KOTA KINABALU: Sapulut Forest Development Sdn Bhd will help the Wildlife Department to protect wildlife which is under the threat of extinction for the future generation.
Its general manager, John M.Baxter, said they had sent several executives and staff for training from August 17 till 19.
“Unfortunately, only 10 of them managed to pass. The examinations must have been difficult for a layman to answer. However, we will send more of our staff for training in the future,” he said during the presentation of appointment letters to 10 of their staff as honorary wildlife wardens by Wildlife Department deputy director (I), Augustine Tuuga.
Sapulut Forest Development Sdn Bhd or popularly known as FMU 14, covers an area of 95,300 hectares of forests within the Sapulut Forest Reserve.
John said their major tasks were to rehabilitate damaged forest, which included forest restoration, restocking and harvesting timber.
He said the wildlife population in FMU 14 is generally healthy despite logging activities in the area.
“A survey conducted in the area indicated that the condition of forest, though being logged, supports a healthy population of wildlife,” he said.
John said it is believed that the ‘Sumatran rhinoceros’ may be present in the Sapulut area since this endangered animal had been traced in the Kalabakan Forest Reserve which is adjacent to the Sapulut Forest Reserve.
“Furthermore, FMU 14 shares a common boundary with the Maliau Basin Conservation and the wildlife found in Maliau Basin might roam into FMU 14 areas.
“Sightings of wildlife such as gibbons, long tail macaques, silver leaf monkeys, Samabar deer, Bakas or Sus barbatus and birds are common in Sapulut,” he said.
He pointed out that a total of 34 mammals, 321 fauna, 163 birds, 17 amphibians and 19 reptilian species were recorded during a survey in Sapulut.
“Our previous efforts to protect wildlife in our concession were met with rebellions from poachers consisting of local villagers and hunters from distant districts.
“For instance, I myself was threatened when trying to reprimand a suspected poacher. We understand the reason for their disapproval, as hunting is an integral part of their culture,” he added.
John said the poachers sometimes could be very aggressive and violent.
“Poaching is aggravated by the fact that the Keningau-Tawau highway transverses through FMU 14 and Sapulut has no legal authority to apprehend the poachers.
“Our determination to defend the existence of wildlife in Sapulut was fueled by the slaughter of a magnificent elephant, which used to take refuge in our FMU, sometimes in April this year,” he added.
“These 10 honorary wildlife wardens now armed with legitimate power, will become our first line of defense towards conservation and will make a big difference for Sapulut.
“We foresee that enforcement will be an uphill task. The FMU 14 is a vast area to monitor and to patrol,” John said.
Also present were Wildlife Department deputy director(II) Jun Rafiah Abdul Shukor and Eric Wong from Sapulut Forest Development Sdn Bhd.