Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
The
Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary lies within the vast floodplain of the Kinabatangan river
- one of the longest rivers in Malaysia. At 27,000 ha, the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
is part of an important network of conservation areas in the lowlands of eastern Sabah.
Together with existing Forest Reserves, a natural corridor of natural vegetation links the
lower tidal reaches of the river (which are fringed with mangrove forests) to the
seemingly endless Forest Estates in the upper catchment of the Kinbatangan river. With a
rich array of unique habitats, a diverse wildlife fauna and a rich culture and history of
the Orang Sungai (in Malay, river people): the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary is by far
the most fascinating of natural protected areas in Sabah. Visiting this area can be the
most amazing experience for any nature lover.
The Kinabatangan river begins its course deep in the forested interior of Sabah. Where the
river meets the lowlands, a rich mosaic of lowland forests, forested swamps and islands of
limestone outcrops are found. These natural forests represent one of Malaysia"s
largest floodplain forests. Floodplain forests are unlike the lowland forests that were
once common throughout Eastern Sabah. Forests that develop here need to be able to
tolerate periodic inundation of flood water that are common during the seasonal monsoons
season. In areas where the land remains under water for long periods, the forest give way
to open woodlands or to herbaceous swamps that are sometimes almost entirely carpeted with
sedges and grasses. Ox-bow lakes are also a common feature of the floodplain. These are
large meanders of the river that have been cut-off from the main channel due to a process
of erosion and deposition. Over time, these lakes too will be part of the floodplain
landscape as the lakes fill up with alluvial sediments and begin to be colonised by swamp
vegetation.
It is not surprising that given this rich mosaic of habitats, the abundance and rich
diversity of wildlife are so apparent in the floodplain. The exceptional variety of
primates that share these forests are astounding: Orang Utans, the agile Gibbon,
Borneo"s Proboscis Monkey are the three of its most charismatic primates and less
often seen are the nocturnal flying lemur, slow loris and tarsiers. During the drier
months of the year, the Asian Elephant (which are one of Asia"s most highly
endangered species) roam these forests during their annual migration to the floodplain.
When forest fruits begin to ripen, the hornbills and an array of wild and endangered
birds, feast on a multitude of fleshy fruits that can be found in these forests. With the
large network of swamps and lakes in the region, a large number of aquatic animals inhabit
the Kinabatangan: community of freshwater fish; freshwater rays and sharks; crocodiles and
wild otters.
Since the early days of trade in Borneo, the Kinabatangan river has been one of the major
access routes to the natural resources of the forests and caves - rattans, resins from
forest trees and edible bird"s nests have been but the few valued harvests of the
Kinabatangan. Small settlements established where such resources were near-at-hand. The
Orang Sungai (a broad term that has been given to the people who settled along rivers) are
of a mixed and diverse heritage. The true natives had intermarried over the centuries with
traders and settlers that have made their way to the Kinabatangan. Over all this time, the
forest and rivers have been central to the livelihood of the people here. Working to
maintain this balance between the wise use and conservation of this unique floodplain has
been the key to the conservation efforts here. WWF-Malaysia"s projects" director
wrote that, "....right here in the lower Kinabatangan, some of Malaysia"s and
Borneo"s rarest wildlife achieves its greatest abundance alongside people collecting
rattan and fishing for their livelihood". A balance can be achieved, which should be
the goal for the future of the people and forests of the Kinabatangan.
Source: NST
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