Everyone can contribute to wildlife conservation. A starting point is to keep informed about the problems and successes in this field. Through social media and the local press, DGFC continuously raises issues such as illegal logging and poaching within the LKWS and other protected areas in Sabah, we also share the progress and findings of our research. We’ve also engaged in the production of conservation-oriented books targeted to the younger generations.
Our latest press release:
Workshop on Challenges of Enforcement in Combating Corruption in Wildlife Crimes concluded last week.
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah and Sarawak representatives of law enforcement agencies met in Kota Kinabalu on the 13 and 14 of July to increase awareness on anti-corruption laws, including witness and whistle blower protection. This workshop was part of the training available for the inter-agency Working Group on Wildlife Crime Intelligence.
The workshop, organised by Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), was a platform for the different agencies to share the difficulties when witnessing and denouncing corruption related to wildlife crimes…
According to the Director of the MACC, Mr Karunanithy A/L Y. Subbiah: “Worldwide, bribery in crimes involving wildlife smuggling is increasingly spreading at a worrying pace and has become one of the driving forces for illicit trade that is still hard to curb at national and international level.” He also emphasized that “bribery is no longer seen as only a local problem but has evolved into trans-boundary crime phenomena which coincides with the main topic of the workshop that focuses on trade and smuggling of wildlife internationally that usually involves bribery, smuggling, money laundering and others”.
“We must be aware that corruption is multifaceted and can occur at every stage of the wildlife, forestry and fisheries value chain. It can include bribes for information on the movement of animals or patrols, or to obtain rights and quotas, or grease the wheels of shipments, to ensure that they are not inspected or seized”, said Mr Augustine Tuuga, Director of the SWD, during the opening ceremony.
“This is the first time an anti-corruption workshop with emphasis on wildlife crimes takes place in Sabah”, remarked Tuuga. He also mentioned that the SWD must work with all possible partners to build understanding and ensure that wildlife, forest and fisheries agencies are trained and equipped to respond to corruption. The department is also looking forward to extend the collaboration with the MACC. “We will work towards the creation of an Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan”, said Tuuga.
DGFC’s Director, Prof Benoit Goossens, said he hopes the workshop will be an opportunity to increase inter-agency collaboration and to work towards the objectives of the Wildlife State Action Plans adopted last year by the State Cabinet.
“During the 2017 international workshops on proboscis monkey, Sunda clouded leopard and Bornean banteng, jointly organised by SWD and DGFC, it was recognised that poaching, hunting, and illegal killing and trade, were real threats to these and other species in Sabah. The information compiled at the workshops was included in the State Action Plans for each species, specifically to increase the capacities of wildlife law enforcement government agencies and of key partners in conservation. In particular, to train crime analysts, investigators and intelligence gatherers, and a certified forensic technician at the Sabah Wildlife Health, Genetic and Forensic Laboratory (WHGFL)”, Goossens added. “We have been working continuously with Sabah Forestry Department and with SWD towards the implementation of the action plans,” Goossens concluded.
This training is part of the program “Boosting enforcement and forensic capacity to deter wildlife crimes in Sabah”. Almost RM4 million have been funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the US Department of State through DGFC. The enforcement and forensic program will support a number of specialised training sessions, not only for the units of SWD, but also for the members of the Working Group on Wildlife Crime Intelligence. This week this group is following a training on Crime Scene Management and Advanced Investigative Techniques.
A Joint Press Release from Sabah Wildlife Department and Danau Girang Field Centre
Leopard cat satellite tagged in the Kinabatangan
Kinabatangan: A wild female leopard cat was caught and fitted with a satellite collar in the Kinabatangan, as part of Danau Girang Field Centre’s (DGFC) Carnivore Programme, a collaborative project with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD). The animal was caught and satellite-collared during a night survey in Pendirosa estate (Felda Global Venture Co.).
“The procedure was very successful. The team worked well together and we collected samples and fitted a satellite collar on a young female leopard cat. We called her “Ratu”, meaning “Queen” in Malay,” said Dr. Macarena Gonzalez, wildlife veterinarian at DGFC.
“Ratu is the first leopard cat collared as part of this project. Hopefully we will be able to catch and collar more leopard cats to study their movement through this fragmented landscape, and to understand how they use it. Movement data will assist us in understanding how such a resilient species utilizes both landscapes: forest and oil palm plantation,” said Dr. Miriam Kunde, project leader and carnivore conservation officer at DGFC.
The Carnivore Programme goes in tandem with DGFC’s Health at the Edge Project (H@EP), led by Dr. Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez and Dr. Liesbeth Frias, Research Associates at DGFC. “Our project aims to tackle health-related problems from an integrated ecological, veterinary and human health approach. For this particular component of the project, we are targeting leopard cats as sentinels to assess the potential effects of anthropogenic disturbance on the health of Bornean cat populations,” explained Dr. Frias. “Leopard cats can be found inhabiting a broad range of habitat types, including oil palm plantations. By using them as a model species, we aim to assess cross-species transmission at the wildlife-human interface, as their home ranges can potentially overlap those of domestic carnivores in plantations, and those of more vulnerable cats in adjacent forests,” added Dr. Guerrero-Sanchez.
Both projects are supervised by Dr. Benoit Goossens, DGFC’s Director and Professor at Cardiff University. “A better understanding of the movements of this wild felid will help us evaluating the impacts of habitat fragmentation and quality in ranging patterns of this species in the Kinabatangan landscape. Leopard cats, and the potential for disease transmission between them and domestic animals, provide a relevant model to evaluate the potential health risks threatening other species, such as flat-headed cats and marbled cats”, said Dr. Goossens. “We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Pendirosa estat management for their continuous collaboration on this project and the main sponsors of ou Carnivore Programme and H@EP: Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, Sime Darby Foundation, Houston Zoo and Panthera,” concluded Dr. Goossens.
Written by the PTYs, the Jungle Times is the independent newsletter for visitors and friends of Danau Girang Field Centre. Discover the latest news, events, research information and photographs from the centre. Dig into our archive here.
DGFC published Itin: A Bornean elephant and Upin: A Bornean banteng. Narrated from the perspective of a young elephant and a young banteng, respectively, these books cover facts of both species such as their origin, habitats, daily routine, social organisation and behaviour. It also touches on threats faced by them.
From time to time, our researchers and work are featured in local and international television.
Animal Planet Asia – The Amazon of the East (2017)
CBBC – Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature (2015)
One Planet/ARTE – “Wetlands: Kinabatangan wild Eden of Borneo” 52’ by Jean-Marie Cornuel (2014)
RTM – Simfoni Alam, TV3 – Majalah 3 (2013)
Konservasi Gajah Borneo – 52’ on the Bornean elephant in Sabah featured on national television (2013)
BBC – “How Nature Works”, episode “The Emerald Band” presented by Chris Packham, featuring our elephant work, was first broadcasted in the UK on 17 June 2012.
National Geographic Wild – “Freaks & Creeps’ Weirdest Monkey Alive” presented by Lucy Cooke, featuring our proboscis monkey work (2012)
National Geographic Wild – “Outback Wrangler” presented by Matt Wright, featuring our crocodile work (2011)
Into the Wild Productions, LCC –Into the Wild, episode “The Littlest Elephants”, presented by Jack Hanna, featuring our work on Bornean elephants (2010)