Kota Kinabalu: A two-week wildlife expedition is underway in Tabin Wildlife Reserve to strengthen protection of the critically endangered Bornean banteng and enhance scientific understanding of wildlife in the area.
Led by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and WWF-Malaysia, with support from multiple conservation partners, the expedition runs from February 2 to 14, following preparatory training in Lahad Datu two days prior.
The 58-member team is deploying camera traps and conducting wildlife surveys, threat assessments, orangutan surveys, and bird mist-netting to address major data gaps, particularly in central Tabin.
Findings from the expedition will support the Bornean Banteng Action Plan 2019–2028 and management plans for Tabin and Silabukan reserves.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve, spanning approximately 122,500 hectares, was gazetted in 1984 to protect large mammals and remains one of eastern Sabah’s key conservation landscapes.
SWD Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the last major expedition was conducted in 2009, making updated field data urgently needed. While there are several areas where we have identified the presence of banteng, significant portions of the reserve have yet to be surveyed, leaving gaps in data on banteng distribution and habitat use,” he said.
WWF-Malaysia (Sabah) Head of Conservation Dr Robecca Jumin said the expedition will generate reliable data to guide long-term conservation planning and strengthen wildlife management across the Tabin landscape.
The initiative also aims to build ranger capacity and promote cross-agency knowledge sharing, marking an important step toward coordinated, evidence-based conservation in Sabah.
