Water Beetle Discovered in #Borneo Named after Leonardo DiCaprio

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Water Beetle Discovered in Borneo Named after Leonardo DiCaprio

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Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

WHILE the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) and the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) remain as Borneo’s more prominent and celebrated forests, it would be an oversight to exclude the equally majestic Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) of Tongod from the list.

Situated north of MBCA and the west of DVCA, the Imbak Canyon is located some 300 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, a road journey that will take approximately seven to eight hours, subject to good road conditions.

Since being gazetted as a Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve by the State Government back in 2009, the ICCA has come a long way, and has reinvented itself as one of Sabah’s most promising tourism products.

The growth of the ICCA can be attributed to the partnership between Yayasan Sabah and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) that was initiated back in 2010.

Since then, the two bodies have taken numerous initiatives to ensure the preservation of the forests, most recently being the establishment of the highly awaited Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC).

In 2013, Petronas approved a RM77 million fund under Phase 2 of the Yayasan Sabah and Petronas partnership to build the ICSC, in line with its intent to solidify the ICCA as a centre of learning for indigenous community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Construction commenced in 2014 and was completed in November 2016, when the facility was subsequently handed over to Yayasan Sabah.

Among others, the ICSC will serve as a platform for gene bank conservation and the exploration of pharmaceutical and biotechnological potentials.

Last Monday, a group of journalists were invited for a first ever media visit to ICSC, where they had to stay on location for four days under a programme spearheaded by Petronas and Yayasan Sabah.

To learn more about the facilities provided by the ICSC, the manager of ICCA, Dr. Hamzah Tangki, took members of the media for a tour around the newly-built compound.

It is understood that the buildings at the ICSC were designed taking into consideration green elements to ensure minimal carbon footprint.

The establishment of the ICSC will coincidentally elevate Tongod as one of the crucial districts of the State with the ICSC serving as a major infrastructural development.

Continue reading at: Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

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A giant reason to conserve Sabah's forests

A towering giant has recently been discovered in the heart of Borneo, the most imposing of its kind in a land of giants. The world's tallest tropical tree stands at over 94m - taller than New York City's Statue of Liberty or the former Asia Insurance Building at Raffles Place.

Researchers found it in a protected Sabah forest and are hoping that the discovery will highlight the need to conserve the forests of Borneo, home to thriving wildlife and plants.

Said ecologist Gregory Asner, who found the tree with his colleagues: "Sabah (and Borneo in general) harbours some of the most spectacular tropical trees on earth. I have worked throughout the Amazon, Central America, on tropical islands including Madagascar, in tropical Africa and beyond, and yet Sabah's forests stand out as truly inspiring."

The Shorea faguetiana tree first caught the eye of researchers last year when Dr Asner and his colleagues were surveying Sabah's forests in a helicopter.

That was when they struck gold and found the tree that turned out to be 94.1m tall, with an immense canopy measuring 40.3m in diameter, in an undisturbed forest patch in Danum Valley.

Even better, they also found 49 other specimens taller than 90m spread all over Sabah, all of which would have crushed the previous record for tallest tropical tree.

Describing the moment he saw the tallest among them, Dr Asner, director of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory at the Carnegie Institution for Science in the United States, told environmental news site Mongabay it was flanked on each side by a tree of the same species of Shorea, each almost as tall.

"There are three trees, like brothers, standing above the rest of the canopy. I almost cried as we circled the tree maybe 10 times before the pilot said we had to go back," he said.

The previous record belonged to an 89.5m giant discovered in Sabah's Maliau Basin last year. It was reportedly spotted during a research project that used an airborne Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner to create 3D images of forest structure.

News of the latest record prompted Datuk Sam Mannan, the Chief Conservator of Forests at the Sabah Forestry Department, to organise an expedition to locate the tree and determine what species it was.

After trekking through a forest trail on Feb 22 this year, the team found the tree on a slope at about 359m above sea level. Mr Juanis Runcin of the Sabah Forestry Department then climbed the tree to obtain leaf samples so that the tree species could be identified.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: A giant reason to conserve Sabah's forests

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The LOST world Maliau Basin: This mysterious land hidden for decades is finally OPEN to travellers

THE MALIAU BASIN in Borneo’s Sabah region has been called ‘The Lost World’, as one of the last remaining untouched areas on the planet.

"Sabah’s Lost World has been described as one of the few remaining untouched wilderness areas on the planet"

On the Malaysian side of Borneo Island lies the state of Sabah.

Speckled with sprawling white beaches, vibrant coral reefs and luscious wild jungle, the region lays claim to an untouched paradise.

The remote location of the state makes it a mystery to the rest of the world, and some parts are more shrouded in secrecy than others.

Right in the heart of Sabah sits the Maliau Basin, which has been nicknamed ‘Sabah’s Lost World’.

It has been described as one of the few remaining untouched wilderness areas on the planet.

Covering 58,840ha, the Maliau Basin comprises a deep valley of wild forests concealing secret waterfalls and exotic wildlife.

Part of the reason it’s largely untouched is because it remained undiscovered until 1947, when a pilot almost crashed into it.

The first record of any human entry into Maliau wasn’t until the 1980s.

Since then the area has been declared a conservation site, with only scientists and researchers allowed to explore it.

Recently tourists were given permission to take guided trips, but obtaining entry was extremely difficult.

