Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Summary
- Northeast Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) are present in Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
- It has been estimated that 1,401 (CI: 517-3,796) individuals occur in the site.
- The orangutan population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 1,200 km².
- Key threats to orangutans are logging (1970-1990) and potential road construction.
- Conservation activities have focused on improving habitat and food availability.
Site characteristics
Located in the Malaysian state of Sabah, in Borneo, the reserve was established in 1984. It encompasses approx. 1,200 sq. km of primary and secondary lowland dipterocarp forest. The site is home to endemic species such as the Bornean elephant, the Bornean banteng, and Sunda clouded leopards (WWF-Malaysia 2023).
Table 1. Basic site information for Tabin Wildlife Reserve
| Area | 1200 km² |
| Coordinates | 5.240902, 118.718404 |
| Designation | Forest reserve |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest |
Ape status
Helicopter nest surveys documented a low density of orangutans in the reserve in 1985. In 1995, following the expansion of palm oil plantations in the region, at least 500 rescued orangutans were relocated to Tabin, which led to a higher population density (Payne pers. comm. 2023).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Tabin Wildlife Reserve
| 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 | 1401 (517-3,796) | 1.26 (0.47-3.42) | 3.187 | Tabin Wildlife Reserve | Aerial survey | Ancrenaz et al. 2005 | 1,110 km2 of orangutan habitat in the reserve |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes in Tabin Wildlife Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Unknown | Planned road bisecting reserve east to west (Payne pers. comm. 2023). | Potential threat | |
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High | The forest was selectively logged (Payne pers. comm. 2023). | 1970-1990 | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Unknown | ||||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | 8.4 Problematic species/diseases of unknown origin | Unknown | Possible threat of unknown diseases, and possible threat of malaria (Payne pers. comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | |
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
Tabin was first gazetted as a Wildlife Reserve in 1984; legally it is classified as a Forest Reserve. It is jointly managed by the Sabah Forestry and Sabah Wildlife Departments. BORA is a Malaysian non profit organisation that focuses on improving habitat and food availability for wildlife in Tabin. BORA has also collected over 90 wild fig species in the Sabah Ficus Germplasm Centre at Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
Table 4. Conservation activities in Tabin Wildlife Reserve
| 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 | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 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 | The site is legally classified as a forest reserve. | Ongoing (2023) |
| 11.4. Create/protect habitat corridors | WWF-Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) Berhad are establishing a wildlife corridor between Tabin and Silabukan Forest Reserve. Fast-growing native pioneer species and fig-plants will be planted to improve food sources for wildlife (WWF-Malaysia 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | |
| Other | Allow natural regeneration of the forest and plant feeding trees in nearby areas (Payne pers. comm. 2023). | Ongoing (2023) | |
| 12. Species Management | 12.18. Reintroduce primates into habitat where the species is present | Release of about 500 orangutans into Tabin Wildlife Reserve (Robins et al. 2013, Payne pers. comm. 2023). | 1995 |
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Tabin Wildlife Reserve
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Lack of political will, which limits management decisions | Payne pers. obs. 2023 |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Tabin Wildlife Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
References
Ancrenaz, M., Gimenez, O., Ambu, L., Ancrenaz, K., Andau, P., Goossens, B., ... & Lackman-Ancrenaz, I. (2005). Aerial surveys give new estimates for orangutans in Sabah, Malaysia. PLoS Biology, 3(1), e3.
Robins, J. G., Ancrenaz, M., Parker, J., Goossens, B., Ambu, L., Walzer, C., ... & Kinabalu, K. (2013). The release of northeast Bornean orangutans to Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia. Global Re-introduction Perspectives: 2013. Further case studies from around the globe, 215.
WWF-Malaysia (2023). Restoring Tabin: WWF-Malaysia and KLK Joined Hands to Establish Bukit Tabin Wildlife Corridor. Online: https://www.wwf.org.my/?31825/Restoring-Tabin-WWF-Malaysia-and-KLK-Joined-Hands-to-Establish-Bukit-Tabin-Wildlife-Corridor
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki Team Date: 30/09/2023