Muguntan Vanar The Star 14 Nov 10;
KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Sime Darby has emerged a key player in assisting efforts to set up the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve over the last three years.
The foundation has contributed RM5mil towards the development of Borneo Rhino Sanctuary as well as provide additional funds for management of wildlife in Tabin Wildlife.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said that support by the private sector played an important role in the conservation of the Sumatran rhinos whose last known remaining populations were in the Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the Lahad Datu district.
He said the Government had outlined several steps towards helping in the survival of the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.
The first need is to prevent the poaching and illegal trapping of Sabah’s remaining wild rhinos.
The second need is to bring the few remaining rhinos which are not breeding to the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary, a managed fenced facility being developed at Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
“The people who will be protecting, monitoring, rescuing and caring for rhinos need a comfortable place to stay as well,” he said in thanking Yayasan Sime Darby and other partners in helping provide basic facilities for the area.
Yayasan Sime Darby’s funds were used to build five units of staff accommodation that provided 15 bedrooms at Tabin, Laurentius said when opening the accommodations dubbed as Rumah Gajah and Rumah Harimau Dahan on Saturday.
Yayasan Sime Darby was represented by its chief executive officer Puan Yatela Zainal Abidin who pledged to continue a wide range of programmes encompassing human welfare, education and sports, as well as conservation of the natural environment.
Another house with six bedrooms dubbed Rumah Badak and funded by WWF-Malaysia and WWF-Germany was officially opened at Tabin by WWF-Malaysia president Tengku Datuk Zainal Adlin.
