Conserva)on  as  a  Sustainability  Tool  :  Overview  of  Conserva)on  Roadmap  in    

Malaysia  Lauren)us  N.  Ambu,  Marc  Ancrenaz  ,  Benoit  Goossens  and  

Sen  Nathan    Sabah  Wildlife  Department  

 

Interna)onal  Palm  Oil  Sustainability  Conference  2014  Shangri  La’s  Tanjung  Aru,  Kota  Kinabalu,  20thAug    2014  

Conserva)on  or  just  Conversa)on    :    The  Biodiversity  Crossroad    in  Sabah  

Lauren)us  N.  Ambu,  Marc  Ancrenaz  ,  Benoit  Goossens  and  Sen  Nathan    

Sabah  Wildlife  Department  

Interna)onal  Palm  Oil  Sustainability  Conference  2014  Shangri  La’s  Tanjung  Aru,  Kota  Kinabalu,  20thAug    2014  

Key  pressures  on  biodiversity  

•  Habitat  loss  

•  Habitat  fragmenta-on  

•  Habitat  degrada)on  

•  Climate  change  

Habitat  fragmenta)on  

•  Reduc)on  of  available  habitat  area;  

•  Increase  distances  between  remaining  habitat  patches  (loss  of  connec)vity);  

•  Difficulty   for   species   to   colonize   new   areas  and  maintain  viable  popula)ons.  

Coming down from the trees: Is terrestrialactivity in Bornean orangutans naturalor disturbance driven?Marc Ancrenaz1,2,3,4*, Rahel Sollmann5,6*, Erik Meijaard3,7,8, Andrew J. Hearn9, Joanna Ross9,

Hiromitsu Samejima10, Brent Loken11,12, Susan M. Cheyne9,13, Danica J. Stark14,15, Penny C. Gardner14,15,

Benoit Goossens2,14,15, Azlan Mohamed16, Torsten Bohm6, Ikki Matsuda17, Miyabi Nakabayasi18,

Shan Khee Lee19, Henry Bernard20, Jedediah Brodie21, Serge Wich22, Gabriella Fredriksson23,

Goro Hanya17, Mark E. Harrison13,24, Tomoko Kanamori17, Petra Kretzschmar6, David W. Macdonald9,

Peter Riger25, Stephanie Spehar26, Laurentius N. Ambu2 & Andreas Wilting6*

1HUTAN/Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme, PO Box 17793, 88874 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 2SabahWildlife Department,WismaMuis, 88100Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,Malaysia, 3Borneo Futures Project, People andNatureConsultingInternational, Ciputat, Jakarta, 15412, Indonesia, 4North England Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Chester, UK, 5North CarolinaState University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Turner House, Campus Box 7646, Raleigh,NC27695, USA,6Leibniz Institute for Zoo andWildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strabe 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany, 7School for Archaeology andAnthropology, Building 014, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia, 8Center for International ForestryResearch, P.O. Box 0113 BOCBD, Bogor 16000, Indonesia, 9Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology,University ofOxford, The Recanati-KaplanCentre, TubneyHouse, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon,OX135QL, UK, 10Center forSoutheast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, 11School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon FraserUniversity, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, 12Integrated Conservation, Gig Harbor, Washington, 13Orangutan TropicalPeatland Project, Jl. Semeru 91, Palangka Raya 73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, 14Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o SabahWildlife Department, Wisma Muis, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 15Organisms and Environment Division, School ofBiosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK, 16WWF–Malaysia, 49, JalanSS23/15, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 17Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506,JAPAN, 18Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, 3rd Floor, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan,19WWF-Malaysia, CPS Tower, Centre Point Complex, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 20Unit for Primate Studies-Borneo,Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia,21Biodiversity Research Centre; University of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC, Canada, 22Research Centre in EvolutionaryAnthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK,23Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, PanEco/YEL, Jl. Wahid Hasyim 51/74, 20154 Medan, North Sumatra,Indonesia, 24Department of Geography, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK, 25Houston Zoo, Texas,USA, 26Anthropology Program, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, 54901, USA.