Now the Maliau Basin is being opened up to trekkers in search of an intrepid adventure.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The LOST world Maliau Basin: This mysterious land hidden for decades is finally OPEN to travellers

Check Out: Maliau Basin Excursions

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Spirit Quest with Giraffe: Maliau Basin with Sticky Rice

“Adventure, challenging & amazing” – Hatti, Guide

These three words are the perfect way to describe this unforgettable and unique experience. I would highly recommend the 4 nights, 5 days tour for anyone who is looking for venturing on the path less travelled and for the opportunity to connect with wild Borneo. The team at Sticky Rice are highly professional, helpful and a pleasure to travel with making the experience even more enjoyable and memorable.

What should I expect from this expedition?

Day 1: Kota Kinabalu to Maliau Basin research Centre

Estimated travel time: 5 hours inclusive of transits

Notable Fauna seen on night Safari: fruit bats, flying squirrels, Bear cat, Banded civet, Common Palm/Borneo striped Civet, leopard cat, Sabah Deer

Today is an early start and a travelled filled day if you are departing from Kota Kinabalu. Sticky Rice will arrange transportation pickup from your hotel at around 7am in a modern van. The van is comfortable and the driver friendly and chirpy for the duration of the 2 hour leg to the bus depot where you will change vehicles to a utility truck. From the depot the trip takes approximately 2-3 hours to Maliau Basin Gate. At the gate you will register before having lunch at the Maliau Basin Information centre.

The Maliau Basin Studies Centre is approximately 1 hours drive from the Shell Maliau Basin Gate. The studies centre can only be described as a tranquil retreat nestled within the jungle. Enjoy time in this peaceful paradise before venturing on an afternoon wander to experience the Sky Walk. The Sky Walk is a wonderful opportunity to meander along the tree trope taking in views of the Maliau River and enjoying glimpses of busy squirrels scurrying through the branches.

Your evening will see you watching a short documentary, after a delicious dinner, to inform you of Maliau Basin and all it’s riches. The night adventure proceeding this is an awesome experience to witness the nocturnal wildlife at play. This involves a ride in the back of a utility truck with a spotlight, keeping your eyes peeled for bedding eyes to give away the hideaways of these wonderful animals. See above for a list of creatures we were fortunate enough to see on our adventure before retiring to our comfortable hostel beds.

Day 2: Agathis Camp to Nepenthes Camp formerly ‘Camel Trophy’

Approximate Total distance: 7.5 km Estimated time: 4 hours inclusive of rests

Notable Fauna seen: Mouse Deer, Malay Civet, Roul Roul Patridge, Big Tail Macqua (monkey), Barking Deer, leeches

Agathis Camp got its name from the Borneon species of Agathis tree which can only be found in Maliau Basin. Agathis Camp was destroyed by Pygmy Elephants in 2014 which is now the basis for you to begin your expedition on Day 2. From here you continue along the flowing river, crossing over bamboo bridges before continuing up through undulating forests and climbing steel ladders to reach the rim of the escarpment. This aspect of the journey continues for about 3 km. From about the 2.5 km mark we were welcome by torrential rain which continued to about the 5 km marker.

Throughout the journey you will notice that the rainforest scenery changes from Lower Mountain forests, Hilly Forests to mossy forests before reaching Karangis forest (Eucalyptus). From the mossy forests you will witness an array of Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes species) for you to view. Maliau Basin is home to all 6 species of Pitcher Plants inclusive of the Hybrid species Stenophylla (red and brown splotchy). The Veitchii Nepenthes is only found in Maliau.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Spirit Quest with Giraffe: Maliau Basin with Sticky Rice


Check Out: Maliau Basin Excursions

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World's Tallest Tropical Trees Discovered in Borneo

Laser scanning in Borneo has revealed 50 trees that break previous records. The giants are about as tall as five sperm whales stacked end to end.

The tallest tropical tree in the world is right where we thought it was—in a protected forest reserve in the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. But it’s not the one we thought.

Greg Asner of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) revealed the new record holder this week in his keynote speech at the 2016 International Heart of Borneo Conference.

Earlier this year a team of researchers led by David Coomes of Cambridge University made headlines with their announcement of the tallest tropical tree measuring 89.5 meters (293.6 feet) in Maliau Basin, a protected reserve managed by the Sabah Forestry Department.

However, concurrent laser scanning in May 2016 across a broad swath of Sabah’s forests conducted by Asner shows that one behemoth tree on a hillside in Danum Valley, another protected reserve, measures 94.1 meters (308.7 feet), surpassing the Maliau specimen for the honor of the world’s tallest tropical tree.

The tallest known trees anywhere are California redwoods, which live in the temperate zone. They have been measured up to nearly 116 meters (380 feet).

The large-scale census in Borneo covered many of Sabah’s protected forests, and actually pinpointed 50 trees that broke the previous record scattered across the state—33 in Danum Valley, 10 in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, and 10 within the United Nations Development Program’s biodiversity conservation project area.

He also found that the Maliau Basin tree was in fact just over 90 meters tall, adding that “either that tree grew half a meter or one of us is wrong”—a collegial nod to Coomes, who worked closely with Asner on his work in Sabah.

