Posts Tagged ‘Hutan’

Apr
15

Why am I in Borneo? By Peter Riger, Vice-President of Conservation, Houston Zoo

Posted by in Borneo,community-based conservation,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Field Research,orangutan,Series,Staff assisting wildlife protection in the wild,Travel

We have had three main partners in Sabah since 2004;

1) Hutan which runs the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project and Elephant Conservation Unit as well as a number of other programs.

2) Danau Girang Field Centre which is a partnership of the Sabah Wildlife Department and Cardiff University.  They conduct field research with a focus on priority species that will lead to conservation management plans for the region.

 3)The Sabah Wildlife Department itself.

 

Radio collared Bornean Elephant

The Houston Zoo has supported numerous conservation efforts in Sabah which include Orangutan, Elephant, Banteng, small carnivores, amphibians, and have assisted with projects ranging from education to ecotourism. The reason for this latest visit is to look at new priority projects to partner with over the next few years. Although we keep in constant email and SKYPE contact with our international conservation partners we try to visit thier sites and the people involved at least once a year to see how we can enhance our support.

Proboscis Monkey Photo courtesy of Paul Swen

 

Sabah is an amazing region and is considered a biodiversity hotspot. There are 10 species of primates including the Bornean Orangutan and Proboscis Monkey, 5 species of cats: Leopard cat, Clouded Leopard, Marbled cat, Flat-headed cat and the extremely rare Borneo Bay cat ( I can guarantee most people have only heard of one of those cat species). There are actually two dozen carnivores on the island ranging from otters and civets to Bornean Sun Bears. Bird life is just as diverse including 7 different species of Hornbills as well as pheasants, storm storks, and sea eagles. But all these species are threatened by fragmented habitat due to land use for agricultural purposes such as Palm Oil which is a blog unto itself one day. The species in the most trouble here is the Sumatran Rhino whose worldwide population us around 100-150 with potentially 20-25animals on the island of Borneo and the rest on the island of Sumatra. I was lucky enough to visit a young male Sumatran rhino named Tam in the Tabin Reserve a few years ago who had been rescued in a palm oil plantation, and it really was a special day for us.

 

Photo courtesy of Paul Swen

 

The goal for conservation in this region is to protect as much of the remaining habitat as possible, and develop corridors between the fragmented forests, while keeping conflict between the local communities and wildlife to a minimum.  Although I will spend time in meetings in the city, there will be time to hit the field so expect at least one note  about leeches and or getting caught in a tropical downpours along the way. And no, I do not mind either, they are part of life here on the island and easy enough to work around.

If want to learn about how you can help our conservaiton partners in Borneo click here.  Stay tuned for more updates from Peter in Borneo!

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Apr
11

Houston Zoo staff in Borneo assisting with wildlife protection

Posted by in Borneo,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Series,Staff assisting wildlife protection in the wild

Vice President of Conservation, Peter Riger is visiting Borneo to find out how the Houston zoo can be of further assistance in the race to save asian wildlife.

Houston Zoo staff  visit conservation partners all over the world to assist in thier efforts to protect species and I have very fulfilling trips over the past few years. My favorite island to come back to is Borneo.   The island of Borneo sits just below the Philippines and the mainland of Malaysia.  It is divided into three countries: the two northern states of Sabah and Sarawak ate Malaysian. We assist in Sabah. A small country called Brunei sits on the northern edge of the island and southern region of Borneo is called Kalimantan which is Indonesian. It is not the easiest place to explain geographically and even the lady at the check-in counter at the airport looked at me oddly and said “Where?” this gave me great confidence since they were flying me there.

