Malaysia: Boost for Sabah wildlife with habitat expansion

The Star 30 Nov 15;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s iconic wildlife such as the orang utan and Bornean elephants now have a significantly larger habitat with the connection of two conservation areas.

A businessman’s donation of more than nearly 467,000ha of fo­­rested land has provided the link between the Kalumba and Tabin wildlife reserves near Lahad Datu.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said timber businessman Liew Pin Cheong had donated the land with secondary forests that had been undisturbed for more than 20 years and was probably the first of its kind in the country.

“That piece of land had essentially enlarged the safe habitat for wildlife to move besides connecting the two conservation areas.

“It is like a critical piece in a jigsaw puzzle and what we have to do now is put some flesh on the bone, that is to enrich the forests there so that it can sustain the wildlife,” he added.

Although Kalumba was a lesser known conservation area, it had become home to tambadau or wild buffalo and elephants that seasonally migrated to nearby forest reserves such as Kretam, said Mannan.

The businessman handed over titles for the land to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman during the Heart of Borneo conference earlier this month.

Mannan said German resear­chers had suggested a corridor linking Kulamba and Tabin and fortunately the businessman had agreed to donate his tracts of land between the two conservation areas.