Published on: Sunday, January 10, 2021
By: NST
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Orang-utans are seen feasting on wild fruits on top of a tree. (NSTP/courtesy of WWF-Malaysia)
LAHAD DATU: Years of collaborative reforestation efforts in Bukit Piton have borne fruitful results, as hundreds of orang-utans are now calling the area home.
According to a study by Alfred et. al. in 2010, Bukit Piton, previously known as North Ulu Segama, has approximately 300 orang-utans.
However, WWF-Malaysia head of conservation Sabah, Dr Robecca Jumin, said between the 1980s and 2007, the forest saw tremendous decline due to unsustainable logging practices and drought-induced forest fires.
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“The result was its vulnerability for conversion to agricultural lands, not unlike the areas that surround it.