Gaya Travel

CLICK HERE

The Sabangau Forest

The Sabangau Forest is in southern Borneo, near Palangka Raya, in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan. Centered on the blackwater Sabangau River, it is bounded by the Katingan River to the west, Kahayan River to the east, Java Sea to the south and the main Palangka Raya-Sampit road to the north. The ecosystem covers an area of approximately 9,000 km2 of tropical peatland and most (6,300 km2) remains forested. Sabangau forms part of a great swathe of tropical peatlands that cover almost the entire lowland river plains of southern Borneo. It is the largest area of lowland rainforest remaining in Borneo.

The main habitat of the area is tropical peat-swamp forest. This is often decribed as a "dual ecosystem", with a diverse tropical forest ecosystem standing atop a thick peat layer. Peat is formed in heavily-waterlogged, acidic consitions, which prevents the complete breakdown of plant material. It is thus the partially-decayed remains of fallen leaves, branches and trees. The peat layer in Sabangau has formed slowly over 20,000 years and is up to 15 m deep in places. Being made almost completely of plant matter, peat is a major store of carbon. When drained, it begins to break down and oxidise, and becomes very susceptible to fire, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere: the current total peatland CO2 emissions in South-east Asia are estimated to be equal to almost 8% of global emissions from fossil fuel combustion, from just 0.1% of the global land area  (Hooijer et al., 2006). When CO2 emissions from degraded peatlands are included, Indonesia is the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA and China (it is 21st excluding peat emissions).  Preserving tropical peatlands in their natural state is therefore one of the most effective ways of limiting global warming. Logging, peat drainage and fire all disturb the ecosystem's natural balance and, unfortunately, these all occur when peat-swamp forests are converted to oil palm plantation and other forms of agriculture. 

---

In 1996, 50,000 hectares in the north of the Sebangau River catchment area was protected as the Natural Laboratory of Peat Swamp Forest (NLPSF or LAHG). The NLPSF is managed by CIMTROP (the Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands), an Indonesian research and conservation institution based at the University of Palangka Raya (UNPAR). Setia Alam Field Station, within the NLPSF, is situated 20 km southwest of Palangka Raya in the upper reaches of the Sabangau River.

Setia Alam Field Station is sited just inside the edge of the forest on the site of a former logging concession.  The NLPSF contains three forest classes: the mixed swamp forest (MSF), with a large diversity of tree species up to a maximum of 35 metres tall on peat approx. 6m deep, which spans the forest edge and reaches up to 5-6 km into the forest. The low pole forest (LPF), characterised by trees of height 10-15 m, then extends from 6-11 km into the forest. Furthest into the forest is the tall interior forest (TIF), on a peat layer up to 13 m thick and characterised by the highest diversity of tree species, with emergents up to 45 m tall.

The human population in the transmigration settlements on the southern Sabangau River numbers ~2,000; only one other permanent community of 100 residents on the Sabangau River exists in the west of the catchment. Fifteen large villages of 200-2,000 residents are found along the length of the Katingan River, with the large town of Kasongan marking the north-western boundary of the catchment. Several smaller villages occur along this river, together with the large transmigration settlement of Pegatan at the mouth of the river and temporary communities formerly up to 3,000 people centred on timber sawmills, although these are starting to dwindle as migrant workers return home following the cessation of illegal logging in the region.

The eastern Sabangau catchment is smaller and much more heavily degraded. The route of the trans-Kalimantan highway runs close to the Kahayan River, between Palangka Raya and Pulang Pisau, with many small settlements along its length. The northern boundary is marked by the provincial capital of Palangka Raya (ca. 100,000 residents); south of this is the large village of Kereng-Bangkerai (ca. 5,500 residents) on the northern bank of the Sabangau River. The entire area forms Block C of the failed Mega Rice Project, a program that planned to convert this area of deep peatland into rice padi. A large network of wide, deep, canals completely traverses this area, ostensibly built to provide irrigation, but, in fact, a major reason for the project’s failure. The project was abandoned before any forest was cleared in this region, but the drained and dried out peat has burnt regularly since 1997 and much of the forest in this area has been destroyed. Canals have partitioned the remaining forest. The area is still officially designated for agriculture, although no effort or investment has been put towards this since the cessation of the Mega Rice Project. Protection efforts are urgently required in this area to save the remaining large patches of forest, and conserve the biodiversity and carbon stored within.

