KUCHING: The conservation of 54,000 orang utans in Borneo will depend on the commitment of logging concessionaire holders to provide corridors for the species to thrive in.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia said this was crucial as the species is threatened due to development, and are concentrated in forests that dot the Malaysia-Indonesia border in Borneo, an area known as the Heart of Borneo.
WWF Malaysia executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said a corridor is needed for forests between the Batang Ai National Park in Sarawak and Betung Kerihun National Park in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
"To achieve an orang utan management plan, there is a need to develop an ecological connectivity for wildlife movement and secure good standing forest in the Heart of Borneo," said Dionysius in conjunctionwith World Orang Utan day celebration today.
He said it was high time for stakeholders to be committed in “responsible forestry” as stipulated under the Orang Utan Transboundary Action Plan, which was initiated by the Sarawak Forestry Department nine years ago.
Sarawak Forestry Department Director Sapuan Ahmad said it was making sure the policy was being implemented at all levels.
Such efforts also benefits flora and fauna.
Meawhile, WWF Indonesia chief executive officer Dr Efransjah said 70 percent of the orang utans in Betung Kerihun National Park, West Kalimantan thrived in areas that spanned into Malaysia's Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary.
"This highlights the importance of collaboration between the two countries in protecting the species," said Efransjah.