For reference, Asner noted in his talk that the height of the Danum Valley tree was about equal to five sperm whales stacked snout-to-fluke, an image enjoyed by the audience of scientists, government officials, and public and private stakeholders working in the Heart of Borneo—an area in the interior of the island of Borneo that includes parts of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

Since the tree was measured remotely, scientists aren't sure which species it is, although it is likely in the genus Shorea, they say. That group includes nearly 200 species of mostly rainforest trees native to Southeast Asia.

The trees can live for hundreds of years but many are endangered. Borneo has more than 130 of the species, including 91 found nowhere else. A number of the species are prized for their lumber.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: World's Tallest Tropical Trees Discovered in Borneo

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Landmark Protection for Borneo’s Endangered Wildlife

Thanks to Rainforest Trust donors, a major logging concession in Sabah, Borneo, has been converted into a 168,032-acre permanent sanctuary for wildlife that links two of the most important reserves in Asia – the Maliau Basin and Danum Valley – saving one of the most critical stretches of lowland rainforest remaining on the island.

On December 21, 2015, Rainforest Trust received news from its local partner in Borneo that the Sabah State Assembly formally approved the permanent protection of 168,032 acres of the Kuamut logging concession as a Class I Forest Reserve. This status confers the same level of protection as a national park.

The new protected area – nearly four times the size of the District of Columbia –strategically links two of Borneo’s largest protected areas, which are vital to protecting one of the planet’s last remaining strongholds of biodiversity.

Rainforest Trust in collaboration with Bornean partners Yayasan Sabah Foundation, the Royal Society South-East Asia Rainforest Research Program (SEARRP), and Permian Global worked with Sabah’s state government to formally establish the new Kuamut Forest Reserve.

Its protection comes after intense pressure to open these forests to repeated logging and oil palm development.

“The Kuamut Forest Reserve is a crucial link in a huge protected area complex extending across more than 77 miles of lowland rainforest and encompassing a wide variety of habitats for wildlife,” said Dr. Paul Salaman, CEO of Rainforest Trust. “After a struggle against logging and oil palm companies and their desire to open up these forests to development, we have finally secured protection for this exceptional area. The declaration of the Kuamut Forest Reserve is one of the greatest refuges for biodiversity in all of Borneo.”

The lowland forests in Danum Valley are among the world’s most important – and threatened – biodiversity hotspots. The area supports 340 species of birds, including the Critically Endangered Helmeted Hornbill and numerous endemics. Over 60 species of amphibians, 75 reptile species, and 40 fish species are found in the area.

The valley is also home to Borneo’s Pygmy Elephant. Numbering less than 1,000 total individuals, this is the smallest elephant in the world and it depends upon Kuamut for its survival. Studied for less than a decade, it remains one of the least understood elephant species in the world.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Landmark Protection for Borneo’s Endangered Wildlife

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Sabah sees growth in protected areas through heart of Borneo

SANDAKAN: Sabah has doubled the ‘Totally Protected Areas’ from 800,000 hectares to 1.55 million hectares, about 21 per cent of the state, since the inception of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative in 2007.

Sabah deputy state secretary Datuk Joseph Guntavid said the areas include the classification of new Class One Protection Forest Reserves, totalling some 137,000 hectares in the HoB linking key conservation areas such as the Danum Valley, Imbak Canyon and Maliau Basin.

“The State Government has also pledged to further increase its Totally Protected Areas to 30 percent or 2.1 million hectares of the state’s total land area over the next 10 years,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Ninth HoB Trilateral Meeting, officiated by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Ir. Hamim Samuri here, today.

The HoB initiative is a government-led and NGO-supported programme initiated by a joint declaration by the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei in 2007.

Joseph added that the State Government has set aside 53 percent or about 3.9 million hectares of the state’s land mass as protected areas in the form of forest reserves, state parks, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation areas.

Joseph, who is Sabah HoB Committee Chairman, said much has been accomplished in the state through the HoB, including awareness raising through the annual HoB conference.

Continue reading at: Sabah sees growth in protected areas through heart of Borneo

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Sustainable forest plan for interior Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: A comprehensive plan is being drawn up for the sustainable use of land in Sabah’s interior that is about 10 times the size of Penang island.

The ambitious plan would place an area of at least 260,000ha, including key conservation areas as well as land being used as forest and oil palm plantations, under a “common and integrated” strategy.

The Forestry Department recently placed advertisements calling for consortiums or companies to provide experts specialising in landscape modelling and environmental economy for the project.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said the project was crucial as it encompassed a land mass connecting three key protected areas.

These are the 105,443ha Maliau Basin, Danum Valley (42,800ha) and Imbak Canyon (16,750ha).

The project also partly covers the Kalabakan and Gunung Rara forest reserves that are part of the state-owned Yayasan Sabah sustainable forest management licence agreement area.

“Among the things we want to see under this project is the providing of corridors of forests in this area connecting Danum, Imbak Canyon and Maliau Basin for the benefit of wildlife,” said Mannan, whose department is spearheading the project.

Called the Biodiversity Conservation in Multiple-use Forest Landscapes, the plan would address multiple uses of the land to ensure that any activities there were sustainable.

Apart from the three conservation zones, the area would also include parcels of land that had been earmarked for forest rehabilitation, timber production as well as industrial tree plantations including oil palm cultivation.

“We are confident that what we are doing in Sabah can eventually become a model for other areas in South-East Asia,” Mannan said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sustainable forest plan for interior Sabah

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Eye on Imbak Canyon

A new research centre makes Imbak Canyon its focal point.

