William observing orangutan at one of WWF-Malaysia’s project sites in Bukit Piton, Sabah, to monitor orangutan behavioural patterns. — Photos courtesy of WWF Malaysia
“SHHH.... Lay low.” Click... Click... Click.
A warden crawls quietly among bushes and under dense forest trees, just to get a closer look at orangutan with the hope of getting a clear photo of the primates.
The soft sound of the camera clicking when photos are shot can be heard, but only if you’re within earshot.
In between these seemingly safe duties, there are instances where these rangers or conservationists and scientists face danger head-on.
“I had a snake drop almost close to my head during some of these photoshoot sessions, and there was once when I almost ran into an adult male orangutan face on,” said William Joseph, senior programme assistant for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia’s orangutan and Sabah Landscapes Programme (SLP).
The 56-year-old with over 20 years of experience with the WWF-Malaysia said these are some of the scary but funny memories he has had working with animals in Sabah’s forests.
Some may find these duties tedious, but William sees them as fun and educational because he gets to learn about the habitat, living conditions and lifestyles of Sabah’s wildlife.
Max Donysius during a wildlife survey by WWF-Malaysia team to identify animal species in Trus Madi, Sabah.
“I get to document this information and put the knowledge to use, so that researchers and conservationists can find ways to better protect wildlife,” said William.
Apart from William, others working with wildlife also have had their fair share of adventure. Some were chased by elephants when trying to video the animals, while some kept getting their food stolen by macaques.
These are just some challenges faced by those involved in conserving wildlife and protecting the forests of Sabah.
SLP produce lead Max Donysius said it is important that the public understand the work that WWF, the state government and stakeholders such as estate operators have to deal with daily.
He said sustainability does not come easy, as it involves a balanced interaction between humans, animals and nature. It is why WWF-Malaysia came up with SLP, which aims at promoting sustainable development, he added.
Max said Sabah is a nature-abundant state that also has huge economic potential.
He said SLP applies the “living landscapes” approach to conservation in Sabah where all interventions occur within a designated landscape boundary.
“Take Tabin, for instance, the largest wildlife reserve in Sabah, spanning 123,779ha,” he said.
Max pointed out that this substantial reserve is largely surrounded by oil palm plantations, with the Silabukan Forest Reserve (10,600ha) about 5km to the south, and Kulamba Wildlife Sanctuary (20,682ha) across the Segama River to the north.
Orangutan. — Photo courtesy of WWF Malaysia
He said according to WWF records, recent wildlife surveys have confirmed the great conservation importance of Tabin as it holds the largest Bornean orangutan population in the eastern lowlands with some 1,250 individuals.
The report also stated that Tabin is home to other Borneo endemic species, such as the Bornean elephant (about 350 individuals), the Bornean banteng (less than 50 animals), and Sunda clouded leopard (less than 40 animals) as well.
Therefore, WWF has to work with estates and government authorities such as the Sabah Wildlife Department to ensure that all development and economic activities are carried out sustainably, said Max.
He said estates and villages face the risk of their plantations, houses and assets being destroyed during encounters with wildlife, while conservationists face difficulties in trying to educate people to refrain from harming these species.
This is where the SLP comes into play, he stressed.
“The vision for SLP is that by 2030, Sabah’s biodiversity, ecosystems services and agricultural systems are valued, protected and responsibly managed,” Max said.
He said it is also hoped that all these systems are climate resilient and bring benefits to both the people and nature.
