WWF : Orangutans are one of the most at-risk wildlife yet

Bukit Piton was once a degraded forest. Thankfully, after years of reforestation efforts spearheaded by WWF-Malaysia and the Sabah Forestry Department, the reserve is now able to support wildlife, especially its orangutan inhabitants.

Many of orangutan's forest homes are in danger of rapid development and conversion of land.

The total projected cost to restore 150 hectares of degraded forests in Sabah, namely Trusan Sugut Class 1 Forest Reserve is approximately RM 3.1 million.

Did you know the orangutan is one of the slowest reproducing species in the world, usually giving birth to just one infant every six to eight years ? This makes them highly prone to extinction as it takes a long time for their population to recover from decline. Thus, saving this critically endangered Bornean Orangutans requires continuous and collaborative efforts.

As a mostly fruit eating species, the orangutan plays a key role in forest regeneration as it disperses seeds which help regenerate more fruit trees. Unfortunately, with illegal logging and deforestation, these agile tree-climbing mammals are living in degraded and isolated patches of forests where food and shelter are limited.

Aside from restoration efforts, another method to address this threat is the building of ecological corridors to facilitate the movement of orangutans and other species between isolated patches of forest to find food, shelter and mates. We have now identified nine ecological corridors requiring connectivity, with at least four being crucial to the orangutan survival in Sabah.

WWF-Malaysia.

Help WWF keep Brumas (our satellite-collared elephant) and her herd safe in Sabah !

Elephants are among the most intelligent creatures on earth and they are able to display remarkable family bonds and social lives. When elephants bump into a familiar herd, they will rejoice with loud trumpets through gestures such as a tilt of the head or flap of the ear.

In 2005, WWF- Malaysia and Sabah Wildlife Deparment set ou on an elephant satellite tracking project to place satellite collars on adult female elephants that are at least six feet tall and weighs approximately one tonne.

Recently, our ranges John Japil and Julian Herman tracked down a magnificent female whom we named “Brumas” after the plantation where we placed a satellite collar on her. I am pleased to report that Brumas and her family were seen enjoying a salad of grass and other tasty plants in a wildlife-friendly oil palm plantation in Brumas, Tawau.

The Borneo elephant is an umbrella species that play important role in maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystem in which they live in. These mega gardeners are excellent seed dispersers that help regenerate our forests. As their diet includes forest fruits, these seeds pass through their digestive system and are deposited far and wide, thereby helping the spread of new plants and tress which serves as food and shelter for other wildlife in the area!