LAHAD DATU: Environmentalists are constantly thinking of ways to better integrate development with conservation in Sabah.
While electrical fencing is one of the most effective measures in place currently, it is also keeping some wildlife species such as orang utan and gibbons apart from their own kind.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Tabin Landscape Lead, Donna Simon said that this is the case of the Tabin landscape where the south of Tabin Wildlife Reserve is currently fenced up to avoid human-elephant conflict surrounding the area.
To mitigate this, a 4km ecological corridor was established at the Bagahak 1 Estate in Lahad Datu which aims to support wildlife connectivity for arboreal species such as orangutan and gibbons, and other small and medium-sized mammals.
The Bahagak 1 Estate is among the many estates surrounding Tabin.
Simon feels that a more integrated approach is needed to address conflicts among humans and wildlife.
“When wildlife such as orangutan live in isolated areas, the chances of inbreeding could increase and thus, result in lower quality of offspring,” she said during a media programme on the WWF-Malaysia Sabah Landscapes Programme (SLP) and updates on their current works in the state held in various locations in Lahad Datu between June 19 and June 21.
She said in Tabin, there is an estimate of some 1,200 orangutan individuals living there whereas in neighbouring Silabukan Forest Reserve, there are only about 50.
“Currently, the Bagahak ecological corridor is only meant for orangutans and other arboreal animals, as well as smaller sized mammals,” Simon said.
“However, we might consider re-opening the fence to enable elephants to use the corridor in the future,” she said.
She said however, this is just an early thought as there are still many aspects to consider before this idea can be realised.
“This might take 10 or more years to come before anything on this is discussed further,” Simon said.
She said it is vital that there is a proper approach to minimise conflicts between human and animals or else the works put in to make way for both species to coexist over the years would just crumble.
At this moment, Simon said the South Tabin area is about 80% fenced up where better alignment of electric fencing by bigger palm oil companies including Sawit Kinabalu which also helped to protect smallholders from HEC
Therefore, it is important that all stakeholders continue working together to find solutions that would benefit both humans, industries as well as the environment, she said.
She said WWF-Malaysia is supporting one of the mega palm oil companies - Sawit Kinabalu, to reconnect the isolated Silabukan Forest Reserve and Tabin Wildlife Reserve through active tree planting activities along the 4km ecological corridor in Bagahak 1 Estate.
The ecological corridor will facilitate the safe movement of wildlife populations, mainly forest-dependent species such as orangutans, gibbons, and small and medium-sized mammals, and also highlight the importance of the riparian reserve, said Simon.
She said the project also aims to enhance riparian function through active restoration for erosion control and improve water quality to support sustainable production.
“Since planting commenced in Oct 2022, at least 10ha of areas in the Bagahak Corridor have been planted with various fast-growing tree species and figs,” she said.
Simon said the WWF-Malaysia's Orangutan Conservation Team and the Sawit Kinabalu Group Conservation units have recently joined together to conduct a 2km general transect survey and set up a few camera traps along the corridor.
“In total, 40 species of animals including orangutan, sunbear, pangolin and sambar deer are recorded along the corridor which includes several rare, threatened and endangered species,” she said.
“This is set as a baseline for wildlife found along the corridor, in the first year of planting. An annual wildlife survey will be conducted to monitor the ecological changes along the corridor,” she said.
The SLP adopts the Living Landscapes Approach where all interventions occur within a designated landscape boundary.
Through this approach, SLP builds on three pillars of intervention which is to protect forests, wildlife and watershed, to produce sustainable palm oil and timber as well as restore degraded habitats and ecological corridors.