DEEP in the heart of Ulu Kinabatangan in Sabah’s south-eastern region is a canyon valley so remote and inaccessible that it has, for years, remained little-known, even to the people of the nearest village of Kampung Imbak in Tongod.

Because of that, this wilderness has remained untouched – it is one of the last unlogged contiguous lowland dipterocarp (a family of tropical hardwood trees with two-winged fruits) forest left in the state today.

In 2003, the Yayasan Sabah Group designated it as the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, solely for research, education and training, and as a seed source or gene bank. In 2009, all 30,000ha of the area were accorded Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve status.

The area merits protection as it is a crucial corridor link between two important protected areas: Danum Valley and Maliau Basin. This link facilitates movements of wildlife like the pygmy elephant, orang utan, bearded pig, clouded leopard and even the critically-endangered Sumatran rhino (footprints were previously detected there).

Its pristine state makes it ideal for research into non-destructive use of an undisturbed forest, for instance in carbon sequestration (removing carbon dioxide and storing it in the soil). It also serves as a catchment area for the Imbak River which merges with the Melian River before spilling into the Kinabatangan, Sabah’s principal waterway.

Yet, just a few decades before, the forest had been vulnerable; it was within the logging concession given to Yayasan Sabah. Fortunately, a scientific expedition by Sabah Forestry Department in 2000 helped saved Imbak Canyon as it showed the area to have abundant biodiversity. Two other scientific studies were conducted after that, in 2004 and 2010.

Rich wilderness

Imbak Canyon, together with Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and the coastal forest of Tumunong Hallu, form part of the one million hectare of concession known as the Yayasan Sabah Forest Management Area. Half of this is Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserves consisting of the mentioned conservation areas and other logged sites now given the Class 1 category. The other half consists of Class 2 Commercial Forest Reserves, which can be logged.

Petronas is funding the conservation of Imbak Canyon. In 2010, the oil and gas company allocated RM6mil for a three-year commitment to manage the area in a sustainable manner. So far, there has been public awareness campaigns, wildlife surveys, studies on climatology, hydrology and ethnobotany (relationship between humas and flora) as well as construction of an information centre, a jetty to ease transportation of crops by villagers who farm at the forest fringes, and a research station.

Dr Waidi Sinun, Yayasan Sabah conservation and environmental management division group manager, says Imbak is special for different reasons – one being the shape of the canyon and its 25km-long, mountain-bounded valley. It is visible from the air, just like Maliau Basin and Mount Kinabalu.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics & Vid) at: Eye on Imbak Canyon

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Sabah committed to Heart of Borneo

KOTA KINABALU: The State government is committed to achieving the objectives of the Heart of Borneo initiative, which includes conserving and efficiently managing rich biodiversity within contiguous tropical forests on the island of Borneo.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said under the various government programmes, it is important to utilise natural and social capital for economic development in an innovative way to generate new physical and financial capital.

“As there is growing concern on over-exploiting natural assets, we have to ensure that such development is done in a sustainable manner, giving priority to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.

“It is also important for us to work hand-in-hand with various stakeholders and sectors in achieving this goal,” said Musa at the launching of the “International Conference on Heart of Borneo’s Natural Capital: Unleashing their Potential for Sustainable Growth in Sabah” at Sutera Harbour Resort (SHR) here yesterday.

Musa who is also Finance Minister was happy to note that the Sabah Forestry Department has taken the lead in implementing various conservation efforts and activities under the Heart of Borneo initiative in partnership with international and local agencies, as well as local communities.

“The implementation of this initiative takes cognisance of local sensitivity and culture and adheres to existing legal instruments and policies. It is tailored to the current condition and availability of means of implementation,” said Musa.

Through the Heart of Borneo, he said Sabah increased Totally Protected Areas to 1.3 million hectares or 18 per cent of the State’s land area, surpassing the IUCN target of 10 per cent for countries.

“We have also improved the connectivity of existing protected areas, particularly the super corridor linking Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley within the greater Ulu Segama Malua, now dubbed as the ‘Green Heart of Sabah’, and we have further promoted Sustainable Forest Management,” disclosed Musa.

He added: “In addition, we have reinforced protection with the establishment of 14 Field Outposts and Wildlife Protection units.”

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah committed to Heart of Borneo

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Exciting, shocking find in Maliau Basin survey

LAHAD DATU: Despite various efforts to monitor encroachment by the relevant authorities, the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA), dubbed as Sabah’s ‘Lost World’, is still facing threat of environmental and wildlife disturbance as poachers and gaharu (sandalwood) collectors are occasionally intruding into the protected area.

This was the shocking discovery during a ten-day intensive resource and wildlife inventory survey to the pristine rain forest by local researchers, including this writer, recently.

Several members of the survey team not only found hard and fresh evidence of encroachment such as bullet casings, camping sites, hunting and fishing paraphernalia and graffiti on tree trunks but even came into close encounters with a band of suspected poachers or gaharu collectors.

In fact, three suspected poachers even ‘registered’ their presence by peeping into one of the 132 camera traps set up in scattered places by the survey team to capture wildlife presence in the Class 1 protected forest.

“After we destroyed the suspected poachers’ camping site, we were surprised when they suddenly appeared and fearing for our safety, we had to run away,” said Sharon Koh from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Malaysia), who participated in the field study.

