KUCHING: WWF-Malaysia’s camera traps have captured the first-ever images of orangutans in the Gunung Lesong forests in Sri Aman.
In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 16), it said these newfound images bring encouraging tidings to Sarawak, particularly for stakeholders invested in conserving and sustainably managing the landscape for potential ecotourism development.
WWF-Malaysia senior field biologist Lukmann Haqeem Alen said the team was exhilarated to see images of the orangutans on camera after spending months installing camera traps to get the baseline wildlife information for the area.
“As far as we know, this is the first time we have captured orangutans using camera traps in Gunung Lesong in Sri Aman division.
“The locals have reported seeing orangutans in the area, more often during the fruiting season. In December 2022, a community member managed to record a video that is believed to feature an orangutan.
“The camera trap images of orangutans reaffirmed what the local people have been saying,” he said.
Detailing the observations, Lukmann revealed that there were three individuals based on their body sizes and facial features, including a mother orangutan with her baby, which serves as an encouraging sign that the population is still breeding in the area.
However, the reasons behind the orangutans’ terrestrial ventures within this area remains unknown.
“We do not have a definitive answer yet as to why these orangutans venture down to the ground in this area.
“Normally, orangutans spend most of their time in trees, but occasionally, they do come down to the ground, and this behaviour has been observed in other locations too.
“Based on the camera trap images, the female orangutan with her baby appeared from a nearby creek before climbing up a tree. The orangutan might have come down in search of water before seeking safe refuge on trees again,” Lukmann speculated.
Sri Aman Development Agency (SADA) Special Administrative Officer Datuk Indit Bangai said the sightings are indicative of the Sarawak government’s effort in conserving this iconic species and their habitat.
“Under SADA, we will continue to work with all key stakeholders including WWF-Malaysia in developing a community-based ecotourism model for this area, and to conserve orangutans and their habitats,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, Gunung Lesong Ecotourism Committee Chairperson Dr Victor Luna urged the local communities to take part in conservation related activities that safeguard the environment and orangutans, while also generating income through cultural and tourism activities.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts has identified this area as having great potential to be further developed into a successful ecotourism site. But above all, we must sustainably manage and prevent degradation or conversion of orangutan habitats here.
“Gunung Lesong is also my hometown and I envision the people here to pursue sustainable livelihood options such as ecotourism and agroforestry,” he said.
Gunung Lesong, standing at approximately 850 metres above sea level, holds historical significance as a sacred site among the Ibans in Sarawak.
The presence of orangutans in the mountain was one of the factors that led to the gazettement of Gunung Lesong as a national park in 2013.
Adjacent to it, the Ulu Sebuyau National Park, predominantly peat swamp, was gazetted in 2010. Together, these areas form an extensive orangutan habitat complex that encompasses community lands in between.
The presence of community lands within an important orangutan habitat range has prompted WWF-Malaysia to collaborate with the local communities in safeguarding Gunung Lesong’s ecosystem.
The initiative ensures that the 389-hectare corridor of forests remains undisturbed, allowing orangutans to traverse between these vital sites.
