2009 Yearly RePort Kinabatangan Orang-Utan Conservation Project Document Prepared by: Dr. Isabelle Lackman for HUTAN – Kinabatangan Orang-Utan Conservation Project PO Box 3109 – 90734 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia [email protected] / [email protected] 2009 YEARLY REPORT Kinabatangan Orang-Utan Conservation Project Contents INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 3 GOAL 1. ENHANCED SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE ORANG-UTAN AND OTHER WILDLIFE ...................................................................................................................... 7 OBJ.1.1. TRENDS IN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, DENSITIES AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE ORANG-UTAN AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN SABAH ARE KNOWN AND MONITORED .................................................... 7 1.1.1. Assessing orang-utan population in the Kretam – Kulamba Forest Reserves ................................... 7 1.1.2. Assessing the orang-utan population in the Sugut Delta .......................................................... 10 1.1.3. Monitoring the orang-utan population in the Malua Forest Reserve ........................................... 11 1.1.4. Monitoring orang-utan densities at the Sukau Research Site .................................................... 11 1.1.5. Monitoring primate populations in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary ............................ 13 1.1.6. Developing conservation models for orang-utans in forest islands within oil palm plantations ............ 14 1.1.7. Establishing a new orang-utan release site in Tabin Wildlife Reserve .......................................... 17 1.1.8. Testing transmitter implants to track wild orang-utans .......................................................... 17 OBJ.1 2. HEALTH AND GENETIC STATUS OF ORANG-UTAN POPULATIONS IS ASSESSED AND MONITORED ....... 18 1.2.1. Parasitological study of wild orang-utans in the Lower Kinabatangan ......................................... 19 1.2.2. Measuring the effect of ecotourism on orang-utans’ stress levels ............................................... 20 1.2.3. Sanitary guidelines for orang-utan ecotourism ..................................................................... 21 1.2.4. Raising public awareness on the risks of disease transmission between humans and wildlife ............... 23 OBJ.1.3. PROCESSES OF ORANG-UTAN ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATION TO DEGRADED AND FRAGMENTED HABITAT ARE BETTER UNDERSTOOD ....................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1. Eco-ethological study of habituated orang-utans at the Hutan Sukau Research Site ......................... 24 1.3.2. Monitoring of orang-utan food diversity and abundance - phenology studies ................................ 24 1.3.3. Photo identification of wild orang-utans at the Sukau Research Site ........................................... 25 GOAL 2. IMPROVED POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR WILDLIFE POPULATION MANAGEMENT WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF PROTECTED AREAS ......................................................................................................................... 27 OBJ. 2.1. POLICIES BASED ON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE ARE FORMULATED AND AGREED ON BY STAKEHOLDERS FOR LONG TERM WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN SABAH ................................................................. 27 OBJ. 2.2. SABAH’S EFFORTS TOWARDS ORANG-UTAN CONSERVATION ARE SUPPORTED AND RECOGNIZED BY INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION POLICIES ................................................................................ 28 2.2.1. The Great Ape Debate ................................................................................................. 28 2.2.2. The Great Ape Health Workshop .................................................................................... 28 2.2.3. Co-authorship of scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals and books ......................... 29 GOAL 3. REDUCED LEVEL OF CONFLICTS BETWEEN HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE ....................................... 30 1 OBJ. 3.1. LEVELS OF DEGRADATION AND FRAGMENTATION OF WILDLIFE HABITAT ARE REDUCED THROUGH IMPROVED LAND USE MANAGEMENT IN HUMAN/WILDLIFE CONFLICT “HOTSPOTS” .................... 30 3.1.1. Forest Restoration in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary............................................. 30 3.1.2. The Resang orang-utan bridge ........................................................................................ 32 3.1.3. Purchasing forests to create wildlife corridors in the Kinabatangan ............................................ 32 OBJ. 3.2. ILLEGAL LOGGING, POACHING AND OTHER ILLICIT ACTIVITIES ARE CONTROLLED IN KEY WILDLIFE HABITAT ................................................................................................................................ 33 3.2.1. The Honorary Wildlife Wardens .................................................................................... 33 OBJ. 3.3. CROP RAIDING BY WILDLIFE IS REDUCED IN INDUSTRIAL PLANTATIONS AND COMMUNITY AREAS .. 34 3.3.1. The Elephant Conservation Unit ..................................................................................... 34 GOAL 4. ENHANCED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN WILDLIFE AND HABITAT CONSERVATION ............................. 40 OBJ. 4.1. INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ARE EMPOWERED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ...... 40 4.1.1. Recovery of the Edible Nest Swiftlet Populations in Sukau ...................................................... 40 OBJ. 4.2. MODEL COMMUNITY INITIATIVES LEAD TO SOCIO- ECONOMIC AND CONSERVATION GAINS ........... 41 4.2.1. Red Ape Encounters and the Sukau Homestay Programme ..................................................... 41 4.2.2. Community tree nurseries ............................................................................................ 43 4.2.3. Fishermen for Conservation .......................................................................................... 44 GOAL 5. ENHANCED HUMAN RESOURCE CAPACITY AND COMMITMENT TO MANAGE AND CONSERVE WILDLIFE POPULATIONS IN SABAH ................................................................................................................. 45 OBJ.5.1. LOCAL CAPABILITIES ENHANCED AMONG MALAYSIAN CONSERVATION PROFESSIONALS ................. 45 5.1.1. Training Sabahan conservation professionals ....................................................................... 45 5.1.2. Training of Hutan staff ................................................................................................. 46 OBJ.5.2. LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS RAISED AMONG STAKEHOLDERS, GENERAL PUBLIC AND SCHOOL CHILDREN ................................................................................................................. 47 5.2.1. Environmental education programmes for school children in Sabah ........................................... 47 5.2.2. Setting up an environmental education camp ...................................................................... 48 5.2.3. Environmental Education Race ....................................................................................... 48 5.2.4. International Children’s Conference on the Environment ....................................................... 49 5.2.5. Sabah Environmental Education Network .......................................................................... 49 5.2.6. Raising awareness on nature conservation issues .................................................................. 49 ANNEX 1. RESOLUTION OF THE 2009 ORANG-UTAN CONSERVATION COLLOQUIUM 49 2 INTRODUCTION Hutan is a grassroots non-profit organization working to conserve orang-utan and other wildlife populations in the forests of Sabah. In 1998, Hutan set up the Kinabatangan Orang-Utan Conservation Project (KOCP) in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department. We are now working with a wide range of partners - local communities, research institutions, government agencies and the private sector - to find realistic solutions where the sustainable use of natural resources and durable socio-economic development can be compatible with, and even support, the conservation of wildlife and their habitat. Through KOCP, Hutan has developed an integrated approach combining scientific research, protection and management of orang-utan habitat, capacity building, awareness campaigns, and community outreach and development projects. Over the past eleven years Hutan has encountered many challenges but our efforts have resulted in many successes: discoveries are being made on the ecology of the orang-utan, new protected areas are created - such as the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary -, sound policies for the conservation of orang-utan and other wildlife are established in Sabah, solutions are implemented that reduce the levels of conflicts between human activities, and wildlife and pioneering initiatives by local communities are leading to tangible economic and conservation gains. Since the start of programme in 1998, we placed a high priority on the intensive training of our local staff to conduct high quality research and conservation activities. Today, our team is composed of 40 highly skilled staff hailing from the native community, working with immense dedication. In 2009, Hutan conducted numerous surveys in forest reserves throughout Sabah to assess orang-utan and other wildlife populations and produced Wildlife Conservation