KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s critically endangered orang utans and hornbills are set to benefit from an increased supply of figs following the planting of about 100 fig seedlings at a plantation in Sandakan.
The recent initiative was led by the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) team and 19 undergraduate and master’s students from Cardiff University to provide a sustainable and critical food source for the animals.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens said that once mature, the fig trees would provide a reliable food source for the region’s wild orang utan and hornbill populations.
Held for the second consecutive year, this year’s initiative at Hillco Plantation involved planting the seedlings using innovative techniques to overcome local environmental challenges and ensure their long-term survival, he added.
Goossens, who is also a professor at Cardiff University, said the seedlings were planted halfway up existing trees to keep them above seasonal floodwaters and protect them from foraging macaques that might pull them down.
“This year’s planting held deep sentimental value for the conservation community.
“The operation was dedicated to the memory of two late champions of global biodiversity conservation, Prof Michael Bruford, a renowned molecular ecologist and conservation geneticist from Cardiff University, and Peter Riger, the long-serving conservation director of Houston Zoo.
“These incredible men, who left us too early, were among DGFC’s strongest supporters since its early days,” he said in a statement.
The event was made even more meaningful with the participation of two leading local conservationists, Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne and Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin.
Junaidi, who has more than 50 years of conservation experience in Sabah, is the co-author of the seminal A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo, while Dr Zainal is a pioneer in Sumatran rhinoceros conservation.
Dr Zainal also manages the specialised nursery where the fig seedlings used in the initiative were propagated.
Both lead the conservation organisation Bringing Back Our Rare Animals, contributing their extensive ecological expertise to the field team.
“This impactful initiative is part of an ongoing partnership aimed at making agricultural landscapes more hospitable to native species,” Goossens said.
Meanwhile, he said the initiative forms part of an ongoing partnership to make agricultural landscapes more hospitable to native wildlife.
He also expressed his appreciation to Felda Global Ventures (FGV) and Hillco Estate for their continued collaboration, particularly Hillco Estate senior manager Peter Soibun and FGV head of services Mark Martin.
Goossens said every seedling planted during the initiative represented a tangible step towards creating a safer and more resilient habitat for Borneo’s endangered wildlife.