Base camp

Researchers discussing the day's events

Setia Alam Field Station is the site of OuTrop and CIMTROP's primary research site and base camp. Setia Alam means 'Loyal to Nature' and our camp is sited just inside the forest edge, surrounded by jungle and accessed from the Sabangau River by a km-long railway: the last remnant of the logging company that worked here previously. Camp is approximately 20 km SW of Palangka Raya, where OuTrop and our Indonesian partners CIMTROP have their offices. Setia Alam is managed by CIMTROP and is protected for the purposes of scientific research.

The camp is built around a central meeting area, which leads to three accomodation buildings, a kitchen and dining room, office, laboratory, washing area, toilets and bathrooms, and the badminton court - only playable in the dry season! Electricity comes from a diesel-powered generator and two (temperamental!) solar panels, and camp is regularly supplied from our local village of Kereng Bangkerai.

---

To visit Setia Alam, you fly into Palangka Raya airport, take a minibus to Kereng Bangkirai, hop on a klotok (a small wooden boat) to the Natural Laboratory jetty, from where you board our famous mini train to travel the last 1.5 km into camp. The railway runs through a large area of grass and sedge swamp that separates the river from the forest. In the wet season this floods to 6 m deep, and we can take our klotok straight into camp. The railway between camp and the river was left over by the logging company, as they used it to take timber out of the forest to the river. This has had to be replaced many times over and we are grateful to the Government of Finland, plus CIMTROP's and our sponsors for funding this.

From camp, take any of four paths into the jungle and you enter the Natural Laboratory of Peat Swamp Forest. Contiguous with the rest of the Sabangau Forest, the 50,000 hectare Natural Laboratory is a scientific research and monitoring facility, the main aim of which is to promote the conservation of the Sabangau Forest and its globally important biodiversity and carbon store. It was formally designated by Decree of the Ministry of Forestry, dated 2nd February 1999, No. 191/Menhutbun-VII/1999. This placed overall management control of the Natural Laboratory with the Ministry of Research and Technology (BPPT), and day-to-day management in the hands of CIMTROP and its director, Dr Suwido Limin.

---

The success of the Natural Laboratory in protecting tropical forest and promoting collaboration between researchers, ecologists and conservationists, is a fantastic example of how locally-managed conservation projects, applying local solutions to local problems, can succeed. Inside the Natural Laboratory, we have cut and marked a trail system measuring 2.5 x 2.5km, with trails every 250 m running north-south and east-west. Within this grid system, we have many permanent tree plots set-up for studies of long-term habitat regeneration and forest productivity. We are not the only people who use the Natural Laboratory, though: researchers from the University of Palangka Raya and Indonesian National Institute of Sciences (LIPI), University of Leicester, the Japanese universities of Hokkaido, Kyoto and Tokyo, the University of Helsinki in Finland, University of Munich in Germany and several Dutch institutions are studying many different aspects of peatland ecology, including climatalogy, hydrology, restoration techniques, peat respiration and carbon cycling, nutrient cycling and remote sensing. Although there are many different groups working here, we have a common cause and work together through CIMTROP and other international collaboration networks.

The logging railway used to run 25 km into the heart of the Sabangau Forest. This has long since been pulled up and taken away, but the route through the forest remains. The jungle keeps trying to reclaim it, but we regularly clear the re-growth of pandan, giving us a path leading 12 km to the tall interior forest, the most productive and diverse area of jungle in the Natural Laboratory. The route to the tall interior forest runs through the low-pole forest. Here we maintain a forward camp, which we visit annually to survey these remote forest areas. Although the low-pole forest is dense, hot, wet and generally low in all biodiversity except mosquitoes, our work here has been absolutely crucial in understanding the ecology of the forest, and determining how illegal logging can impacts the area's orangutan population. We have also started building satellite camps in four other remote locations around the Natural Laboratory for our ecological monitoring and camera trap research. 

