitat as well as the rhinos.

Continue reading at: Sumatran Rhinos Not Extinct But Face Bleak Prospects
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World Heritage Site for Maliau Basin boost

MALIAU BASIN (Tawau): The Federal Government will support the efforts of the State Government to enlist Maliau Basin as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said: “We can support and make the presentation to UNESCO as we have a UNESCO office and members of the board of directors of the UNESCO. So we will try to present this case because the moment you are listed as the world heritage by UNESCO there is an immediate jump in terms of worldwide interest.”

Najib told reporters after launching the Maliau Basin Studies Centre (MBSC) and Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) here yesterday.

For example, he said George Town, Malaka, Mulu Cave and few others had really benefitted from being listed as a world heritage by UNESCO.

“So I would support what the Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman) said. There is a process as it cannot happen overnight. Hopefully we can list this as part of the world heritage,” he said.

Earlier, in his speech, Musa hoped that Maliau Basin will become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the near future.

When asked to elaborate further on the statement he made in his speech earlier on the ecological experimental project carried out by Sime Darby Foundation (YSD) and Royal Society’s South East Asian Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP) called Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE).

He said the critics especially the west have to understand that Malaysia needs to use land for development whether for industrialization, urbanization or plantation, because we need to create opportunity to support the people.

“Besides that, there are areas whereby no development activities are allowed such as Maliau Basin, Danum Valley, water catchment and forest reserve areas, these areas will be protected,” he said.

“If you look at the overall track record in Malaysia we are better than the developed countries, who created more sin than us and now they are pointing fingers at us. They made the mistake earlier than us and in fact we have a balanced policy where we can look after the interest of the people and forest for the interest of the world and future generation,” said Najib adding that Malaysia is committed to the Rio Earth Summit agreement as 60 per cent of the country are now covered with forest.

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Maliau Basin’s best kept secret to be savoured by Malaysian PM

Maliau Basin, which is poised to be a World Heritage Site soon, has become the most enticing destination in Sabah. People from every part of the world, particularly nature lovers, love to come for the precious moments of savouring the pristine condition in Maliau Basin, also lovingly called Sabah’s Lost World. Maliau Basin is visited by tourists of different ages and from the entire globe.

Come this Saturday, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be Malaysia’s first prime minister to visit this internationally-acclaimed area, and at the same time enjoy the golden chance of discovering Maliau Basin’s best kept secret.

On that day, he is scheduled to open the Maliau Basin Studies Centre and witness the signing of several memorandums of understanding between local and international groups involved in research in the untouched rainforests of Sabah. Najib is also expected to launch Project Safe undertaken by Sime Darby in the area during his visit to the 30 sq km basin off the east coast.

“Maliau Basin is our precious natural treasure and heritage that needs to be protected at all costs,” State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun told Bernama, here, yesterday.

“That’s why the Sabah government had nominated Maliau Basin together with Danum Valley as a World Heritage Site for future generations to enjoy the designated areas of unspoilt natural beauty.”

Over the past years, Maliau Basin has been the subject of the so-called “monkey or gold” debate—whether the area should be left as pristine as possible with only monkeys roaming the hills and plains, or to have its valuable minerals extracted for economic gain. However, the debate subdued when the state government stood firmly and shot down the idea or the possibility of conducting mining operations in Maliau Basin.

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Long waiting list for Sipadan visit

Sipadan Island remains the favourite dive spot for tourists with a waiting list that stretches up to seven months, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun said.

Masidi said the government had taken steps towards protecting the environment, including limiting the number of tourists to Mount Kinabalu and Sipadan Island.

“No matter how many tourists we have, we have to do something to prevent these flora and fauna from being affected.”

He added that the preservation of wildlife at Danum Valley was also being taken seriously by the government.

“In order to ensure the animals do not become victims of illegal poaching, the government has stopped all road upgrading projects,” he said at the opening ceremony of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) dance festival here on Sunday.

The festival attracted more than 300 participants from higher learning institutions from Brunei, Sarawak and Kalimantan.

Continue reading at: Long waiting list for Sipadan visit
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Sime Darby key to setting up the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary

KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Sime Darby has emerged a key player in assisting efforts to set up the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve over the last three years.

The foundation has contributed RM5mil towards the development of Borneo Rhino Sanctuary as well as provide additional funds for management of wildlife in Tabin Wildlife.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said that support by the private sector played an important role in the conservation of the Sumatran rhinos whose last known remaining populations were in the Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the Lahad Datu district.

He said the Government had outlined several steps towards helping in the survival of the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.

The first need is to prevent the poaching and illegal trapping of Sabah’s remaining wild rhinos.

The second need is to bring the few remaining rhinos which are not breeding to the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary, a managed fenced facility being developed at Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

“The people who will be protecting, monitoring, rescuing and caring for rhinos need a comfortable place to stay as well,” he said in thanking Yayasan Sime Darby and other partners in helping provide basic facilities for the area.

Continue reading at: Sime Darby key to setting up the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary
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