A check with the Maliau Basin Studies Centre, an administrative centre for MBCA, revealed that the poaching and gaharu collectors’ activities are mainly confined to the MBCA buffer zone area, which plays a critical role in the protection of the MBCA.

The buffer zone is where most immediate threats to the 58,840-hectare MBCA are addressed in a tactical sense, including blocking the intrusion of hunters, loggers and gaharu collectors from entering the core areas.

Yayasan Sabah rangers with the cooperation of other government agencies, especially the Sabah Wildlife Department have been regularly patrolling the buffer zone as well as MBCA’s core areas to check out intruders, while rangers’ posts were also set up in several places, including Sungai Kuamut and Lake Linumunsut.

The intensive field survey however produced an impressive listing of mammals and birds, including rare and endangered species living in the untouched wilderness, characterized by diverse assemblage of forest types with complex river systems and dozens of beautiful waterfalls.

The local researchers comprising 137 participants were from Yayasan Sabah, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Parks, WWF Malaysia, Sabah Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Program (HUTAN-KOCP), INIKEA and Sabah Environmental Trust (SET).

The flora and fauna inventory survey, which started on June 14, covered almost the entire conservation area, except the 15,000-ha heritage zone which was set aside for future generations to explore in the next 50 years (no sooner than 2050).

The intensive study confirmed that the protected area, which is slightly larger than Penang island, is home to some of Sabah’s most rare and endangered species, including Pigmy Elephants, Orang Utans and Proboscis Monkeys. Researchers also recorded the presence of other mammals through direct sighting or captured by camera traps such as Clouded Leopards, Malayan Sunbear, Barking Deer, Mousedeers, Banded Palm Civet, Bay Cat, Short-tail Mongoose, Borneon Gibbon, Porcupines, Pangolins and Langur.

The exciting list of birds recorded includes Bulwer’s Pheasant, Giant Pitta, Bathawk, Red-Bearded Bee-eater, Borneo Ground Cuckoo, White-fronted Falconet, Crested Fireback, Borneon Bristlehead, Scarlet-rumped Trogon and Borneon Bristlehead.

Alim Biun from Sabah Parks who is also an expert on birds confirmed that all eight living species of Borneon hornbills, including the Helmeted Hornbill, are also found in the 588.4 sq km conservation area.

Continue reading at: Exciting, shocking find in Maliau Basin survey

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Meeting the green giant of Sabah

Like two whirling gyroscopes, a pair of gibbons circled the huge emergent tree. With reckless power and precision, the pair made gravity defying swings in smooth, graceful arcs, as they flew around the tree in faster and faster orbits.

Witnessing the morning territory calls of this gibbon family, deep in the dipterocarp forests of the Maliau basin of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, is a spectacle I hope never to forget.

It seemed clear that the gibbons were making a deliberate show of strength, and it was the majestic tree species Dryobalanops lanceolata that formed the platform and centerpiece for the display.

Standing some 70 metres tall, D. lanceolata provides a lofty purchase for epiphytes and forms a cornerstone of this wonderfully rich ecosystem. With its smooth, straight trunk and supporting buttress roots it ascends to great heights, not branching until it reaches the canopy, where it forms a terminal crown.

It is this imposing green cloud of branches that creates a magnificent setting for the gibbons’ ritualised display. This growth strategy is common among dipterocarp trees and has allowed them to dominate the lowland forests of Southeast Asia, forming the tallest tropical forests anywhere in the world.

Before joining Fauna & Flora International (FFI), I carried out research at the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project. This gave me the opportunity to visit the Maliau conservation area, known as the ‘lost world of Sabah’. Encircled by rugged mountains, it holds a largely pristine ecosystem and forms one of the last strongholds of D. lanceolata.

Looking at this tangled forest scene, I had the impression that the great height of these dipterocarp giants had built an extra layer onto the multi-story complexity of tropical forests. Compared with the lower canopy forests I’ve studied in Africa, these dipterocarp forests looked like built-up, biological city centres, with D. lanceolata making up the highrise, living skyscrapers.

A big tree in a small forest

Southeast Asia has the highest annual rates of deforestation in the tropics and the greatest proportion of threatened vascular plant species. The region has already seen the extinction of species such as Dipterocarpus cinereus, and D. lanceolata is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

In the Malaysian state of Sabah, there has been a rapid decline in the extent of natural forest area, from around 86% of the state in 1953 to less than 50%. This loss is largely the result of timber extraction and the expansion of the palm oil industry, which has seen a more than fourfold increase in production between 1980 and 2000.

This increase has been concentrated in Malaysia and Indonesia, which now account for more than 80% of global palm oil production.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Meeting the green giant of Sabah

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A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part III)

Pilot project to manage multiple-use forest landscape in the works

KOTA KINABALU: The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) with the support from relevant government department (i.e. Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD)) are in the midst of preparing a five to 10 years programme as a pilot project to manage multiple-use forest landscape and secure the Sabah Mega Biodiversity in Gunung Rara and Kalabakan.

Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) conservation and research head, Raymond Alfred said in a statement that under the programme, each plantation would be needed to establish their own wildlife conservation unit.

Among others, the programme aims to initiative a monitoring programme to assess the status of elephant population.

It also hopes to start the honorary wildlife warden programme as well as manage and restore degraded forests corridor, particularly those within the DaMaI (Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon) corridor.

