THE Kinabatangan River is the longest in Sabah. The lower basin area is the largest forest-covered floodplain in Malaysia. Its rich eco-system offers some of the best wildlife in all of Southeast Asia.
If you are lucky, you will see crocodiles, big-nosed proboscis monkeys, orangutans, birdlife of all types, sun bears and even endangered pygmy elephants and clouded leopards. This part of Sabah is integral to Malaysia’s branding as a nature tourism destination.
As well as local and regional tourists, there are some that travel from as far afield as the United States and Europe. Unfortunately, a key attraction is that some of our country’s species are teetering close to extinction, and must be seen before they disappear. Forever.
To catch just a seconds-long glimpse of an endangered species has become a reason to travel so far and spend so much.
Since young, I have been in awe of BBC wildlife documentaries, often with footage shot in Malaysia, and fronted by veteran broadcaster David Attenborough.
His nature programmes kept me glued to the screen for hours.
It began in 1979 with his Life on Earth television wildlife films that quickly set the benchmark for nature programming.
Later, the ahead-of-its-time The Living Planet series broadcast in 1984, focusing more on the ecology and environment of the planet.
In 1990, The Trials of Life series looked at animal behaviour during the different stages of their lives.
More recently, Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies series on insects and flying reptiles once again helped profile Sabah and Malaysia’s importance as an eco-tourism destination.
His credibility and experience as an observer of nature and its conservation is unique.
ENDANGERED PYGMY ELEPHANT
Last week, I read in the UK’s The Guardian newspaper that Attenborough has joined with other conservationists in asking Malaysian officials to reconsider the building of a bridge that threatens a safe haven area of the rare pygmy elephant.
There remain only 1,500 worldwide, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Three hundred of them may be found in the 26,000-hectare Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
DNA evidence proves these elephants were isolated around 300,000 years ago from their cousins on mainland Asia and Sumatra, says the WWF.
Over time they became smaller, with relatively larger ears, longer tails and straighter tusks. They are Asia’s smallest elephants.
Shrinking forests mean they come into human contact more frequently. Logging, expanding agriculture and palm oil plantations are also restricting contact between smaller groups of the species.
New palm oil plantations mean more human settlement. And also people that set snares to catch small game to eat. WWF estimates that these snares have injured 20 per cent of resident elephants.
The proposed bridge would cross the Kinabatangan River, connecting Kampung Sukau’s 2,000 residents to Litang and Tomanggong.
With federal government funding, the bridge will reduce journey times and allow quicker access to the local hospital. Locals will no longer be so dependent on river boats alone.
THE RIGHT QUESTION
How to balance wildlife conservation with the needs of a local population is challenging.
The RM223 million project includes a 100-metre bridge and the upgrading of close by existing roads.
There is also a plan to construct a viaduct within the Wildlife Sanctuary, allowing the migratory paths of animals, such as the elephants, to remain unhindered.
I am no expert in the practical process needed to take into account the human and wildlife cost of economic development within a rainforest.
But the more we are made aware of the issues, the process and the solutions, the more we will ask the right questions, and hopefully reach the best conclusion for all.
THE RIGHT ANSWER
When I lived in London many years ago, I won tickets to a well-known television chat show. Attenborough was the top-billed guest. At the end of the fascinating interview, the floor was opened for audience questions. But the show ran out of time before I could ask mine.
My prepared question was: If you were reincarnated as an animal, what would you be? I would like to think he might have answered as follows:
I would be the species that is on the brink of extinction — if only to educate and inform an audience that life on our earth is fast disappearing, as we continue to do nothing.
Long haul or local, on foot or his bicycle, Andrew Drummond Law travels in search of the sights and sounds, tastes and smells that make a moment. Reach him at alaw@wordpixasia.com