Published on: Sunday, January 10, 2021 By: NST Text Size: 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. ADVERTISEMENT “The result was its vulnerability for conversion to agricultural lands, not unlike the areas that surround it.