WWF M'sia paper: Orang utan population stable, conservation must continue

KOTA KINABALU: The orang utan population of 11,000 has remained stable in protected areas in Sabah for the past 15 years, but the state must ensure conservation measures continue, says a WWF Malaysia scientific paper.

Entitled "Changes to Orang Utan Population in Recent Times: 2002-2017", it found that Sabah remains Malaysia's stronghold for the apes with more than 70% found in totally protected areas.

The positive numbers have shown that forest management practices are effective in ensuring orang utan conservation and it is essential that these practices be maintained.

The study specifically noted that surveys by a team led by Donna Simon, carried out in central Sabah areas of Dermakot and Ulu Segama, showed that the orang utan population had remained stable over the last 15 years.

In the survey in 2002, there were 5,376 orang utans, while in the 2017 survey, the population slightly increased to 5,933 individuals.

The 15-year research reflected that orangutan populations could be sustained in well-managed logged forests, and this underscored the importance of a continued conservation management in the central forests of Sabah.

The scientific study released on Thursday also noted that the orang utan population remained stable in the area as theu were not hunted.

Sabah's chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini said the state forestry department was committed to conserving and protecting Sabah's iconic wildlife species.

"We will continue to manage important wildlife habitat, such as Deramakot and central Sabah forest reserves complex, in accordance with sustainable forest management (SFM) practices and in compliance with both national and international forest certification standards, he said.

According to WWF Malaysia, the research marks the most intensive survey effort ever done on any great ape in the world and the results proved beneficial to orang utan conservation in Sabah as a whole.

WWF-Malaysia's comprehensive survey exercise also discovered another population of at least 1,000 individual orang utans in the Imbak-Kalabakan region of south-west Sabah.

"This survey allows us to advocate for a better land-use plan and identify crucial degraded orang utan habitat to be set aside for restoration and habitat connectivity or for protection.

"The paper shows only a fraction of the overall orang utan conservation work that WWF-Malaysia is doing, and we are glad that Sabah is on track to conserve this critically endangered species," said Donna.

It was noted that while the orang utan population had stabilised in large forest areas, their numbers declined in forest patches within oil palm landscapes of the eastern lowlands of Sabah.

The survey found that orang utan numbers had reduced by 30% and 15% respectively in Kulamba and Tabin areas, which showed that at least 650 orang utans had been lost there since 2002.

The study noted that monoculture nature of oil palm plantations means did not support species that are dependent on forest environment like the orang utan.

Sabah Wildlife Department Augustine Tuuga said that forest patches within the plantation landscape were important in allowing orang utans to use them as stepping stones to travel between adjacent forest areas.

"This connectivity, through wildlife corridors that link patches of forest, is key to orangutan survival at oil palm plantation landscapes, especially in the lowlands of Sabah," Tuuga said.