Our Projects
Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project
KOCP was set up in 1998 by HUTAN, in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department, with the goal of achieving long-term viability of orangutan populations in Sabah. The project's objective is to restore harmonious relationships between people and the orangutan, which in turn will support local socio-economic development compatible with habitat and wildlife conservation.
Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are the major threats to orangutan survival. In Sabah, 35% of orangutan habitat has been lost since the early 1980’s. Only recently (11 August 2005), a stretch of forest covering about 26,000ha lying along the Kinabatangan River, was officially gazetted as the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. This forested corridor is, however, bordered by growing human activities, both by local communities and extensive oil palm plantations. Former habitat reduction and fragmentation have resulted in many environmental issues, such as an increased rate of wildlife conflicts, pollution, depletion of timber and wildlife resources, and lack of space to develop new economical activities. It is feared that the ever increasing human pressure on the last remaining natural resources of this floodplain may jeopardize the viability of these habitats.
AOP has supported the KOCP Honorary Wildlife Warden programme for a number of years. Wardens play a crucial ‘on ground’ role in ensuring encroachment, illegal logging and other damaging human activities are identified swiftly and responded to with appropriate law enforcement. Vigilance is critical to ensuring the maintenance of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and its orangutan population.
The involvement of our wonderful volunteers in Borneo and Australia enables TOP to raise critically needed funds for projects on the ground in Borneo and Sumatra.
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