Additionally through the programme, they also hoped to initiative enforcement using MIST and provide mitigation training and management measures to reduce human – elephant conflicts, he said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part III)

Also Read: A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part II)

Also Read: A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part I)

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Sabah’s Imbak Canyon contains a wealth of information

THE early morning mist envelopes the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA). The chirping of birds, the call of gibbons and the sound of rushing water from a river are beautiful and unforgettable.

This writer recently went to the Gunung Kuli Research Station, located at the ICCA, the remaining part of unspoilt lowland rainforest in the heart of Sabah.

A trip to this pristine forest is incomplete without understanding the beauty of wildlife and trees.

The water in the Imbak River is crystal clear. In addition, a number of freshwater fish live in the river and other streams.

In 2010, a 10-day research expedition was organised at the Gunung Kuli Research Station. More than 100 researchers took part in the research expedition.

Imbak Canyon

During their expedition, researchers found 50 species of medicinal plants and 28 species of orchids in the conversation area, which spans 30,000 hectares.

The Imbak Canyon is a priceless heritage site, which had been transformed into a Forest Conservation Area in 2010.

According to Dr Waidi Sinun, Yayasan Sabah’s group manager (conservation and environmental division) at the ICCA, the ICCA had been developed into a conservation area by Yayasan, Sabah Foundation, in 2003, for research purposes.

Today, the area is managed by the foundation.

Forest

Imbak Canyon is a 25km long valley in central Sabah. It is surrounded by sandstone cliffs that are more than 3,700 feet tall.

The Imbak Canyon forest consists of shrub communities as well as low forest communities.

Recognised as a genetic seed bank, Imbak Canyon is home to more than 317 species of plants, out of which 32 species are found in Borneo, with only six species present in Sabah.

According to Waidi, there are six different species of primates in Imbak. They are the Borneo gibbon, the long-tailed Macaque, the Silvered Langur, the Red leaf monkey, the Proboscis monkey and the Pig-tailed monkey.

Waidi said the ICCA will combine Maliau Basin and Danum Valley so that a full-fledged research facility can be developed for biodiversity studies.

Partnership

Efforts to develop the ICCA into a world class education centre were intensified after the launch of the Yayasan Sabah-Petronas Imbak Canyon Partnership last year.

Petronas contributed RM6 million to create a master plan for Imbak Canyon.

At the proposed Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC), there will be a laboratory, research and staff quarters, an observation tower, conference rooms, galleries and a nursery.

The facilities available at the Tampoi Base Camp in Imbak Canyon are not sophisticated. Currently, the base camp has hostel-type accommodation with washrooms, a camping ground and a dining area.

Petronas’ contribution is indicative of the organisation’s desire to conserve Imbak Canyon’s unique biodiversity, and to make it a central research hub for studies on environment and biodiversity.

Support

"It is important to get the support of various organisations so that the Imbak Canyon can be developed into a conservation area to protect wildlife in Maliau Basin and Danum Valley.

"Equatorial rainforests, including the Imbak Canyon, play an important role in reducing the amount of carbon in the environment," said Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Senior General Manager at the Petronas Group’s Corporate Affairs Division, at the launch of the YS-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation Partnership.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah’s Imbak Canyon contains a wealth of information

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Government willing to spend to get DaMaI recognised as a World Heritage Site

KOTA KINABALU: The state government is prepared to pay the necessary cost to ensure Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon (DaMaI) get recognised as a World Heritage Site (WHS).

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the issue of money was secondary to the protection of the three sites which housed many of Sabah’s endangered animal species such as the elephant, orang utans, Sumatran rhinos, banteng and an array of bird species endemic to Borneo.

“Money can be found but once these treasures are destroyed, it will be gone forever. There will be no replacement. We need to ensure they remain protected,” he said during the workshop on the nomination of DaMaI as a WHS at a resort near here yesterday.

Earlier during the workshop, patrons were told that the cost of nominating a site for WHS would probably reach millions of ringgit.

“The state government is very keen to protect the three sites because there are none that are as wonderful as these, not just in Malaysia but in the entire world. We need to look beyond our own life in order to safeguard this,” he said.

He also mentioned that a lot of outstanding issues still needed to be resolved and that the journey towards getting DaMaI listed would be a tough one

“It was easy with Mount Kinabalu — there are still a lot of things to prepare. UNESCO has also become more selective, strict, and those with WHS status has to be of exceptional quality. This means it is going to be more difficult to ensure we get nominated,” he said.

As for the issue of getting the three sites nominated as a national heritage site, Masidi said it should not be a problem for the state.

He added that the National Heritage Department would not manage or own the sites recognised as a national heritage site.

“There will be no change in the way it is managed. It is just an accreditation.”

Meanwhile, Masidi said the state’s quest for WHS recognition for DaMaI was good for Sabah and for the country.

“If Sabah is out of Malaysia, it will have no Mount Kinabalu, it will have no Sipadan. About 22 per cent of Malaysia would be lost,” he said.

He also mentioned that getting DaMaI recognised would put the country and Sabah on the world map.

“We are not well known. Some people think Malaysia is in Africa. And Sabah is always related to Kuwait. We need to be known.”

Meanwhile, National Heritage Department director general Professor Emeritus Dato Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid said DaMal would not be listed as a World Heritage Site prior to 2015.

This is because Malaysia has become a WHS committee since last year, she said in her speech during the DaMaI WHS nomination workshop held at a resort near here.

