| Wildlife | Sabah Nature Club |

Sabah is situated in the northern part of the island of Borneo. It covers an area of 73,619 square km and is the second largest state in Malaysia. It is bounded by Sarawak to the south-west and Indonesian Kalimantan to the south. It has a coastline of over 1440 km in length, with the South China Sea to the north-west, the Sulu Sea to the north-east and the Sulawesi Sea to the south-east. In addition, Sabah has over 40 islands, including Malaysia's only oceanic island, Pulau Sipadan.

The State has cultivated coastal plains followed, further inland, by rugged forested hill and mountain ranges. Sabah, is, in fact, well characterised as a land of rugged topography. The State also features an enormous swampy, forest covered flood plain along the its longest river, the Kinabatangan, which is dotted with ox-bow lakes and limestone outcrops and perhaps contains the richest natural freshwater fisheries in Malaysia.

This variety of habitats is rich in wildlife including orang utan, proboscis monkey, hornbill and marine turtle, as well as plant life such as the Rafflesia, pitcher plant and a unique array of wild orchid.

Because of this rich natural heritage, the State Government has established many conservation areas so that the natural habitats of these species of plants and animals may be protected by law. The largest of these areas include the Crocker Range Park, Kinabalu Park, Danum Valley Protection Forest Reserve, Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Conservation Area, Kulamba Wildlife Reserve and Tawau Hills Park. There are also a number of smaller protected forest areas that are important such as Sepilok, Gomantong and the Ulu Dusun forest near Sandakan. In addition, various island parks vital for marine conservation have also been established. These include Pulau Tiga Park, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and Turtle Islands Park.

WWF In Sabah

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia began conservation work in Sabah almost as soon as the Fund was established in 1972. As in the rest of Malaysia, WWF Malaysia's initial work in Sabah focused on the preservation of species and the conservation of habitats. WWF Malaysia's first ever project in Sabah and its first marine project in Malaysia involved studying coral reefs, when the Fund assisted the National Parks Board (now Sabah Parks) with a survey of Pulau Gaya, off Kota Kinabalu. The island is now part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park that was established in 1974.

This led to a number of other joint surveys and expeditions by the two organisations in areas such as the Klias Peninsula, Danum Valley, Balambangan Island and the Semporna Islands.

In 1979, WWF Malaysia assisted the Game Branch of the Forest Department in conducting a two-year faunal survey of Sabah, so as to collect the necessary information required for the development of wildlife conservation plans in the State. This was subsequently complemented by projects on specific species found in Sabah such as the crocodiles, rhinoceros, orang utan and water birds. The surveys studying orang utan, for example, involved estimating populations by counting nests from a helicopter.

These projects did not just study the biology of the animals but also the threats facing them and the steps needed for their conservation. Together, the various surveys with the Game Branch identified Tabin, Kulamba and Kinabatangan as key wildlife areas in Sabah. In addition, recommendations were made so as to allow the State to benefit from conservation efforts in ways such as tourism and education.

By now, in addition to habitat and species conservation, more emphasis was being placed on studying ways of sustainably using our natural resources. For example, the survey and collection of wild and cultivated citrus fruits of Sabah in 1985 helped to demonstrate the value of nontimber products from the forest.

Work by WWF Malaysia and the relevant State agencies continued on identifying protected areas in Sabah and formulating management plans for them. Additional surveys were done in Kulamba and Tabin Wildlife Reserves. For example, an aerial survey flown by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) assessed fire damage in Kulamba Wildlife Reserve.

In 1988, the Sabah Foundation in collaboration with WWF Malaysia organised a scientific expedition to survey the unexplored Maliau Basin in central Sabah. The RMAF flew over 40 scientists and staff out to this remote area by helicopter.

Towards the end of the 1980s, work had already begun on broader studies for the development of conservation areas in Sabah which focused more on land-use planning and conservation policy development.

Sabah Conservation Strategy

In 1990, the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Development in Sabah commissioned WWF Malaysia to prepare the Sabah Conservation Strategy. This document was submitted to the Sabah State Government and was accepted in principle in 1992.

Focusing on wise land-use as the key to conservation and development in Sabah in the 1990s, the Strategy calls for the establishment of a variety of protected areas, as well as improved management of resources on a regional basis.

"Conservation and development are interdependent," says WWF Malaysia Project Director (Sabah) Dr Junaidi Payne. "To support the long tenn needs of all the sectors in the State, a conservation strategy for Sabah needs to be based on careful allocation of its two primary natural resources: land and forests."

The Strategy therefore proposes various actions covering land-use, land revenue, multiple use management, water catchment areas, community forests, timber production, damaged forests, illegal logging, plantation forestry, biodiversity, mining, ecotourism, land applications, Environmental Impact Assessments, coastal development and others.

For example, the Strategy calls for the preparation of a series of maps to assist in environmentally-friendly land-use planning. "Environmentally sensitive" areas also need to be identified and reserved.

"Directly and indirectly, we continue to assist the State Government and its agencies in identifying and addressing key conservation issues," says Dr Payne. "We hope that, in this way, we can play a catalytic role in helping the State meet both its development and conservation needs."

From WWF Malaysia's own perspective, this project is a continuation of the conservation strategies we have already developed for nine other State Governments in Malaysia.

The preparation and implementation of these Strategies greatly supports conservation efforts covering the entire country both at State and National levels.