Map curtousy of wikipedia

Once your airline learns to pronounce Kota Kinabalu, it is easiest enough to get here. A quick flight to LA, then a not so quick 12-13 hour flight to Incheon/Seoul South Korea and then a 6 hour flight to Borneo landing around 2am in someone’s time zone other than your own. Yes, I am 12 hours ahead of all of you. It’s never the flights but the half dozen security screenings that seem the most stressful. We will spend a day or two meeting colleagues in the city before a 5 hour drive and 30-45 minute boat ride to the Danau Girang Field Centre which is as easy as Houston rush hour except for the finding your way up and around Mount Kinabalu which is the highest peak in Southeast Asia at over 10,000 feet.

Stay tuned for more from Peter in Borneo.

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Aug
13

Legend of the Orang-utan

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Borneo,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,orangutan

We ran this a few years ago but thought we would reprint for some of our newer blog visitors:

The Orangutan is a fascinating ape which is in serious decline on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo – the only two places on earth they can be found in the wild. “Orangutan” in the native language means “people (orang) of the forest (utan or hutan).” Their decline is mostly due to habitat loss, development and hunting pressures. It is believed that if this rate of decline and habitat fragmentation continues, we will lose the orangutan within the next 50 years. Actually, since we ran this piece a few years ago, the orangutan situation on both islands has become increasingly dire due to habitat loss pressures.

Bornean Orangutan, Sabah, Malaysia

A Malaysian tale: The Orang-utan

Long ago, human beings (or orangs in Malay) lived in the virgin jungles of Borneo. They stayed in groups, sharing their long houses, subsisting on plants and animals provided by Mother Nature. Within the different groups, this peaceful way of life was however troubled by all sorts of problems and conflicts involving treacheries, malices, gossips and other issues that are specific to humans. A peace-loving minority of orangs decided to split from the major group in order to escape the clamors of the village life and went deep into the jungle. They established a new home and lived happily for years. More and more orangs from their former community decided to join this idyllic existence, up to a point that the newly created village became overcrowded and full with problems that follow humans at all times and places (pollution, noise, habitat destruction, cruelty and meanness).

The original group decided to break up one more time and wandered far away from this place. They established themselves on the mountains where life was paradise. Of course they didn’t stay on their own for long: more and more people joined them and troubled this peaceful existence. Fed up beyond belief, the original orangs decided that enough was enough: because they wouldn’t be able to find peace below the trees, they decided to climb up to the treetop and to settle down in the forest canopy.

Bornean Orangutan, Sabah, Malaysia

They also decided to not have any kind of relations with ground-dwelling orangs any more. From this day, this group became the orang-utans, or “people of the forest” and today can only be found living among the trees.

Learn more about our partners at HUTAN’s Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project

To learn about how Palm Oil is having a devasting effect on orangutan habitat and how you can be a responsible consumer – view our Palm Oil Page

Palm Oil Plantation after secondary forest is cut down and area cleared of vegetation.

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May
14

Wildlife Heroes Profiles: Orangutans

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Borneo,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,orangutan

Join us on May 19th and 20th for wildlife Heroes weekend.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

To give you an idea of the projects covered in the book, we thought we would highlight a few of the projects the Houston Zoo supports throughout the week:

Dr. Marc Ancrenaz, Borneo’s Orangutans and the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project

You have seen a number of posts the past few years on Dr. Ancrenaz and the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project. The Houston Zoo has been a partner of this program going back to 2004. Orangutan conservation is an important piece of our programming and Dr. Ancrenaz and his team have made it part of their lives since 1998.

Borneo is the world’s third largest island and a region of high biological diversity that has lost upwards of 75% of its original tropical forest cover. The two most prominent species on the Borneo are the orangutan and the Asian elephant, both of which are classified as Endangered and have lost significant habitat to logging and the subsequent conversion of natural forest to oil palm plantations.

