Action plan on saving the Proboscis
Published on: Thursday, February 23, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: International and local scientists, governmental agencies as well as industry players are aiming to draft a policy for the conservation of the proboscis monkey in Sabah during the three-day Proboscis Monkey Workshop here starting today Thursday).The workshop, organised by Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), will see several subject matter experts propose recommendations to protect the proboscis monkey based on findings from a five-year extensive research on the endangered species conducted by DGFC and SWD.A Proboscis Monkey Action Plan for Sabah will then be drafted based on the proposed recommendations gleaned from the workshop.
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DGFC Director Dr Benoit Goossens hoped the Proboscis Monkey Action Plan for Sabah would be adopted by the State Government for implementation in order to save the species endemic to Borneo, which is threatened by habitat loss and forest fragmentation in Sabah."For the past five years, SWD and DGFC have been collecting crucial information on proboscis monkey populations in Sabah, including demography, behaviour, genetics and health.""We carried out proboscis monkey surveys along several rivers, including the Kinabatangan, Segama, Klias, Sugut rivers to name a few, and collected blood samples from many individuals for genetic analyses."Information on genetic isolation, lack of gene flow between populations, risk of inbreeding and extinction will be discussed during the workshop," he said.
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The workshop would see input from all relevant stakeholders namely government department officers, representatives from NGOs, tourism and palm oil industries, local communities, scientists and experts on proboscis monkeys to formulate pragmatic solutions for the conservation of the proboscis monkey.Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) has been supporting the DGFC since April 2011 with a total commitment of RM3.96 million over six years.
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The DGFC's research on the proboscis monkey is one of three crucial research projects being conducted by the research organisation on endangered, endemic species to Borneo found in the Kinabatangan area, Sabah. The DGFC's two other vital research projects are on the Sunda clouded leopard and Bornean banteng.YSD Governing Council member, Caroline Christine Russell, said the Foundation is proud to sponsor important research projects on the three endemic species of Borneo found in the Kinabatangan area and in Sabah – the proboscis monkey, the Sunda clouded leopard and the Bornean banteng - with the ultimate aim of developing Sabah State Action Plans for their conservation."The DGFC under the SWD is our dedicated partner in achieving these objectives. Today's conference and workshop involving subject matter experts from all over the world is an important milestone achieved in our first project with DGFC, to save the proboscis monkeys," she said.Russell said DGFC's research on the populations of proboscis monkeys in Sabah is important for the survival of the endangered endemic species, in view of large developments occurring in high conservation value areas such as the lower Kinabatangan area.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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