“A country remains in the committee for four years and during that period, it is disallowed from nominating any site within its own territory,” she explained.

Continue reading at: Government willing to spend to get DaMaI recognised as a World Heritage Site

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Venturing the Lost Valley of Imbak Canyon

It is a promising day and chilly at the same time as we are to set foot at the long lost Valley of Imbak Canyon, a 30,000 hectares Class 1 (protection) Forest Reserve, right at the heart of Sabah, Borneo Malaysia neighboring Tawai Forest Reserve, Danum Valley Conservation Area and Maliau Basin Conservation Area.

Just the mentioned of the name frozen us and somehow place a question mark at the end of everything. Is it ganna be like what we have seen on photographs and stories we heard from the prior expeditions? There’s just one way to find out, see for ourselves and get the feeling into our bones.

The group is composed of people with quite a different interest but has one definite goal,  Nature and Adventure, a packed up term that requires a deep sense of natural history and likewise a tight stomach for the adventure part. The participants are from Sabah Tourism Board, Sri Pelanconagan Sabah,  North Borneo Safari, individual photographers, naturalists, photo journalists, travel writers, 4W drivers, IT’s, and nature guides of course.

Well, let’s just say they are the adventurers and hope we can justify what it bears.

The journey starts from exploring Tawai Forest Reserve, Telupid, approximately 138 km west from Sandakan town.  The plan of the day is towards Tawai River and the ‘microwave’, not far from the central town but not a tourist destination so we are not to expect loads of people. We drive deep into the forest and trek down the remaining 20 minutes to reach our destination, passing by colourful species of pitcher plants; such a welcoming sight!

Though the trekking is short, it is hot despite the fairly abundance trees around! And the sight of the crystal clear river speeds up our step, too desperate to cool down

Few metres away sits a waterfall, a little treasure of Tawai.

Wanting more of fresh water, the group continues swimming on the wider part downstream. The complexity of its natural environment plus the challenge of surviving the high temperature must have been the reason why the place has been bragly chosen as the backdrop of the Eyeworks Norway filming “Girls in the Wild”.

As much as we like to spend another couple of hours cooling, acrobating and diving with the freshwater fish, we need to reach the microwave uphill before sun set. Dragging our feet behind, we trek back and gear up until we reach the pick of Tongkungon Hill.

The 7 m high Forest Fire Observation Tower gives a perfect platform to get a wider view of the forest ranges and the Telupid community with its winding Labuk River.

Standing nearby are telecommunication towers thus the name ‘microwave’.

As the western horizon leaves the last shadow of its fiery orange, the east is firing some lightning, so we head back and settle for the night. The day was more than fulfilling and tomorrow will ganna need twice the energy.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Venturing the Lost Valley of Imbak Canyon

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Traversing Through Sabah's Imbak Canyon

KINABATANGAN (Sabah) -- "A valuable piece of natural Heritage" - this epithet best describes the Imbak Canyon conservation area located in Ulu Kinabatangan, right in the heart of Sabah.

The 30,000-hectare virgin dipterocarp forest lies between two other conservation areas - the Danum Valley and the Maliau Basin.

One may wonder, however, whether the landscape here resembles the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. Not exactly, but the word "canyon" in the name refers to the 750-metre deep and 3-kilometre wide ravine carved out of the rock cliffs by the Imbak River, which makes part of the landscape look like a canyon.

The Imbak Canyon is surrounded by sandstone cliffs reaching a height of 3,700 feet, and the numerous flora and fauna thriving in this rain forest represent a rich biodiversity.

The Imbak Canyon, located at a five-hour drive away from Kota Kinabalu, is managed by Yayasan Sabah (YS), which is involved in the conservation, research, training, education and nature recreation activities conducted there.

THE BEAUTY OF THE CANYON

The Imbak Canyon is a catchment area for two important rivers in the state - the Imbak and the Kinabatangan rivers - which not only provide water but also serve as a mode of transport and livelihood source for those living in the area.

Nestled between the Maliau Basin and the Danum Valley, the Imbak Canyon is regarded as an important buffer zone for wildlife, according to Yayasan Sabah's Head of Conservation and Environmental Management Dr Waidi Sinun.

Three expeditions conducted in 2000, 2004 and 2010, respectively, explored the natural treasures of the area, identifying 312 plant species in the region, of which 32 were endemic to Borneo, including six species which are found only in Sabah.

With regard to the fauna, Dr Waidi remarked that more than 200 species of birds live in Imbak Canyon, five of which are endemic to Borneo and found only in the conservation area.

These expeditions have also recorded the presence of pygmy elephants, leopards, bears, mouse deer and the Sumatran rhinoceros in this region.

"The Class 1 Forest Reserve also boasts of a unique landscape, with the ravine - which appears like a canyon - being the most striking feature," Dr Waidi told Bernama at the recent inaugural ceremony of the Ulu Kinabatangan Information Centre and Jetty project at Kampung Imbak.

The Imbak Canyon is also home to two panoramic waterfalls - the Imbak Waterfalls and the 8-tier Waterfall.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS WITH PETRONAS

In its efforts to conserve Imbak Canyon, Yayasan Sabah has collaborated with the national petroleum giant Petronas to gather information about the area, undertake biodiversity conservation efforts, preserve the genetic pool and explore the pharmaceutical and biotechnological potential of the flora there.

