Orangutan bridges in Sungai Pin Conservation Area reconnect wildlife habitats, reduce human-animal conflict and support ecotourism development.
SANDAKAN: Orangutan bridges in the Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) are a crucial link for wildlife movement across fragmented plantation landscapes.
Built by the Sawit Kinabalu Conservation and Biodiversity Unit, the structures provide a safe crossing over Sungai Pin river within the 2,632-hectare protected zone.
Sawit Kinabalu senior executive Rashidah Maqbool Rehman said the bridges reflect the government-linked company’s commitment to Kinabatangan biodiversity conservation.
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“So far, three bridges have been built to facilitate orangutans crossing Sungai Pin,” she said.
She noted that camera trap recordings from the first two bridges show encouraging usage, which has also helped reduce conflicts between wildlife and plantation workers.
Monitoring data indicates around 50 orangutans have been recorded, though the figure requires detailed analysis as the same animals may be counted multiple times.
The bridge construction is part of ongoing conservation initiatives alongside long-term tree replanting along the 27-kilometre Sungai Pin riverbank.
That riparian buffer zone programme, begun in the early 2000s, is a collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Sabah Forestry Department.
Apart from orangutans, the bridges also benefit other wildlife like long-tailed macaques, proving effective as safe habitat connectors.
The structure symbolises a balance between development and nature conservation, showing plantation and biodiversity protection can coexist.
The SPnCA serves as a study site for local and international university students, including from Japan.
It also creates local economic opportunities through developing ecotourism activities along Sungai Pin.
Sawit Kinabalu is developing small-scale ecotourism for walks along Sungai Pin and elephant observation at the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary.
“Most areas along the banks of Sungai Pin remain unexplored forest, making them highly suitable for nature-based tourism,” Rashidah said.
The company partners with Koperasi Pelancongan Mukim Batu Puteh Kinabatangan to ensure the local community benefits directly and job opportunities are created. – Bernama
