Orang utan expert amazed at Sabah's conservation

Kota Kinabalu: The world's leading orang utan expert, Dr Birute Mary Galdikas, is full of praise for the Sabah Government's conservation efforts to save the apes, one of the world's most endangered species.

She told Daily Express in an exclusive interview that Sabah is doing progressive work in orang utan conservation by making efforts to eliminate illegal logging and trying to find a permanent home for orang utans such as in the Malua forest reserve.

"I am also impressed to learn that the Government is going to create 'corridors' to protect wildlife. That's wonderful and I am not saying it just because I am in Sabah.

"I would say exactly the same thing in Indonesia or in the United States (where she is often invited to give lectures). We need to do more for the future and I am so glad that you are already doing it. We can all do better."

Last December, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman announced that 250,000 hectares of lowland forests in the Ulu Segama-Malua area would be set aside for the orang utans. It is estimated that there are more than 3,000 orang utans in the Malua forest reserve alone.

On Tuesday, State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun, said the State Government wants to purchase privately-owned land at zones neighbouring the fragmented Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary to ensure the long-term survival of iconic Sabah wildlife such as the orang utan, rhino and elephants.

A committee was set up under his Ministry to prepare the policy that will be known as Kinabatangan Corridor of Life (KCoL).

Dr Galdikas, 63, who is based in Indonesia, has been studying and living with the orang utans at a reserve in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) called Tanjung Puting Reserve (now a national park) since age 25 in 1971.

She has worked ceaselessly to save orang utans, especially orphaned ones, and rainforests, and to bring their plight to world attention.

This was her second visit to Sabah, having been invited by the Sabah Government to attend a conference in 1990. She has been touring places of interest and one of the things that caught her attention was the gated checkpoint put up by the Wildlife Department at the Tabin Wildlife Centre to curb illegal poaching.

Dr Galdikas, who founded the Los Angeles-based Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) in 1986 and became its President, noted there are some 5,000 orang utans in the Danum Valley as calculated by scientists.

What fascinated her in the Danum Valley was also the diversity and richness of wildlife there.

"The forest (Danum) is awesome and just takes one's breath away. I am not joking. The only forest that comes close to the forest of Sabah that I saw in Danum are the redwoods in northern California. They are beautiful, breathtaking.

Continue reading at: Orang utan expert amazed at Sabah's conservation
.
.

MASwings and Sabah Tourism Board to boost Sabah’s tourism

KOTA KINABALU: MASwings and Sabah Tourism Board (STB) forged collaboration to promote Sabah as an ultimate tourist destination with the launching of the in-flight entertainment (IFE) channel, beginning yesterday.

This is in line with MASwings objective to revitalise the local economy and tourism industry, and delivering its promise to connect the world to Sabah and Sarawak, MASwings regional head for Sabah, Shauqi Ahmad said.

“This is also in line with our interest and involvement in providing the highest standards of comfort and convenience to our passengers,” he added.

He said since the induction of the ATR 72 into MASwings’ fleet in September last year, their turboprop aircrafts were more comfortable with spacious cabin, fitted with leather seats and equipped with 20-inch LCD coloured screens spread throughout the cabin.

The screens are placed every two-seat rows, along both sides of the cabin. They operate on a drop down mechanism that does not require earphones as the audio comes from the overhead speakers.

Shauqi said the IFE channel would feature Sabah and Sarawak tourism board destinations footage as well as other useful information to travelling public, be they local or international tourists.

Continue reading at: MASwings and Sabah Tourism Board to boost Sabah’s tourism
.
.

More delights for Sarawak rainforest music fest fans

KUCHING: Ardent fans of the 12th annual Rainforest World Music Festival at the Sarawak Cultural Village near here can expect greater comfort and new experiences.

A brand new main and secondary stage has been added so that fans will have a bigger space to move around to enjoy the music in the main performing area.

The timber walkway has also been replaced for the safety of concert-goers, all part of the RM5.8mil upgrading exercise for the village.

“Although the crowd capacity has been increased to 10,000 a night, we are capping it at 8,000,’’ Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Gracie Geikie told reporters at Bangu­nan Baitul­makmur in Petra Jaya yesterday.

She had earlier briefed state Urban Develop­ment and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin on the final preparations for the popular festival, which kicks off on July 10.

Continue reading (incl. pic) at: More delights for Sarawak rainforest music fest fans
.
.

Sarawak Pandaw Cruise’s first journey today

Historic launching seen as another milestone for state’s tourism development

SIBU: The first ever river cruise in Borneo, RV Orient Pandaw Cruise, officially starts today.

Minister of Environment and Public Health Datuk Michael Manyin Jawong described the launching of the river cruise as historic and another milestone for the development of tourism in Sarawak.

“As such, the onus now is on the people of Sarawak, particularly those staying in Sibu, Kanowit, Kapit, Sarikei, Song and Tanjong Manis, to be creative and ensure that the cruise will sustain,” he said at the official launching of the river cruise held at Burung Apu Wharf yesterday afternoon.

Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Paul Strachan, founder of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, which manages Pandaw Cruise, and Datuk Tiong Thai King, chairman of Sibu Municipal Council Chairman were among those present at the launching.

Manyin went on to describe that it was easy to build or start a tourism product but to sustain it was another totally different story. He said it really needed concert efforts, from the taxi drivers to the shopkeepers, who must play their role to ensure that the cruise would be sustained for generations to come.

“We do not want the cruise to last for just one year only. We want it to last for generations to come, and believe me that is the difficult part.”

Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Sarawak Pandaw Cruise’s first journey today
.
.

Heart of Borneo needs extra monitoring

Kota Kinabalu: WWF-Malaysia's Borneo Species Programme team has captured images of a female Sumatran rhino believed about 20 years old in the Heart of Borneo, further strengthening the need to sustainably manage the forest in this part of the region that is shared by Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia.

Raymond Alfred, Senior Manager of the programme, stressed the importance of strong and coordinated enforcement in the forest reserves involving the Forestry Department, Wildlife Department and Sabah Foundation, with the support of the police, to ensure the survival of this endangered species.

The current enforcement and survey work in this area is supported by Honda Malaysia. Consistent monitoring of the rhino population here has so far identified the presence of two rhino calves.

Raymond said the future of the rhinos in Borneo now depends on how serious the forest reserves could be managed sustainably and how the enforcement and monitoring could be carried out effectively and be supported with appropriate activities.

WWF-Malaysia is now looking into how Forest Management Units (FMUs) could be sustainably managed since the forest stand and condition in most of the FMUs in Sabah are poor.

He said based on long-term field survey data, the rhino monitoring and survey activities in other forests by the programme shows that the home range of the rhinos is also affected by oil palm expansion near the eastern coastline of Sabah.

Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Heart of Borneo needs extra monitoring
.
.