---

---

Nature of Sepilok

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Welcome to Sepilok

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in the Malaysian Sabah District of North Borneo was founded in 1964, to rehabilitate orphan orangutans. The site is 43 sq km of protected land at the edge of Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve. Today around 60 to 80 orangutans are living free in the reserve.
When Sabah became an independent state in Malaysia in 1963, a Game Branch was created in the Forest Department for the conservation of wild animals in the region.
Consequently, 43 sq km of protected land at the edge of Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve was turned into a rehabilitation site for orangutans, and a centre built to care for the apes. Today around 25 young orphaned orangutans are housed in the nurseries, in addition to those free in the reserve.
The facility provides medical care for orphaned and confiscated orangutans as well as dozens of other wildlife species. Some of the other animals which have been treated at the centre include; sun bears, gibbons, Sumatran rhinos and the occasional injured elephant.
Recently rehabilitated individuals have their diet supplemented by daily feedings of milk and bananas. The additional food supplied by the centre is purposefully designed to be monotonous and boring so as to encourage the apes to start to forage for themselves.
Sepilok is considered by the Wildlife Department to be a useful educational tool with which to educate both the locals and visitors alike, but they are adamant that the education must not interfere with the rehabilitation process. Visitors are restricted to walkways and are not allowed to approach or handle the apes.
In the wild orang utan babies stay with their mothers for up to six years while they are taught the skills they need to survive in the forest, the most important of which is climbing. At Sepilok a buddy system is used to replace a mother’s teaching. A younger ape will be paired up with an older one to help them to develop the skills they need.
The creation of reserve areas minimises the impact of deforestation on orangutans and far fewer young apes become the victim of the illegal pet trade as a result of these ‘sanctuaries’. Babies are often caught during logging or forest clearance or captured by poachers who slaughter the adult apes to reach them. The Malaysian Government has clamped down on illegal trading, outlawing all such practice and imposing prison sentences on anyone caught keeping them as pets.
Youngsters kept in captivity often become sick or suffer neglect which in some cases extends to cruelty. Whilst some of the orangutans raised as pets can never be returned to the wild, others can be rehabilitated; it is a long and expensive process, taking up to seven years but one centres such as Sepilok take on without question.

FAQ......

Q-Where is Sepilok?
A-Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is situated in the State of Sabah in Northern Borneo and sits on the edge of the Kabili forest reserve.
Q-When was is set up?
A-It was set up by an Englishwoman some 50 years ago and was the first Centre in the world to dedicate itself to the rehabilitation of orphaned orang-utans.
Q-How big is the reserve?
A-Sepilok is situated in 43sq km of virgin lowland equatorial rainforest.
Q-What actually happens at Sepilok?
A-The Centre cares for young orangutans orphaned as a result of illegal logging and deforestation and those who have been illegally caught and kept as pets. At Sepilok the new arrivals are given a complete health check before starting on the long road to rehabilitating them back into the wild.  This essential process takes up to seven years and requires dedication and commitment for all those involved. Baby orangutans are cared for 24 hours a day, just like a human baby and as they grow older they join their peers in the nursery and at night they are housed indoors for their safety.
Q-What do the baby orangutans need to learn before they are released?
A-One of the most important skill orangutans need to develop is climbing, as they will spend their lives high in the rainforest canopy. Sepilok replaces their natural mother’s teaching by joining the youngsters with older orphans who will show them the skills they themselves have already learnt.  It has proved to be a very successful combination.

Once they have developed their climbing and foraging skills, they are eventually released into the surrounding forest reserve to fend for themselves. They spend most of their time in the forest and will sometimes return to the centre for a free meal.
Q-Who run’s Sepilok rehabilitation centre and where do the funds to run it come from?
A-The Centre is now run by the Sabah Wildlife Department, from which it receives some funds.  The rest comes from the entrance fee charged to Malaysians and International tourists, who are allowed to visit the centre to witness the feeding times.  Funds are limited and, as a result, in past years the Centre has been unable to replace much of its outdated or dilapidated equipment and staffing levels were at a minimum.

Q-Can anyone visit Sepilok?
A-Yes. Sepilok has a popular visitor centre which is open daily to the public.

Q-What time does the centre open?
A-The centre is open from 9am-4pm and tickets are valid for the whole day.

Q-How much is it to go into the centre?
A-It cost 30RM for foreign tourists, the ticket allows you to attend both feedings that day.

