LOVELY COUPLE: Jimmy (left) and Faridah spotted recently by Daton near their house at Piasau Camp.
MIRI: Whatever the fate of the historical Piasau Camp in Miri when Shell closes it next month, one thing is for sure – it will be missed by many.
Those who will be heartbroken include expatriates living in the camp, naturalists and Mirians who wanted the camp to be made a permanent park dedicated to Oriental Pied Hornbills.
Avid bird watchers David Daton and his wife Mairead Boland, a Sarawak Shell data manager from Holland, are one the eight families still living in Piasau camp.
“I’m passionate about wildlife, but we are particularly attached to the camp’s hornbill pair as we have seen them raise two sets of offspring. I believe the birds have been breeding here for 10 years, and giving pleasure to many camp residents.
“We will really miss living here. It has been a privilege to be surrounded by beautiful woodland close to the beach. The place is very quiet, spacious rather than being in a crowded housing estate. I can be working in my office and still spot wildlife out of the window. It is a beautiful and safe environment,” said Daton to thesundaypost yesterday.
Daton said they will have to move with heavy hearts out of the camp before end of December. However he really hoped that the Piasau Camp Hornbill Park Society will be successful in protecting the area as a park.
Daton and Boland are Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Miri and Piasau Camp Hornbill Park Society members, which is headed by SUPP Piasau chairman Datuk Sebastian Ting.
MNS Miri chief Musa Musbah, who is also Sarawak Forest Corporation (SFC) honorary wildlife ranger, too will miss Piasau Camp.
Musa was among those who had conducted studies of wildlife at the camp, and he made almost daily visits there when the hornbill was nesting.
He had done studies on two nesting sessions, and still observes the hornbills every day, including the new offspring Ahkaw and Ahmoi.
“The family of Faridah and Jimmy and their offspring – Utet, Nong, Ahkaw and Ahmoi – are living happily in Piasau Camp. I spotted the two young ones on August 18, and their parents at Tenby school a few days ago.
“At times they were spotted flying over Miri City and its outskirt areas. I hope the people don’t hunt them for food.”
Hornbills are totally protected species under the State’s Wild Life Protection Ordinance (1998), and Piasau Camp is a historical site, synonymous with the oil and gas industry here.
Meanwhile, Mirians are invited to participate in the 3rd Hornbill Walk today (Aug 24) at Piasau Camp. It will start at 4 pm at the former Tenby International School. There will be a mini exhibition on hornbills in the camp.
Musa will be giving a short briefing. Three hundred specially-designed T-shirts will be put up for sale RM20 each to raise money for the society’s awareness programmes.
At least three mystery prizes, including Fluffy, a soft toy bird, await lucky participants.
Meanwhile, the managing director SSB/SSPC and chairman Shell Malaysia, Iain Lo, said the authorities were still working on call by the Mirians and the various quarters to make Piasau Camp a permanent park for hornbills and other wildlife.
“At the moment no decision has been made and we are still working on it,” he said when met at a Shell Hari Raya open house here Friday.