The orangutan is the world’s largest arboreal mammal, and images of the red ape moving through the tropicalforest canopy symbolise its typical arboreal behaviour. Records of terrestrial behaviour are scarce and oftenassociated with habitat disturbance. We conducted a large-scale species-level analysis of ground-basedcamera-trapping data to evaluate the extent to which Bornean orangutans Pongo pygmaeus come down fromthe trees to travel terrestrially, and whether they are indeed forced to the ground primarily by anthropogenicforest disturbances. Although the degree of forest disturbance and canopy gap size influenced terrestriality,orangutans were recorded on the ground as frequently in heavily degraded habitats as in primary forests.Furthermore, all age-sex classes were recorded on the ground (flanged males more often). This suggests thatterrestrial locomotion is part of the Bornean orangutan’s natural behavioural repertoire to a much greater extentthan previously thought, and is only modified by habitat disturbance. The capacity of orangutans to come downfrom the trees may increase their ability to cope with at least smaller-scale forest fragmentation, and to crossmoderately open spaces in mosaic landscapes, although the extent of this versatility remains to be investigated.

The Bornean orangutan Pongo pygmaeus is the largest arboreal species in the world and its survival is linked toforest habitat1,2. Despite the orangutan’s iconic value and millions of dollars spent annually on its conser-vation3, the species is declining throughout its range. In Borneo, more than 70% of orangutans occur in

OPEN

SUBJECT AREAS:CONSERVATION

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

Received

4 November 2013

Accepted

16 January 2014

Published

13 February 2014

Correspondence andrequests for materials

should be addressed toM.A. (marc.

ancrenaz@yahoo.com); R.S. (sollmann@izw-berlin.de) or A.W.

(a.wilting@gmx.de)

* These authorscontributed equally to

this work.

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | 4 : 4024 | DOI: 10.1038/srep04024 1

Climate  change  •  Changing  paVerns  of  precipita)on;  

•  Rises  in  global  average    temperatures;    

•  Will   force  species   to  adapt   to  new  clima)c  condi)ons  (i.e.   through   altered   )ming   of   biological   events   or   by  shiWing   their   distribu)ons   into   areas   with   suitable  condi)ons,  al#tudinal  shi,  in  tropical  areas);  

And  let’s  not  forget  popula)on  growth  

Climate  change,  habitat  fragmenta-on  &  popula-on  growth:  a  deadly  anthropogenic  cocktail  

Habitat  fragmenta)on  +  climate  change    will  lead  to  local  ex)nc)ons  

 unless  

 CONNECTIVITY  is  reestablished  

(especially  to  respond  to  al0tudinal  shi3)  

THE  SABAH  CONTEXT  

Lack  of  Connec-vity  

Absence  of  riparian  forest  between  planta-ons  and  main  river  

Lack  of  Connec-vity  

Absence  of  buffer  zone  between  planta-ons  and  rainforest  

Lack  of  Connec-vity  

Clearing  of  mangroves  

Solu-ons  

•  Land-­‐use  and  integra)ve  spa)al  planning  – Adopt  a  landscape-­‐based  conserva)on  approach  – Address   issues   of   land   use   prac)ces   and   forest  management  

– Hold  reservoirs  of  wildlife  un)l  natural  processes  can  be  reinstated  (importance  of  Kinabatangan)  

–  Stop   further   fragmenta)on   and   new   conversion   of  forests   and   manage   them   under   sustainable   natural  forest  management  prac)ces    

–  Secure   larger   corridors   and   riparian   reserves   (The  Green  Corridor  Ini)a)ve)  

–  Recover  unsuitable  land  for  agriculture  (see  Abram  et  al.  2014)  

SAPULUT FR. KALABAKAN FR.

ULU SEGAMA FR.

TRUS MADI FR.

GUNUNG RARA FR.

SG. PINANGAH FR.

KUAMUT FR.

TABIN WILDLIFE RVE.ULU SG. MILIAN FR.

DERAMAKOT FR.

MALUA FR.

MALIAU BASIN FR.

SEGALIUD LOKAN FR.

ULU KALUMPANG FR.

