Thursday, July 21, 2011

RM1.5 million to conserve proboscis monkeys in Sabah

DANAU GIRANG: Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) yesterday donated RM1.5 million to the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) to conserve and manage the estimated 2,500 to 3,000 proboscis monkeys that are living in the fragmented forests in the Lower Kinabatangan.

The three-year commitment will see SWD and Cardiff University of the UK conduct a Proboscis Monkey Conservation Programme at the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), a centre established by SWD.

The programme will support research and conservation work on proboscis

monkeys, considered as one of the most unique, charismatic and endemic primate species of Borneo.

YSD Governing Council member Caroline Russell said during a press conference following the handing over of a mock cheque of the amount to SWD at DGFC yesterday that this was part of Sime Darby’s corporate social responsibility efforts to give back to society.

She added that they were keen on the project as the proboscis monkeys are one of the YSD’s ‘Big 9’, which are the sun bear, orangutan, pygmy elephant, Bornean clouded leopard, hornbill, banteng, proboscis monkey, Bornean Sumatran rhinoceros and Malayan tiger.

Proboscis monkeys in Sabah are most commonly found in mangrove forests and are sighted in mangrove forests in Sandakan (Sukau, Sepilok) and Klias Wetlands as well as in Tabin. Deforestation is the main threat to the population.

In her speech earlier, Russell mentioned that the cooperation was the first of its kind in the world.

“It will allow for the management of proboscis monkeys in Sabah and allow SWD to execute research and management of the species, particularly in Danau Girang,” she said.

She added that YSD was attracted to the project due to its emphasis on sustainability and community building.

Eventually, she said that they hope to formulate a comprehensive management plan for Sabah with regards to the species and get a consensus for the proboscis monkeys.

The three-year project shall also include the rescue and translocation of proboscis monkeys residing at non-viable locations.

“It is estimated that 100 to 200 are living at sites that are under threat,” she said.

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