"The Information Centre and Jetty project will open new economic opportunities for local communities to improve their livelihood without affecting the environment," Dr Waidi explained.

The information centre will display informative posters on Ulu Kinabatangan and exhibit a 3D model of the canyon.

The information centre will also be of use to the Imbak Canyon Porter and Tourists Guide Association, and the locals would be able to sell their handicrafts at the centre.

Dr Waidi noted that the establishment of the information centre and the association for porters and guides was a step in the right direction towards involving the local communities in the conservation efforts.

"By joining in the conservation efforts, villagers will be more appreciative of the Imbak Canyon, which is located near their settlement.

"If they can maintain and understand the value of the area, then there will be no need for stringent policies to preserve the area.

"What is important is that they understand that this heritage is highly valuable. Only then will they take care of this place, like how the people living around Gunung Kinabalu take care of their place," observed Dr Waidi.

Continue reading at: Traversing Through Sabah's Imbak Canyon

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Going green in the Borneo jungle

'Borneo is one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself," the British naturalist Charles Darwin said of the island deep in the heart of the Malay archipelago.

At 130 million years, its rainforest is among the oldest in the world. Its biodiversity is so rich, it is said that 10 square kilometres of Sabah, on the island's north-eastern tip, contains more flora and fauna than North America and Europe combined. The Coral Triangle, a term referring to the waters between Borneo, East Timor and the Philippines, supports three-quarters of the world's marine life. Scientists are still unearthing new species: in 2006 and 2007, 52 new subspecies of fish, amphibians and plants were discovered in Borneo.

The island comprises the Indonesian state of Kalimantan, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and the sultanate of Brunei. Relatively little research has been done to document Borneo's bounteous flora and fauna; there has even been little mapping, for that matter.

It was only in 1988 that Malaysian authorities reached the Maliau Basin, a circular crater about 25 kilometres wide in central Sabah. Dubbed "Sabah's lost world", the basin is surrounded by 900-metre cliffs and vegetation so old it is thought to be one of the world's cradles of genetic wealth. So dense it's almost impenetrable, less than half of it has been explored by scientists. But they have discovered more than 80 species of orchid, plum-red rafflesias - at more than a metre in diameter, it's the world's largest flower - and a new species of tree.

As scientists uncover biological rarities, however, rampant deforestation - some of it legal - is occurring on the island, placing its rare and endangered species, many endemic, in peril. It is reported that half the world's tropical timber is drawn from Borneo, much of it destroyed to accommodate palm-oil plantations. Poaching and illegal hunting are also rife. Authorities in Sabah have promised to end all logging by 2014. They're looking to develop another industry instead. "We have taken the lead for ecotourism development in Borneo," the chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board, Dato' Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin, tells me emphatically.

Sabah's ecotourism policies are modelled on the United Nations' principles, that promote tourism ventures that contribute to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, engage indigenous peoples and are most suited to independent travellers.

Among Sabah's eco initiatives is the Green Building Index, which requires all new hotels to have advanced waste and water treatment, Tengku Adlin says, although in our conversation he couldn't name one new hotel that complies. Another policy, the Fair Trade Select, highlights tourism businesses using ethical products; so far, the only business endorsed is the handicraft shop, Kadaiku, which Tengku Adlin owns. "The government has ideas but little will to enforce," a biologist working in Sabah tells me.

I have heard there is a clutch of private tourism operators in Sabah who have instigated their own eco initiatives. My first stop is Gayana Eco Resort, a recently refurbished overwater resort hugging a bay of lush rainforest and mangrove forest on Gaya Island, one of five islands comprising the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a 15-minute boat ride from Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state.

The bay was a marine wasteland when a local businessman, Ambrose Lee, bought Gayana four years ago, citing dynamite fishing and careless boating as among the causes of the devastation. Lee upgraded the resort's villas, installed a sophisticated water-recycling plant and started rearing fish using sustainable stock for the resort's on-site restaurants. Then he established the Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC) to boost diminishing numbers of giant clam, a mollusc that can grow larger than a metre in length and live up to 100 years. Seven of the eight known species of giant clam are found in Borneo; they've been poached so heavily they're endangered.

Continue reading (incl. Pics) at: Going green in the Borneo jungle

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Maliau Basin and Danum Valley reclassified as “totally protected zones”

TWO of Sabah’s pristine forests – the Maliau Basin and Danum Valley – are to be shielded from encroachment with the creation of “totally protected zones” around them.

The state assembly passed amendments to Sabah’s forestry’s enactment to reclassify certain forests, including those surrounding Maliau Basin and Danum Valley, as first-class reserves yesterday.

Earlier, when proposing the Bill, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Radin Malleh said part of the Ulu Segama forest reserve, totalling 54,760ha in east coast Lahad Datu, and the 46,603ha Maliau Buffer Zone should be reclassified to Class I (Protected) from Class II (Commercial).

He said Ulu Segama was a vital water catchment area and a buffer zone for Danum Valley as well as a critical habitat for the orang utan, adding that it would be re-named as Mount Louisa forest reserve.

Radin said besides being a water catchment area, the Maliau Buffer Zone Class I forest reserve had unique conservation value.

“Other areas to be re-classified to Class I include part of the Sapulut and Kalabakan forest reserves covering 6,688ha, to be known as the Mengilan reserve.”

Continue reading at: Maliau Basin and Danum Valley reclassified as “totally protected zones”

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