Bernama 4 Mar 09;
KUCHING, March 4 (Bernama) -- Sarawak is carrying out a population census on the Orang Utan, or 'the wild man of the forest in Borneo', to determine their number in the state, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) Managing Director and CEO Datuk Len Talif Salleh said today.
He said it was an initiative taken by SFC.
"It's time to compile an inventory of the Orang Utan population in the state. It's population has shown an increase as conservation and rehabilitation programmes initiated and carried by Sarawak, Sabah, and Indonesia to provide specific habitat for Orang Utan, prove to be a success," he told reporters here today.
Earlier, he attended the launching of a "Seminar of Biodiversity of Eastern Lanjak Entimau-Hidden Jewel of Sarawak' by State Assistant Minister of Planning and Resources Management Mohamad Naroden Majais here.
The state has an estimated Orang Utan population of 2,000, where the biggest concentration of the Orang Utan population is the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary (LEWS).
On allegations that Sarawak was allowing the clearing of forests for logging and oil palm cultivation, which affected the Orang Utan's habitat, Len dismissed them as baseless accusations.
He said the state had declared the Orang Utan habitats as national parks, apart from endorsing the species as fully protected under the Sarawak Forestry Ordinance.
"Development efforts, either logging or oil palm plantation, in the state have never destroyed the Orang Utan's habitat. The state government has declared substantial areas as Orang Hutan's habitat," he said.
Meanwhile, Len said the SFC was investigating reports that turtle eggs were served at a function last Saturday despite the government's ban on its consumption in the hope of conserving and protecting the endangered reptile.
"We started the investigation on Monday. At this point in time, I don't want to say anything until the investigation is complete. We will take action according to Sarawak's Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998, where all marine turtles and their eggs are totally protected.
"It is an offence to hunt, kill, capture, and sell the protected animals or to possess any of their parts," he said.
-- BERNAMA