Q-What are the feeding times?
A-These are at 10am and 3pm, make sure you get there 15mins before hand so you have time to walk along the boardwalk to feeding.
Q-Am i guaranteed to see an Orangutan?
A-These orangutans are living wild in the reserve and come back for a free feed should they wish - for this reason sightings cannot be guaranteed. 

Q-Can we touch the orangutans?
A-'Hands on' contact with the orangutans is not permitted, and is in the best interests of the orangutans.

Orangutans are very susceptible and vulnerable to human diseases, and therefore exposure is strictly regulated to reduce as far as possible any potential infection. In addition, human contact is kept to a minimum, not only for the safety of the orangutans but to avoid unnecessary risks to visitors (orangutans are very strong and as wild animals can be unpredictable)
To ensure their best possible chance of survival once they are eventually released back into the wild, dependence or familiarity with people is discouraged.
Q-Is there anyone who can answer my questions that i have at the centre?
A-We have a Liaison Officer working at the Centre, who may be available to talk to you should you decide to visit, who would be happy to answer any questions and point out various characters from the feeding platform.
Q-If we have adopted one of the babies can we go and see them?
A-No visitors are allowed to see the babies. Sepilok's primary concern is the rehabilitation of orphaned, injured and ex-captive orangutans. It is also able to open a certain proportion of its grounds to the public to encourage conservation and educate others about the plight of this endangered species. For this reason, the nursery area where the young orangutans who are very prone to human illness and at a crucial stage in the rehabilitation process, are not accessible by the visitors. This can be disappointing for those expecting a 'zoo-like' experience. However, the welfare of the apes is always put first.
Q-What can i expect from my experience at Sepilok?
A-The visitors, having seen the educational (although optional) DVD at the centre, make their way through the forest to the viewing platform. From here they can witness the successfully rehabilitated orangutans living wild in the reserve coming for a free feed. It's a magical experience, as the trees begin to shake, and a flash of orange appears. Two rangers will arrive with fruit and sugar cane to place on the feeding platform, approximately 60 feet from the viewing platform. The orangutans that come for this free feed are wild and therefore can be dangerous, so there are staff on hand to make sure interactions do not occur, for the safety of both visitor and orangutan. Because they are wild, it can never be guaranteed that many will come for the feed, if any at all (especially during the fruiting season). This is where some people leave disappointed, but the truth is if no orangutans come, then it is a positive thing - it means they are not reliant upon the feeding to survive.  You will however have a magical experience in the forest surrounded by the sights, smells and sounds of Borneo.

The Infant Care Unit

The Infant Care Unit ant Care UnitAn Infant Care Unit (ICU) was specially set up on Orang Utan Island owing to the success of the breeding program, to provide veterinary care for the infants, as well as to ensure that these primates can eventually adapt to the natural habitat and have a higher survival rate in the wilderness. A total of 13 infants were born on the island. The objectives of the ICU are: To provide veterinary care for infant Orang Utans in the event of separation from its mother due to improper maternal care. To create public awareness on the conservation of the endangered Orang Utan. To provide the public an opportunity to view how the veterinary care is provide for the infants. To increase the population of Orang Utans through "ex-situ" program in line with the national wildlife conservation of endangered species. To encourage public participation through our baby Orang Utan adoption program. During birth , the infants may be required to be separated from its mother and taken into care at the ICU for the following reasons, failure of mother's lactation, premature birth / low birth weight, umbilical cord infection, diarrhea, poor growth rate, or lack of maternal care from the mother. Infants separated from its mother will undergo clinical diagnosis, treatment, recovery and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation program is carried out internally and externally as to ensure that the babies will eventually adapt to the natural environment. The process is conducted by the Resident Veterinarian, Dr. Sabapathy, and his team of veterinarian assistants.

