Sarawak to set up new national park after discovery of rare orang utan species in Borneo

KUCHING: The Sarawak government plans to gazette an area in Sungai Menyang, Sri Aman as another national park following the recent discovery of the world's rarest sub-species of Bornean orang utan in the area.

State Resource Planning and Environment Minister, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the discovery of the Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus sub-species was made during a survey conducted by the Forestry Department, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Borneo Adventure which covered an area of about 14,000 hectares in Sungai Menyang, near the Batang Ai National Park.