Tag - Environment

The Sabah Forestry Department recently awarded reforestation contracts to four contractors to restore degraded forest areas in North Ulu Segama, within the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserve in Lahad Datu. According to a statement here Saturday, 800 hectares would be replanted with indigenous tree species and wild fruit trees in the next 12 months to ensure the survival of orang-utans. The North Ulu Segama area was discovered in 2007 to have a large population of orang-utans. It is surrounded by oil palm trees and located in a poor secondary logged forest environment, with limited sources of food and shelter. The department has since acquired funding from the World Wildlife Fund Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) and its international network to carry out reforestation at the North Ulu Segama forest areas. According to WWF-Malaysia forest restoration manager Joseph Gasis, who is in charge of forest restoration work at North Ulu Segama, without sufficient food source and suitable trees as home, orang-utans would have to travel long distances in search of food. Source: Daily Express

Sabahans can consider themselves lucky for being able to witness turtles landing on their shores because of the Government's effort to gazette some of its islands, said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister, Datuk Elron Alfred Angin. He said following the coming into force of the 1984 Parks Enactment, the numbers have shown a slight increase despite a significant drop of turtle sighting worldwide. "Turtle hatching can be seen almost every night on our islands," he said during the launching of the Sabah Parks Turtle Conservation campaign here Saturday. The campaign will end on Dec. 15. "During the peak season the number of turtles landing on our shores can be 30-50," he added. Under the enactment, turtles can find sanctuary at the Turtle Islands, Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Pulau Tiga Park and Pulau Sipadan. The others are the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Areas (SIMCA), which include Langkayan in Sandakan. "To further better managed turtle conservation the construction of Sabah's first hatchery were completed in 1966 at Pulau Selingan," said Elron. In his speech, Elron said during the observation conducted in 1979 until 2010 a total of 218, 305 turtle nests were recorded with hatchlings born inside the parks. During the same period 13.07 million hatchlings were released back into the ocean. He also said since the 1970s up to 2010 a total of 54,904 turtles had been tagged. "It's an interesting phenomenon that these ancient animals could swim thousands of kilometres just to return to the place they were hatched," he said. Apart from the Ministry's effort, Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department, Environmental Department, WWF and NGOs also played a vital role on turtle conservation works. According to the Sabah Parks Director, Paul Basintal people are largely unaware that turtles were a protected species and that works on their conservation started in 1977. And the aim of campaign is to raise the awareness of the public on the such efforts by the government, its departments, agencies and NGOs. "This campaign is aimed at announcing to the public these initiatives and to allow an effective community involvement towards such initiatives," said Basintal. "Sabah Parks have been given the mandate to do the conservation works since the 70s. "The work requires a full time commitment regardless of public holidays," he added. Basintal also complimented the efforts of Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Environmental Department, UMS and WWF which had been doing their own bit in turtle conservation. The said agencies also set up their own booths during the campaign. This is the second time Sabah Parks had organised the campaign with the first one being at Lahad Datu in 2008. Worldwide, 25 species of turtles are currently considered likely to become extinct and have reached conservation status. In Sabah possession and selling of sea turtle eggs and goods are offences punishable under the 1984 enactment. Source: Daily Express

Animal lovers can learn more about the elusive and endangered Malayan sun bear (pic) when the visitor’s platform at the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sabah is ready. BSBCC chief executive officer and wildlife researcher Wong Siew Te said construction of the platform has just begun and it was expected to open in June, next year. He said little was known about the sun bear, which is the smallest bear species in the world and one of the rarest. “The sun bear’s name comes from its distinctive golden-coloured chest patch, which resembles the sun,” he said during his talk on the bear at the Malaysian Nature Society headquarters yesterday. He lamented that few Malaysians knew the importance of conserving this “wonderful, playful animal”, which faces extinction through illegal poaching and habitat destruction. BSBCC is focused on rehabilitation, conservation, education, research and welfare of sun bears, he said. Source: The Star (By ISABELLE LAI )