KINABATANGAN: Gambu was once a “happy” proboscis monkey living with his group in the riparian forest of the Kinabatangan and one of its tributaries, Sungai Sukau. But one morning, half of his home range was cleared, all trees (including some parts of the riparian reserve) were felt to leave place (soon) to a rubber plantation.
Gambu (short for Gambunan who was a Dusun group leader from Tambunan) is a male proboscis monkey that was set up with a satellite collar in June 2012 as part of a collaborative project between Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and Sabah Wildlife Department, funded by Sime Darby Foundation.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens said the aim of the satellite tagging programme is to understand the ranging patterns of proboscis monkeys and the factors impacting their movements and density in order to determine the adequate amount of habitat available in order to sustain a continuous viable population in the Kinabatangan region.
“With the continuous degradation and loss of habitat in the Kinabatangan, I wonder whether the proboscis monkey and other wildlife have a chance to sustain viable populations in this iconic eco-touristic jewel that is the Kinabatangan,” he said.
“I understand that the land that has been cleared is native land but what about the riparian reserve that was cleared at the corner of the Kinabatangan River and Sungai Sukau, and along the latter?” he asked.
Goossens said if the government is not imposing a moratorium on further land conversion in the Kinabatangan, Sabah will lose one of its most iconic touristic assets.
According to the director, the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best places in Borneo to encounter Bornean elephants, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, estuarine crocodiles, Storm storks, rhinoceros hornbills and hundreds of other species. “If people continue converting the land along the river, legally or illegally, tourists will desert the region,” he said.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Proboscis monkeys, iconic species for eco-tourism loses more habitat in Kinabatangan
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