NEWS OF THE DAY ~ Forest habitat fragmentation is key challenge to Borneo Elephants survival

New Sabah Times

11th March, 2012

 
KOTA KINABALU: Forest habitat fragmentation is one of the key challenges for the survival of the Bornean elephants in Sabah, said Raymond Alfred, head of Conservation & Research, Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT).
He said, “The Melapi Elephant Corridor in Sukau has shown that even a strip of land 50 meters in width makes a difference in allowing the migration of the Bornean elephant herds in Lower Kinabatangan.”
Raymond who heads the conservation project, explained that the corridor was established in August 2011, a joint collaboration between Sabah Wildlife Department and Borneo Conservation Trust, together with their partners Syarikat Yu Kwang Development Sdn Bhd and Proboscis Lodge Bukit Melapi.
“We are very happy to know that the elephants are now able to pass through the land using this corridor to migrate from one key habitat to another, when previously it was a very narrow bottleneck,” he said Friday.
Meanwhile, Dr Laurentius N Ambu, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department commented that this collaborative effort is a great example where the private sector can work with them and NGOs.
“We welcome the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with companies and organisations that are keen to play an active role in supporting and contributing to Sabah’s wildlife conservation initiatives,” he added.
“With the re-establishment of this corridor, potential human and elephant conflict in the villages and plantation is also reduced,” he concluded.
This week, students from Nihon University Japan, coordinated by Borneo Conservation Trust Japan (BCT-Japan), have planted more than 100 trees within this corridor to facilitate the movement of the orang utans within the fragmented habitat in the future.
It is envisioned that with continuous diligent effort in the next three years, a forest canopy could be established.