Orang Utan Island is located within the exotic, eco-friendly getaway of Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, a 7,000 acre freshwater lakeside haven in Semanggol, Perak. The Orang Utan Island itself, which was formerly known as Pulau Panjang, comprises a vast 35 acre area, 5 acres of which has been set aside as a research centre for these endangered primates.
Developed by renowned Malaysian property developer MK Land thanks to its founder,YBhg Tan Sri Datuk Hj. Mustapha Kamal, the island, which opened in 2000, is the first of its kind in the world, and designed to resemble the orang utan’s natural rainforest habitat as much as possible. As such, its red-haired residents are able to roam freely within their lush, jungle environment while visitors view them from safe, enclosed spaces built within a dedicated viewing area.
It was within the nurturing borders of this island that the Orang Utan Island Research and Development Programme was born in an effort to study, breed, monitor, train and rehabilitate the increasingly endangered orang utan.
Led by Dr. Sabapathy Dharmalingam, the research center’s veterinary service manager, the island’s medical and research team has been dedicating their full resources to caring for, breeding, monitoring, training and rehabilitating the primates there in an effort to increase the population of healthy orang utans in the wild.
The island also serves as a valuable educational tool for reaching out to people who may know nothing about the crisis the orang utans are facing, and how close they are to becoming extinct. Upon their visit to the island, visitors are exposed to all aspects of the orang utan’s existence, including how they behave, eat, breed and socialise, and the dangers they face.
Having started with just 3 orang utans in 1999, the island’s primate population has grown to 23, 12 of which were born on the island itself. The centre’s rehabilitation programme focuses on teaching the orang utans the essential skills they need to survive in the wild, such as foraging for food, nest building, tree climbing and socialising, in anticipation for their eventual release into their natural habitat.

Stage 1- The Infant Care Unit



The Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation is the driving force behind the island’s operations as well as its research centre’s main source of funding. The foundation’s main responsibilities include the setting up and maintenance of the island’s facilities, facilitating sponsorships and donations, organising orang utan infant relocation, displacement support, rehabilitation, and education programmes, in addition to collaborating with universities, government agencies, schools, charitable organisations and non-government organisations.The foundation aims to:

Support and assist the Government via its agencies in carrying out orang utan research, education, development, conservation, breeding, and rehabilitation programmes, and drawing up protection policies;

Garner the support of individuals, corporations, private organisations, government agencies and societies, universities, schools, and non-government agencies via donations or assistance.

Serve as a comprehensive, national resource centre for information on orang utans, orang utan research, and link to collaborations with other related information centres worldwide.

Established in 2004, the Infant Care Unit provides complete veterinary care, a carefully formulated diet plan and 24-hour monitoring to each and every infant orang utan that comes in. Each infant is examined thoroughly via a series of tests, including blood analyses, fecal examinations, and vital signs monitoring. The unit is equipped with:


a) A treatment room, where routine check-ups, clinical diagnoses and treatments are carried out;


b) A recovery room, where the necessary medication are given and monitoring is performed for infant orang utans that need it;


c) An exercise yard complete with equipment such as ropes, where physical rehabilitation begins. It is here that each infant orang utan is introduced to the wild and is prepared for adaptation to their natural surroundings.

Infant orang utans are separated from their mother for a variety of reasons, such as premature birth, low birth weight, chronic diarrhoea, and a host of other biological factors.


Stage 2 - The Enrichment Development Unit


The Enrichment Development Unit is an extension of the exercise yard, and is designed to expose young orang utans to items found in their natural surroundings such as leaves, branches, and tree trunks, which are essential for helping them develop their basic survival skills. Infants remain in this stage for up to 2 years.

The activities within this unit is further divided into 5 sections to aid the young orang utans’ development:

a) Climbing: Hanging ropes encourage the young ones to hold on to a rope, climb, learn how to balance themselves and stand, as they would on trees in the wild.

b) Water sourcing: Learning how to source for water, especially when it is scarce, is a critical survival skill, and here, young orang utans are taught to develop this instinct.

c) Foraging: Food items are hidden in different areas to encourage young orang utans to forage for food as they would in the wild.

d) Nest-building: Nesting material is provided to let the orang utans promote their nesting instincts, allowing them to build comfortable places of rest.

e) Swinging: Swinging, climbing and balancing are core aspects of the orang utan’s arboreal nature, and nothing brings these qualities out better than the swinging exercises developed here.

Stage 3 - The Introductory Controlled Release Unit

In this stage of rehabilitation, the 2- to –3-year-old infants are gradually introduced to a controlled, natural environment. Here, the infants will experience minimum contact with humans, are exposed to adult orang utans, and have their interactions and reactions gauged. One ranger is assigned to monitor each orang utan.

