KOTA KINABALU: A British non-governmental organisation (NGO), Orangutan Appeal UK, contributed RM1 million to the state government to assist in the conservation of wildlife.
Orangutan Appeal UK founder Susan Sheward said the organisation had six months ago made an offer of funding a million ringgit to the Sabah Wildlife Department.
“(The RM1 million fund is) to enable three four-wheel drives to be purchased for the sole use of Sabah wildlife rescue unit and be used for other (conservation) expenses such as translocating Bornean pygmy elephants.
“Currently, I’m waiting for a reply to this (four-wheel-drive vehicles) but I’ve no doubt this offer will be taken,” she said, today.
Sheward hoped to return in February next year to present the vehicles and for the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Orangutan Appeal UK and Sabah Wildlife Department.
She was speaking to reporters after paying a courtesy call to the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, here, today.
She was accompanied by Sabah wildlife assistant director Dr Sen Nathan.
Sheward believed the new government under Shafie’s leadership would make an excellent contribution to saving Sabah’s wildlife, especially since they have imposed a ban on logging.
“I also told the Chief Minister (that) I would be having discussions with the state Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Christina Liew to assist in promoting Sabah as a conservation tourism destination, possibly with Orangutan Appeal UK’s adventure holiday,” she said.
She said the NGO would be releasing a rescued male orangutan nicknamed Tiger into the Tabin forest reserve, on Oct 4.
Speaking on the translocation, Sen said Tiger was rescued some 17 years ago when it was two years old and was brought to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
“He has undergone full rehabilitation programme. The reason we release him into Tabin is because Sepilok is small and we can’t be having too many adult male orangutans.
“We know he (the orangutan named Tiger) can survive as he is currently free-living in Sepilok. We will release him right in the core of Tabin, where there will be other orang utans and he won’t be lonely,” he said.
Over the last 18 years, the British NGO has invested RM11.5 million and carried out refurbishment work of Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan.
Earlier, Shafie also received a courtesy call from Philippine’s Mindanao Development Authority chairman Abul Khayr D. Alonto and his delegates.
Abul, who is also the Philippines Signing Minister For Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), spent about 30 minutes with the Chief Minister in a closed-door meeting.