TAWAU HILL

DANUM VALLEY FR.

TAWAI FR.

TAWAU FR.

TANGKULAP FR.

KULAMBA WILDLIFE RVE.BENGKOKA PENINSULA FR.

MOUNT POCK FR.

TIMBUN MATA FR.

SILABUKAN FR.

MT. HATTON FR.

BUKIT TAVIU FR.

LAHAD DATU FR.

KUALA SEGAMA & KUALA MERUAP FR.

ULU TELUPID FR.

SEMPORNA FR.

SG. IMBAK FR.

BUKIT KUAMAS FR.

SG. MANKUWAGU FR.

MT. WULLERSDORF FR.

LIPASO FR.

GOMANTONG FR.

LUNGMANIS FR.

KUALA TINGKAYU FR.

LAMAG FR.

KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

PIN-SUPU FR.

MT. ANDRASSY FR.

MADAI-BATURONG FR.

SEPAGAYA FR.

SEGARONG FR.

SG. LOKAN FR.

KALUMPANG FR.

SG. SILIAWAN FR.

MILIAN-LABAU FR.

BUROD UROD FR.

BRANTIAN-TANTULIT FR.

PABABAG FR.

MARINE PARKS

UMAS-UMAS FR.

TANJONG NAGAS FR.

SG. KAPUR FR.

SAKAR ISLAND FR.

MERISULI FR.

PANGI FR.

MT. CONNER FR.

TAJONG FR.

SG. SAPI FR.

KRETAM FR.

ULU SAPA PAYAU FR.

SG. SIMPANG FR.

TABIN FR.

TABAWAN ISLAND FR.

GEMOK HILL FR.

GARINONO FR.

ULU SG. NAPAGON FR.

BOD TAI FR.MATERIS FR.

BATIK ISLAND FR.

SG. SANSIANG FR.

MALUBUK FR.

BATU TIMBANG FR.

IMBOK FR.

DAGAT FR.

SEM-KERANGAS FR.

KAWANG GIBONG FR.

BATUMAPUN FR.

SELINGAN ISLAND FR.

SILUMPAT ISLANG FR.

BALD HILL FR.

MAGANTING ISLAND FR.

BARADAYA FR.

20 0 20 KilometersN

Note:

Size of the Green Corridor Initiative is 1 million ha,which is representing 14% of the Sabah land area.

More than 70% of the Sabah's elephant, orang-utan and rhinoceros population is located in this Green Corridor Landscape.

The Green Corridor InitiativeThe Legends

The Green Corridor InitiativeEcological Corridor to be Established

Forest ReservesPredominantly Oil Palm Plantations

The  Green  Corridor  Ini-a-ve  

A  true  collabora-on  between  government,  industry,  local  community  and  NGOs  is  needed  !    

Government policy •  State Action Plans and Management plans and their

implementation!!!!!

SABAH  STRUCTURAL  PLAN  2013-­‐2033  

Local  community  &  NGOs:  more  ac-ons  like  these  are  needed…  

Kinabatangan,  May-­‐June  2014  

Industry  needs  to  play  its  role  and  be  socially  and  environmentally  responsible  

•  Respec)ng  riparian  reserves  •  No  wildlife  killings  •  RSPO  /MSPO  cer)fica)on  

Industry    at  large  should  contribute  to  these  efforts  and  not  embrace  a  Business  as  Usual  adtude    

Conclusion  •  Future   of   wildlife   in   Sabah   is   in   our   hands.   But  not  only  the  hands  of  SWD  and  a  few  NGOs,  but  it  is  the  responsibility  of  ALL  players  in  Sabah  and  interna)onally.  

•  Unless   REAL   corridors   are   created   urgently,  wildlife  is  going  to  dwindle  in  Sabah.  

•  It   will   be   even   worse   when   climate   change   is  going  to  start  kicking  in.  

•  The  freshwater  saw  shark  will  be  followed  by  the  Sumatran   rhino   on   the   list   of   ex)nct   species.  They   are   the   precursors   of   a   trend   that   is  happening  today  in  Sabah:  EXTINCTION!  

Thank  you!