KOTA KINABALU: An ongoing expedition in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve aims to strengthen protection efforts for the critically endangered Bornean banteng and improve understanding of wildlife in the area.
Led by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) in collaboration with WWF-Malaysia, the two-week expedition which ends on Saturday (Feb 14) seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps on banteng populations in the central parts of the reserve, where data is scarce.
According to the SWD, the findings will support conservation planning and on-the-ground wildlife management, contributing directly to the Bornean Banteng Action Plan 2019-2028 and the Management Plans for Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Silabukan Forest Reserve 2020-2030.
SWD director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said Tabin was established to safeguard wildlife, especially large mammals, explaining that the department maintains a presence in the reserve as the state-mandated authority responsible for managing and conserving wildlife.
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"Today, Tabin continues to play a critical role in wildlife conservation and research, providing essential refuge for Sabah’s remaining large mammal populations," he said on Monday (Feb 9).
He said the need for updated scientific data has become urgent, more so as the SWD has not conducted an expedition in the reserve since 2009.
The lack of a comprehensive survey in over one and a half decades poses challenges for effective wildlife management, particularly in understanding current population trends, Soffian added.
"While there are several areas where we have identified the presence of banteng, significant areas of the reserve have yet to be surveyed, leaving gaps in data on their distribution and habitat use," he added.
Others involved in the expedition are the Sabah Forestry Department, Hutan, UK Appeal, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), Danau Girang Field Centre and Tabin Wildlife Resort.
The expedition team comprising 58 personnel from these organisations completed intensive preparatory training last week in Lahad Datu before heading into the forest.
Participants assigned to field work were trained in survey methodologies, first aid and operational protocols essential for the demanding 14‑day deployment.
The expedition’s core activities include deploying camera traps and conducting general surveys across Tabin Wildlife Reserve, with a particular focus on improving understanding of banteng distribution and presence.
Additional components such as threat assessment, orang utan surveys, and bird mist-netting aim to strengthen the scientific evidence base needed to fill knowledge gaps and guide long-term conservation planning and sustainable wildlife management for Tabin.
The reserve, spanning approximately 122,500ha, falls under the jurisdiction of the Sabah Forestry Department, whose regulatory oversight underpins conservation work in the area.
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Gazetted in 1984 primarily to protect large mammals at a time when surrounding lands were being rapidly converted for plantation development, Tabin has long served as one of eastern Sabah’s most important terrestrial conservation landscapes.
Public perception often associates the reserve with tourism because of Tabin Wildlife Resort, but this does not reflect its true purpose.
Beyond addressing data gaps, the expedition also aims to strengthen human capital within conservation teams by providing new rangers with exposure and facilitating knowledge transfer from more experienced personnel.
The initiative creates valuable opportunities for cross‑agency learning, enabling teams from different organisations to share skills, approaches and field experience.
Through hands-on field exposure, new rangers gain practical skills and benefit from direct knowledge transfer, helping build long‑term conservation capacity.
"This expedition is a vital initiative to strengthen our understanding of Sabah’s wildlife," said Dr Robecca Jumin, head of Conservation, WWF-Malaysia (Sabah).
"Through rigorous field surveys, camera trapping, and systematic monitoring, we aim to generate reliable data on banteng populations and broader biodiversity across the Tabin landscape.
"This evidence will directly guide conservation planning, strengthen management strategies, and support the long-term protection of these species and their forest habitats," she said, adding that this multi-agency expedition marks an important step in advancing evidence-based wildlife conservation across the Tabin Landscape.
