March 22, 2014 by Justine Vaz

Images of the female rhino found in Danum Valley and her successful translocation to Tabin Wildlife Reserve where she will join the two other rhinos in residence there.

January 2, 2012 by Justine Vaz

Some photos of the exciting capture and translocation of Puntung the isolated female rhino to sanctuary where it is hoped she will find a ready mate. Click on a picture to view.

December 4, 2010 by Justine Vaz

The Sumatran rhinoceros is Malaysia’s rarest and most endangered species. Sabah now has the last known remaining small populations of this species in Malaysia, at Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, both in Lahad Datu District. What needs to be done has already been determined by government. The first need is to prevent the loss by poaching or by illegal traps of Sabah’s remaining wild rhinos. The second need is to bring the few remaining rhinos which are not breeding to the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary, a managed fenced facility being developed at Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Dr Laurentius Ambu, director of Sabah Wildlife Department, recalling that only a decade or two ago, Tabin was a remote site with poor road access, said “The people who will be protecting, monitoring, rescuing and caring for rhinos need a comfortable place to stay”. This point was echoed by Datuk Junaidi Payne, executive director of the non-governmental organization named Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) in his briefing at the event. Yayasan Sime Darby pledged in 2009 to contribute RM5 million to development of Borneo Rhino Sanctuary over the period 2009-2012, as well as additional funds for management of wildlife in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. A part of those funds have been used to construct five units of staff accommodation at Tabin, with a total of fifteen bedrooms. The accommodation, known as Rumah Gajah and Rumah Harimau Dahan, was officially opened on 12 November. Yayasan Sime Darby was represented by its chief executive officer Puan Yatela Zainal Abidin. Yayasan Sime Darby has pledged support for a wide range of programmes encompassing human welfare, education and sports, as well as conservation of the natural environment. At the same time, another house with six bedrooms, called Rumah Badak, funded by WWF-Malaysia and WWF-Germany was officially opened at Tabin, by WWF-Malaysia president Dato’ Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin in the presence of Dr Laurentius. Tengku Adlin noted that WWF-Malaysia, currently focusing attention on the Coral Triangle marine ecosystem and the Heart of Borneo forests, has had a long history of association with Tabin and rhinos.
The officiation of the buildings was witnessed by a variety of neighbours and agencies, including Lahad Datu District Office, Sabah Forestry Department and the Royal Malaysian Police Department, as well as Tabin Wildlife Resort, and the NGOs Sepilok Orang-utan Appeal and LEAP. In addition to Sime Darby, representatives of oil palm plantation companies included Tradewinds Berhad (Ladang Permai), Kuala Lumpur Kepong, PPB Plantations, IOI Plantations, Sabahmas, Tomanggong Estates and FELDA Sahabat. “All are neighbours to Tabin or other forest sites where rhinos occur and several are contributing “in kind” to the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary programme by way of support such as added security, help and accommodation for staff out on patrol, and even by supply of gravel for the rhino enclosure” said Datuk Junaidi.

July 9, 2010 by leap

BORA and Sabah Wildlife Department patrol team in Tabin Wildlife Department

BORA staff in action.

February 18, 2010 by Justine Vaz

March 17 2009 saw LEAP helping to organise another groundbreaking conservation fundraising event with its partner organisation, BORA.

A ‘RHINO RESCUE LUNCH’ was held at a leading hotel in Kota Kinabalu. The Guest of Honour was the Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun and over 70 people participated, with representatives from the government, NGO and private sectors, as well as concerned individuals.

Generous donors gather for a photo at the March 2009 Rhino Rescue Lunch

An amazing RM530,000 (about USD$150,000) was raised through a novel and interactive pledge-making process where pieces of a giant jigsaw of a rhino picture were ‘bought’ by donors. The event helped to bring the plight of the Bornean rhino to a much wider audience and resulted in operational funds being secured for the BORA Rhino Protection Unit to function for another year.

Click on a photo to view some of the highlights of the Lunch.

February 6, 2010 by Justine Vaz

Almost a decade ago, Andalas’s birth at the Cincinnati Zoo was cause for much celebration. It offered hope that individuals in captivity could help to replenish the numbers of this critically endangered species. Since then, Andalas has gone from strength to strength. In 2007, it was time at last to return to Sumatra to do what comes naturally. After an arduous journey, Andalas was home in his native habitat. This photo gallery and video captures moments from his journey over the past ten years.

As part of the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary’s captive breeding program, Andalas (the 7-year-old male Sumatran rhino born at the Cincinnati Zoo and transferred to Indonesia in 2007) is being exposed to as many of the sanctuary’s female rhinos as possible so he learns to communicate with the females long before they are put together for breeding purposes. This socialization process is being facilitated by feeding the rhinos their daily diets through the fence at the central breeding area, and then opening the gate so the rhinos can interact with each other if they choose. Over the past several months, Andalas has routinely been introduced to all three of the Sanctuarys females: Bina, Ratu and Rosa. This video shows an introduction between Andalas and Ratu – chasing and fighting are actually part of normal rhino “courting rituals.” Soon after this video was shot, Andalas mated with Ratu for the first time.

Video from the International Rhino Foundation.

February 4, 2010 by Justine Vaz

Despite superficial similarities, the five species of rhino that remain have many distinctive features and behaviours. You can get a sense of some of these differences as you browse this photo gallery.

January 28, 2010 by Justine Vaz

A rhino “caught” on video was subsequently caught in real life, having walked out of the forest into an oil palm plantation, from which it refused to return to the forest. This rhino, a mature male named Kretam, or Tam for short, was enticed into a crate and moved into a small paddock in Tabin Wildlife Reserve on 13 August 2008.

His tameness indicated that this rhino was experiencing a problem. Specifically, it was decided to capture Tam because he had a visible injury to the right front leg, which turned out to be from a snare trap. This injury was treated successfully after capture.

On the advice of veterinarians who work at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary at Way Kambas, Sumatra, Indonesia, a 2.5 hectare extension to the paddock was built, encompassing forest and a small seasonal stream. The cost of building the new paddock was borne jointly by Sabah Forestry Department, WWF and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment. This site is now the “transit area” for Tam and for additional rhinos that may be caught in the future.

January 28, 2010 by Justine Vaz

The Rhino Protection Unit based in Tabin Wildlife Reserve performs a number of vital activities that include monitoring the movement and behaviour of rhinos within the area, and keeping a vigilant look out for poachers and others that would seek to harm them. Tracking activities which include measuring footprints, monitoring wallows and salt licks is slowly helping to build up a database of the rhinos of Tabin. Members of the RPU are young men and women that are very capable in the forest. They are able to carry heavy packs and to find their way around without the use of specialised equipment. Most have a love for the outdoors and a special interest and curiousity about rhinos.

The addition of Tam as the resident rhino bachelor contributes a different and yet joyful dimension to RPU work – that is the feeding and care of this charming individual. Some of the daily activities of the RPU members are captured in this Photo Gallery.

Click on a picture to view slideshow, and click again to return to the normal screen.