Bornean Orangutan photo courtesy Paul Swen

The Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program includes significant priorities and goals for this region:

  • Enhanced knowledge of orangutan ecology and conservation status including the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Ulu Segama/Malua Forest Reserve, Timimbang Forest Reserve and Eastern Sabah landscapes
  • Assessment and monitoring of orangutan population health and genetic status
  • Orangutan ecological adaptation to degraded and fragmented habitat
  • Development of policies for population management within and outside protected areas
  • Reduced level of conflicts between human activity and orangutans including improved land use and reforestation
  • Community engagement and education in the conservation of orangutans and habitat
  • Environmental education programs for Malaysian school children

To learn more and watch a short vidoe of the region – link here

Join us for our Wildlife Heroes weekend on May 19th and 20th and learn how local communities monitor Orangutan populations.  At the orangutan exhibit you can be a researcher and participate in an activity to document what you see our Orangutans doing.  See you at the Zoo!

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May
16

The new Conservation Annual Report is here!

Posted by in community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Texas

Houston Toad release

So, what has the conservation department been up to over the past year?  I am sure you hear snippets here and there about the work we do, but we wanted to make sure we had a way for people to get a full scope of what the Houston Zoo is doing around the world to ensure that the endangered species we house here at the zoo will continue to thrive in the wild.  With the help of our partners we are endeavoring to ensure the security of the planet’s biodiversity.  

 

Attwater's prairie chicken chick

Our report tells of a lot of great progress in wildlife conservation this year.  You can read about the observation of female captive bred Attwater’s prairie chickens raising their chicks in the wild.  The goal in wildlife conservation is not just to save species, we also seek to improve the lives of the local communities.   You will enjoy the story of how children in Rwanda love to dress up and learn about wildlife through plays and dance.   This report will inspire you and bring you up to speed on the depth of our efforts.   

“This report is full of human partnerships and friendships that give us hope for the future, as science alone cannot save a species“  a quote from the Houston Zoo Director, Rick Barongi.

Click here to read the Conservation Annual Report.

 

 

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Feb
07

Valentines Day Candy

Posted by in Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,orangutan

How is this related to Wildlife Conservation – really? Yes, there is a method and message, to our madness…

Palm Oil and The Great Chocolate Debate. It can help save the lives of Orangutans and many other species living on Borneo and Sumatra. Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil produced from the African oil plam tree (Elaeis guineensis) which has been planted on plantations throughout Malaysia and Indonesia, home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife. These plantations replace tropical rainforest acreage in staggering numbers.

Rainforest? No. Palm Oil Plantation? Yes.

What we are asking you to do is to be a responsible consumer and purchase products from companies which either do not use palm oil or are part of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm oil. You can do that by taking a quick look at this Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil Valentine Guide.

To learn more about the issues facing wildlife and palm oil just link here.

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Dec
06

Exciting new Bornean elephant pictures from the field

Posted by in Borneo,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Field Research

In the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, the Houston Zoo has partnered with the French non-governmental organization Hutan and the Sabah Wildlife Department - both of which support conservation programs in and around the 27,000-hectare Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.   Dr. Marc Ancrenaz is the Director of the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project.  KOCP participates in Bornean elephant conservation.  Dr. Ancrenaz took these beautiful Bornean Elephant shots the other day in Sabah.

Secondary forests of the Lower Kinabatangan are also home to approximately 200 of the 1200 to 1500 Asian elephants believed to remain in northeastern Borneo.  Recent research indicates that they may be genetically distinct and potentially separated from mainland Asian populations thousands of years.  Today this subspecies is only found in Sabah (although some individuals roam in Northern Kalimantan), making the State of Sabah the sole custodian of a unique sub-species of elephant.

If you would like to help support Borneo’s Elephant Conservation Unit, link here for more information and follow the page down to the support button.

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Nov
09

Spotlight on Species: Orangutan Caring Weekend

Posted by in Borneo,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,orangutan

Thank You for Participating in International Orangutan Caring Weekend!

Congratulations on your role in a very successful fundraiser!  We are happy to report that this year’s International Orangutan Caring Weekend was attended by 3,366 people.  Through the generosity of our donors and guests and the hard work of the employees, volunteers, and docents of the Houston Zoo, $1,915.00 was raised!