Wild cats and civets may contribute to Sabah's ecological balance

WWF Malaysia aims to continue working with the relevant authorities in Sabah on species conservation but these efforts increasingly incorporate management and socio-economic aspects. For example, WWF Malaysia funded the building of a permanent research lodge for researchers in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in eastern Sabah. The Reserve is managed jointly by the Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), which has prepared a management plan for the Reserve and views the area as a longterm research site. The existence of the lodge will help support the SWD's efforts in promoting long term wildlife research and management in Tabin, an area essential for forest protection and the conservation of biological diversity in Sabah. A project conducted from 1993-1996 in and around the Reserve investigated the ecology of civets and wild cats and its application to forest management.

"The terrestrial carnivores in Borneo are a poorly known group of animals," says WWF Senior Scientific Officer Rajanathan Rajaratuam. "They are an integral part of the natural biodiversity in tropical forests and often have unique needs. There is a lack of basic information on their ecology and behavior which had hindered the formulation of sound and effective management policies for their conservation and the habitats that they reside in.

"An understanding of the structure and dynamics of these carnivore communities within the forest is important for the management of the Reserve. The study also investigated the influence of land use, such as logging and adjacent agriculture, on the ecology of these species and evaluate the influence of habitat modification."

Some tropical forest carnivores like the civets are potential seed dispersers. They may, therefore, play an important role in forest regeneration after disturbance. The study found evidence that forests represent important refuges and breeding grounds for a variety of predators that feed on rat pests in oil palm plantations.

The finding challenges the traditional idea that forest represent sources of pests on plantations. The project also provided training to the SWD personnel and a Sabahan WWF trainee Scientific Officer in wildlife research and management techniques," adds Rajan. Trainee Scientific Officer, Lim Sheh Ping was initially employed on wildlife research in Tabin but subsequently went on to conduct wildlife surveys of Bukau River in the Klias Peninsula in western Sabah. He also carried out a study of the diet of orang utans in logged forests in the Kinabatangan region.

Education and Scientific Training

WWF Malaysia regards education as a key foundation for long-term conservation. WWF Malaysia assisted the Sabah Foundation in studying the feasibility of establishing a schools' nature club scheme in Sabah. The scheme was subsequently launched in 1988 and the Sabah Nature Club now the largest non-government organisation in Malaysia, with a membership of 28,000 and active clubs in 70 schools.

From this early achievement in focusing on the importance of education in conservation, another environmental education project i currently being undertaken.

WWF Malaysia is presently working as the consultant to the Sabah Wildlife Department to compile a Development and Management Plan for K.K City Bird Sanctuary (24 ha) and Likas Lagoon (26 ha). The main aims of the project are to protect these two habitats from further urban development, and to promote wetland awareness by creating an example of a well managed urban wetland sanctuary (the sites are approximately 4 km from the centre of Kota Kinabalu). It is hoped that these sites will be able to link up with other environmentally sensitive wetland areas in Sabah, such as the Kinabatangan Floodplain.

In a recent survey nearly 80 different species of birds were seen in the K.K City Bird Sanctuary/ Likas Lagoon. The mangroves provide an important breeding ground for night herons a egrets and support a diverse aquati life. The lagoon environment also provides a resource and refuge for many bird species. Some are found in great numbers e.g. moorhens, although there are also rare resident species such as purple herons and occasionally rare visitors e.g  migrating ducks.

The main focus of the K.K City Bird Sanctuary will be an environmental education centre linked to a boardwalk circuit and birdwatching hides. The boardwalk circuit will enable visitors to gain a closer view of the unique mangrove habitat and its wildlife. Due to its size (only 26 ha) and linear shape, developments at Likas Lagoon will be limited to the creation of two birdwatching areas with adjacent carparking. The vegetation at both K.K City Bird Sanctuary and Likas Lagoon will be rehabilitated with special emphasis on the former site, which has recently suffered from the activities of a squatter colony.

When the environmental education centre is established it is proposed to initiate education, tourism and research programmes from the facility. These programmes will be developed and refined by the sanctuary staff as an ongoing process.

National Ecotourism Plan

The National Ecotourism Plan is a plan prepared for the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism (MOCAT) by WWF Malaysia. Its objective is to assist the Government of Malaysia at Federal and State level in the development of Malaysia's ecotourism potential, while using it as an effective tool for conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the country. MOCAT and WWF Malaysia are working on extracting the tourism guidelines from this plan to produce booklets for wide distribution in both English and Malay. The lower Kinabatangan region in eastern Sabah was identified as a key ecotourism 'hot-spot' in this Plan. Malaysia's largest river floodplain, speckled with oxbow lakes, it is home to various animal species such as the Proboscis Monkey, Orang Utan, hornbills and rare birds such as the Oriental Darter.

Sabah Biodiversity Conservation Project

The Sabah Biodiversity Conservation Project is being undertaken to help in the conservation of plants, animals and their habitats in response to rapid changes in land use in Sabah. WWF Malaysia is providing technical assistance to the authorities in identifying potential protected areas. WWF Malaysia ia also currently assisting in other activities such as botanical surveys and environmental education, especially in the Lower Kinabatangan area.

Sabah Education and Rural Development Programme

The Sabah Education and Rural Development Programme was established by WWF Malaysia with the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Development (MTED) to assist various agencies involved in education, natural resource management and rural community development During the programme from 1993 to 1996, WWF Malaysia was engaged various activities such as environmental education in school developing education resources an holding forums with local communities.