Sabah
Summary
- Northeast Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) are present in Sabah.
- It has been estimated that 9,558 (CI: 6,815-15,129) individuals occur in the site.
- The orangutan population trend is decreasing.
- The site has a total size of 76,000 km².
- Key threats to orangutans are forest conversion and fragmentation.
- Conservation activities have focused on orangutan rehabilitation, canopy bridges, patrolling by local community members .
Site characteristics
Sabah is one of the 13 states in Malaysia, situated in the northern part of the island of Borneo. The state covers about 76,000 sq. km.
Table 1. Basic site information for Sabah
| Area | 76,000 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.212839 N, 116.996555 E |
| Designation | Unclassified |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical/tropical dry forest, plantations, subtropical/tropical heavily degraded former forest |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
In the early 1980s, WWF-Malaysia estimated 4,000 orangutans in 5,000 sq. km. of Sabah’s primary forest in the eastern lowlands and central uplands. In the mid-1980s, the first aerial nest surveys were conducted; combined with habitat assessments, it was estimated that up to 21,000 orangutans inhabited Sabah´s forest reserves and state parks (Simon et al. 2019). Fifteen years later, in 2002-2003, an aerial and ground nest survey identified 16 major orangutan populations in Sabah with a total 11,000 individuals (Ancrenaz et al. 2005). The most recent aerial survey that followed, between 2014 and 2017, estimated 9,558 orangutans (95% CI: 6,815 to 15,129), with separate studies recording a further 800 orangutans in the Lower Kinabatangan region. This results in a conservative population estimate of 10,300 orangutans in Sabah’s Permanent Forest Reserve and wildlife sanctuary (Simon et al. 2019).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Sabah
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pongo pygmaeus morio | 2002-2003 | 11,017 (8,317-18,376) | Sabah | Aerial survey and line transects | Ancrenaz et al. 2005 | ||||
| Pongo pygmaeus morio | 2014-2017 | 9,558 (6,815-15,129) | Sabah, 63% of the previously surveyed areas (in 2002-2003). | Aerial survey | Simon et al. 2019 |
Threats
Forest conversion and fragmentation are the key threats to orangutans in Sabah (Wich et al. 2008). Between 1973 and 2010, 39% of rainforests were lost in Borneo, including more than 98,000 sq. km of suitable orangutan habitat (Simon et al. 2019). Specifically, conversion of natural habitat to oil palm and tree plantations is a major threat (Simon et al. 2019).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Sabah
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | High | Deforestation for agriculture (Wich et al. 2008; Simon et al. 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Hunting pressure, either for meat or human-orangutan conflict situations (Simon et al. 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High | Timber extraction (Wich et al. 2008; Simon et al. 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | 11.1 Habitat shifting & alteration | Present, but threat severity is unknown | Impacts of climate change are likely to reduce suitable orangutan habitat (Simon et al. 2019). | Ongoing (2019) | |
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Almost half of Sabah's landmass has been gazetted as Permanent Forest Reserve (PFR), which encompasses 3.54 million ha, of which 1.61 million ha are protected forests, and the remaining 1.93 million are production forests (Simon et al. 2019). In addition to the PFR, state parks, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation areas add another 0.27 million ha of protected forests (Simon et al. 2019). In 1998, with support from the Sabah Wildlife Department, HUTAN established the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme (or KOCP) in the village of Sukau.
Table 4. Conservation activities in Sabah
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.2. Install rope or pole (canopy) bridges | HUTAN install orangutan bridges. | Ongoing |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.16. Implement community control of patrolling, banning hunting and removing snares | In 2002, the Sabah Wildlife Department trained and appointed people from the Kinabatangan community to become “Honorary Wildlife Wardens” or HWWs. HWWs are civilians who are given the same legal powers as rangers from the Sabah Wildlife Department to conserve and manage the natural resources of the State and to apprehend offenders when necessary (HUTAN). | Ongoing |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | 11.2. Legally protect primate habitat | More than 80% of the current orangutan population in Sabah occurs in fully protected forests (HUTAN). | Ongoing |
| 12. Species Management | 12.24. Rehabilitate injured/orphaned primates | Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is located in Sabah. Established in 1964, the center provides medical care for orphaned and confiscated orangutans. | Ongoing |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Sabah
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Sabah
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
Hutan-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme
HUTAN
Relevant datasets
References
Ancrenaz M, Gimenez O, Ambu L, Ancrenaz K, Andau P, Goossens B, et al. (2005) Aerial Surveys Give New Estimates for Orangutans in Sabah, Malaysia. PLoS Biol 3(1): e3. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030003
Simon D, Davies G, Ancrenaz M (2019) Changes to Sabah’s orangutan population in recent times: 2002–2017. PLoS ONE 14(7): e0218819. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218819
Wich, S., Meijaard, E., Marshall, A., Husson, S., Ancrenaz, M., Lacy, R., . . . Singleton, I. (2008). Distribution and conservation status of the orang-utan (Pongo spp.) on Borneo and Sumatra: How many remain? Oryx, 42(3), 329-339. doi:10.1017/S003060530800197X
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date:05/01/2021