KUCHING: Conservationists in Sabah and Sarawak are intensifying efforts to protect the critically endangered Bornean orangutan by restoring forests and empowering indigenous communities.
World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) field teams in Bukit Piton, Sabah, and Ulu Sungai Menyang, Sarawak, are working to reconnect fragmented habitats that threaten orangutan survival.
An estimated 71,000 orangutans remain on Borneo Island, including about 11,000 in Sabah and just 2,000 in Sarawak, according to the 2016 Orangutan Population and Habitat Viability Assessment.
In Bukit Piton, once a heavily degraded forest, restoration has brought back thriving canopies and some 400 orangutans.
“Bukit Piton is living proof that restoration does work,” said field ranger William Joseph, who monitors the area.
“Now, our job is to keep watch — to make sure the orangutans stay, and that the forest continues to support them.”
In Sarawak, WWF-Malaysia works together with Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Ulu Ai Conservancy (UAC) and local indigenous communities.
Village headwoman of the Nanga Delok Ulu longhouse, Gupie Pasok, who is also a trained field assistant, leads surveys to track orangutan nests.
“It’s not just about collecting data. It’s about protecting our home, our heritage,” she said.
WWF-Malaysia said bridging fragmented forests across state lines is vital, as orangutans roam beyond protected areas.
It added that future plans include cross-border forest corridors, joint monitoring, and data sharing with partners in Sabah, Sarawak, and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
WWF-Malaysia Senior Director of Conservation, Dr Henry Chan, said the forests of Borneo are vast but so is the capacity to protect the orangutans.
“And with every nest found, every corridor restored, and every community empowered, we move one step closer to a future where orangutans and the forests they call home can thrive.
“Saving this iconic species requires more than isolated efforts. It demands connection between forests, between people, and between programmes working toward a common goal,” he said.
