Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

KOTA KINABALU: A two-week on-ground wildlife expedition has begun in Tabin Wildlife Reserve to strengthen protection efforts for the critically endangered Bornean banteng and improve understanding of wildlife in the area.

Led by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) in collaboration with WWF-Malaysia and supported by the Sabah Forestry Department, Hutan, UK Appeal, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Danau Girang Field Centre and Tabin Wildlife Resort, the expedition aims to address critical data gaps on banteng populations in the central parts of the reserve and support the Bornean Banteng Action Plan 2019–2028 and management plans for Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Silabukan Forest Reserve 2020–2030.

The expedition, involving 58 personnel from SWD, WWF, Hutan, UK Appeal and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, began with training sessions on Jan 31 and Feb 1, was flagged off on Jan 2, and is scheduled to end on Feb 14, with participants trained in survey methodologies, first aid and operational protocols before deployment.

Core activities include deploying camera traps and conducting general wildlife surveys across the reserve, alongside threat assessments, orangutan surveys and bird mist-netting to strengthen the scientific evidence base for long-term conservation planning and wildlife management.

SWD Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the last expedition in Tabin was carried out in 2009, noting that significant areas of the reserve remain unsurveyed, while WWF-Malaysia (Sabah) Head of Conservation Dr Robecca Jumin said the expedition would generate reliable data to guide conservation planning and strengthen management strategies for banteng and broader biodiversity in the Tabin landscape.