Ornaments painted by the orangs

All the proceeds from the fundraising items produced by the orangutans, elephants, siamangs, and clouded leopards for orangutans, elephants, siamangs, and clouded leopard will go to fund the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project.  The animals of the Houston Zoo have worked hard to produce these items.  Their keepers are striving to make this project work, expanding the scope of their animal care beyond the collection of the Houston Zoo.  Thank you for joining us in supporting the scientists, rangers, and teachers who have dedicated their lives to the long-term survival of the orangutans and elephants of Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Spotlight on Species

Thank you so much for you part in helping Houston Zoo orangutans help wild orangutans, Houston Zoo elephants help wild elephants, Houston Zoo siamangs help wild siamangs, and Houston Zoo clouded leopards help wild leopards! We hope that you are proud of your contribution to conserving space for wild animals and will continue to support this project.

Sincerely,
The Houston Zoo Primate Staff

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Sep
14

Borneo’s Orangutans

Posted by in Borneo,Endangered Species,orangutan

In the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, the Houston Zoo has partnered with the French non-governmental organization Hutan, the Sabah Wildlife Department, and several other zoological parks here in the United States – all of which support conservation programs in and around the 27,000-hectare Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.  This protected area was officially established in 2006, thanks in large part to the presence of Hutan’s Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP). This project is run entirely by trained staff from the nearby village of Sukau and has been the source of significant data regarding the ecology and behavior of wild orangutans in secondary forest habitats. Selective logging has taken place in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain at least twice in the last few decades and primate specialists initially believed that the remaining forests were no longer suitable for orangutans. Data gathered by the field research team indicate that orangutans can not only survive in previously logged forests, but this habitat can sustain significant populations. 

The Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program includes significant priorities and goals for this region:

  • Enhanced knowledge of orangutan ecology and conservation status including the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Ulu Segama/Malua Forest Reserve, Timimbang Forest Reserve and Eastern Sabah landscapes
  • Assessment and monitoring of orangutan population health and genetic status
  • Orangutan ecological adaptation to degraded and fragmented habitat
  • Development of policies for population management within and outside protected areas
  • Reduced level of conflicts between human activity and orangutans including improved land use and reforestation
  • Community engagement and education in the conservation of orangutans and habitat
  • Environmental education programs for Malaysian school children

Borneo Orangutan photo courtesy www.paulswen.com

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Jul
15

Orangutan Bridges

Posted by in community-based conservation,Endangered Species,orangutan,Travel

Today, one of the major threats to the long-term survival of the orang-utan in the area is the intense fragmentation process that results from these recent man-made transformations and jeopardizes animal’s movements. Recent surveys conducted by the “Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project” (KOCP) and the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) have shown that the Kinabatangan orang-utan population is split into at least 20 different sub-populations. It is well established that fragmented and isolated wildlife populations face increased risks of inbreeding, diseases, and localized extinction.

In 2003, KOCP and the Sabah Wildlife Department decided to set up rope bridges above the tributaries of the Kinabatangan River to provide access for arboreal species to cross these water bodies. So far, a total of seven bridges have been installed. These bridges are tied up to remaining trees on both sides of the tributaries and provide a physical connection between the two banks.

This bridge project was initially supported by zoos (Cleveland Metroparks, Columbus Zoo, the Houston Zoo) and other KOCP partners. Over the years, multiple designs were tested in an attempt to find a suitable model that could be used by the orang-utans. Over the years, several witnesses claimed to have seen orang-utans using the KOCP bridges, and the first photographic evidence of this was finally obtained in February 2010.

Although the evidenced use of these bridges is a success for the KOCP partnerships/rope-bridge project, in reality, these rope bridges are only a temporary fix. There remains the urgent need to re-establish contiguous forest between isolated patches of habitat that are inhabited by the orang-utans. To be successful in a constantly changing environment, efficient conservation measures need to be undertaken at the landscape level, incorporating a variety of stakeholders and multiple-use habitats where people and wildlife live together.

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