US Ambassador Edgard D. Kagan,(fourth from right, top row), and SWD director Mohd. Soffian Abu Bakar,accompanied by the Oregon Zoo delegation, and by the WHGFL personnel during their visit to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.
KOTA KINABALU: Cooperation between the United States and Sabah in fighting wildlife crime has been strengthened following a visit by US Ambassador to Malaysia, Edgard D. Kagan.
He accompanied a 16-member delegation from the Oregon Zoo that visited the Sabah Wildlife Department’s (SWD) Wildlife Health, Genetic and Forensic Laboratory in Kampung Potuki on Monday (April 14).
The visit reflected a shared commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and bolstering scientific and forensic investigations into wildlife crime in Sabah.
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SWD director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the long-standing US support was instrumental in helping to establish the laboratory in 2012.
“Support from our US partners – government, institutions and individuals – has been vital to our progress. Without this support, this laboratory would not have been possible.
"We remain committed to advancing our capabilities to protect Sabah’s wildlife, and today, even agencies like the Customs Department and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation rely on this facility’s forensic services,” he said after taking the delegation to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park and giving them a tour of the laboratory.
Kagan also highlighted the importance of international cooperation in tackling shared challenges.
“Strong US-Malaysia partnerships reflect our shared commitment to deepening people-to-people ties.
"This lab is a powerful example of how international cooperation through genetics, forensic science, and disease surveillance can yield real, lasting impact in Sabah's fight against wildlife crime,” he said.
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Launched in 2013 and co-managed by the SWD, Conservation Medicine and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), the laboratory is the first in Borneo accredited to ISO17025 standards for wildlife disease diagnostics and DNA forensic analysis.
In 2019, with US support, a dedicated Forensic Unit was established to strengthen enforcement against wildlife crime.
DGFC scientific adviser and Genetic and Forensic Units coordinator Dr Milena Salgado Lynn said the laboratory was initially focused on disease and genetic research but has since expanded to include cutting-edge forensic capabilities.
“We conduct disease testing for critical illnesses such as elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHV), carry out population genetics studies on threatened species like the banteng, maintain a biobank of Sabah’s protected species, and provide DNA analysis for wildlife crime investigations," she said.
The Forensic Unit handled 62 cases between 2020 and 2023 and almost that number last year alone, reflecting growing demand for such expertise, she added.
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The Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Zoo Foundation have supported conservation in Sabah since 2008, focusing on habitat restoration, coexistence and community engagement.
Foundation board of trustees chairman Dr Melanie Billings-Yun said the laboratory's progress has been laudable.
“I accompanied my husband Joseph Yun, a former US ambassador to Malaysia, when he officiated the lab’s opening in 2013 and the achievements since then are remarkable.
"The commitment from the SWD and local scientists inspires us to keep building these partnerships, especially in support of Bornean elephant conservation,” she said during the visit.
