THE STAR
Published on February 12, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s move to stop logging operations at the Ulu Segama-Malua forest reserve in the state’s east coast is a crucial step towards conserving the Borneo elephant population, state Widlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said.
He said a six-year study involving the satellite tracking of the state elephant population showed that the animals were sensitive to habitat disturbance.
“For example, in Gunung Rara forest reserve in central Sabah, logging activities were carried out during the tracking period and elephants moved greater distances than in forests that were not being logged,” he said.
Four adult females from Kalabakan, Taliwas, Ulu Segama-Malua and Gunung Rara Forest Reserves and one from the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary were fitted with satellite collars and the size of their home ranges were determined using the location data gathered from the satellites since 2005.
Endangered: Two pygmy elephants crossing the road in Taliwas forest in Sabah in this file picture.
In Kinabatangan, since 2008, the department together with a wildlife non-governmental organisation, Hutan and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), also collared another nine elephants to identify the best approach to reconnect the elephants with the forest.
Based on the study, wildlife experts are urging the state to retain all remaining lowland forests which support elephants under natural forest management and not convert these areas into plantations.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goosens said forest disturbance needed to be minimised in areas where there were wild elephants.
Borneo Conservation Trust research and conservation head Raymond Alfred said elephants had travelled longer distances in disturbed areas in search of food and water.
Published on February 12, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s move to stop logging operations at the Ulu Segama-Malua forest reserve in the state’s east coast is a crucial step towards conserving the Borneo elephant population, state Widlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said.
He said a six-year study involving the satellite tracking of the state elephant population showed that the animals were sensitive to habitat disturbance.
“For example, in Gunung Rara forest reserve in central Sabah, logging activities were carried out during the tracking period and elephants moved greater distances than in forests that were not being logged,” he said.
Four adult females from Kalabakan, Taliwas, Ulu Segama-Malua and Gunung Rara Forest Reserves and one from the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary were fitted with satellite collars and the size of their home ranges were determined using the location data gathered from the satellites since 2005.
Endangered: Two pygmy elephants crossing the road in Taliwas forest in Sabah in this file picture.Based on the study, wildlife experts are urging the state to retain all remaining lowland forests which support elephants under natural forest management and not convert these areas into plantations.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goosens said forest disturbance needed to be minimised in areas where there were wild elephants.
Borneo Conservation Trust research and conservation head Raymond Alfred said elephants had travelled longer distances in disturbed areas in search of food and water.
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