Amir Moor brudirect.com 22 May 10;
Bandar Seri Begawan - The clearing of the Mangrove forests along the riverside near the Bengkurong village did not drive away the endangered proboscis monkeys but return them to their original habitat along the Brunei River.
Speaking to The Brunei Times , Hj Ibrahim Hj Mohd Salleh said the government informed them about the project, which was to expand the river to prevent flooding.
Flooding is a big problem for the kampongs and mukims close in the Bengkurong area, especially further up the river.
Hj Ibrahim said the authorities in charge of clearing the mangrove forests were aiming to fix and reinforce the coasts of the river that were initially unstable due to broken branches, mud and clutter.
Now that the mangrove forests has been cleared, Hj Ibrahim believed that the proboscis monkeys have moved back to their natural habitat near the capital along the Brunei River.
"The clearing of the mangrove forests in that area does not really involve us because Bengkurong only stretches after the bridge in that area, however, we were informed by the government about the project," he said.
Previously, the proboscis monkeys that were located on the other side of the river would occasionally migrate to the human populated side to obtain their main source of food, the api-api leaves.
"Having to migrate to another source of food, the proboscis monkeys are more driven to gain their api-api leaves and ignore their shy and timid nature towards humans," Hj Ibrahim said.
"The worst part is that they often mingle with the more common monkeys that are mischievous and disturb human environments. Being desperate for food, the proboscis would even join them which would double the problem altogether," he said. In Brunei, proboscis monkeys co-exist with human settlements.
Another relief that Hj Ibrahim expressed due to the clearing of the mangroves was the desertion of crocodiles that used to stay along the riverside near the Bengkurong. "When the water in the river begins to get too hot, the crocodiles would surface seeking shade to cool down and wait until the sun goes down," he said. "With the forests clear, they are forced to swim further upstream which is also near the capital to find their shade from the sun."
The clearing of the mangrove forests has been ongoing for about 20 days since early May and he said that despite his or anyone else's opinion, the government's decision was final and reasonable for the public ease and safety.
Workers are currently stationed there to monitor and work on the coastline.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