Stage 4 - Exhibit Controlled Release

Here, contact between the young orang utans and humans is cut off completely. They are released to roam free within the designated forested areas of the island, which is equipped with all the necessary enrichment material they need to develop physically, socially and emotionally. It is in this stage that the juvenile orang utans exhibit instinctive behavioural traits such as nest building.

Stage 5 - Exhibit Release

This stage of rehabilitation is designed for adolescent, sub-adult and adult orang utans. Their freedom to roam within the rainforest surroundings is maintained, while visitors are allowed to observe from a distance. To stimulate them, enrichment materials like feeding tunnels, honey, and milk dispensers are placed strategically around the area to nurture their natural traits and instincts. It is also here that the orang utans begin to mate.

Stage 6 - Wild Release

This is the end stage of rehabilitation, and involves the release of the orang utans into their natural habitat. To date, one female orang utan has been released in Malacca

Stage 7 - Return to Place of Birth

Here, orang utans that were obtained by loan are sent back to their respective places of birth.

Special Care

Pregnant Orang Utans

Upon confirmation of their pregnancy, expecting female orang utans are provided with daily care and monitoring in confinement to minimise the likelihood of abortion and miscarriage. They are put on a diet of which includes fruit juices and vitamin supplements, and are encouraged to exercise to keep as healthy as possible.

Veterinary Medical Management

Adult Orang Utans

The most common medical problems faced by orang utans in captivity include feeding difficulties, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, and physical injuries resulting from fights. The complications arising from these situations are treated and constantly monitored by our resident veterinary surgeon. During the monitoring of the affected orang utans, blood, fecal, tuberculosis, and urine tests are regularly conducted.

Infant Orang Utans

Premature births, a low birth weight, upper respiratory tract infections, and chronic diarrhea are common among infant orang utans. These are also closely monitored by the resident veterinary surgeon and his team of assistants and nurses. Regular blood and fecal testing, and vital signs monitoring are carried out to ensure a full recovery.

Malaysian scientists are scouring the rainforests of Johor state in search of the legendary ape-man Bigfoot, supposedly sighted late last year. But they are more likely to encounter some less fantastic but unique creatures that dwell in these still unexplored ecosystems. In recent years a number of new and conspicuous animals have been discovered in the forests of South and Southeast Asia, including 361 new species in Borneo over the past decade and 43 new species of vertebrates in Sri Lanka. Just last year, scientists with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) captured on film what may be a new species of mammal in the rainforests of Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo.

The fox-like creature is apparently unknown even to local hunters.Such is not the case with another species discovered last year. The kha-nyou, a bizarre long-whiskered rodent, was first described by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists after it was found on a table at a hunter's market in central Laos. The animal has since been classified in its own taxonomic family. While most experts agree that the likelihood is remote of finding the "Bigfoot" beast Malaysian tribal people call hantu jarang gigi, the country's efforts to ascertain the existence of such a creature are not the first time a government in the region has acted on behalf of a cryptozoological entity.

Bhutan created Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary—650 square kilometers of temperate rhododendron and pine forests in the eastern part of the country—specifically to protect the habitat of the yeti, better known as "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch" in other parts of the world. To date the yeti has proved elusive, but Bhutan as a whole is home to 29 other species of mammals and more than 625 kinds of birds. Besides "Bigfoot," Malaysia has had reported sightings of another mysterious "cryptid," the orang pendek, which is said to be an unclassified species of primate similar to the orangutan but standing only two and a half to five feet in height (thus there would be no confusing the orang pendek with the alleged "Bigfoot" which is said to stand nine feet tall). Periodic sightings of the orang pendek date back to the Victorian era but expeditions to find the species have turned up no conclusive evidence.

The existence of such creatures is very much in doubt, and hopes of finding the unknown are fading due to widespread habitat loss across much of Asia. The situation is especially urgent in Malaysia, where deforestation rates have jumped 86 percent since the close of the 1990s as a result of forest degradation and clearing for oil palm, logging, and other forms of development. With primary forest covering around 10 percent of the country, the chances of finding Bigfoot or other creatures is diminishing fast. "Skeptics might say that if we are still discovering such amazing new animals, why are people worried about wildlife loss," said Dr. Robert Timmins, a WCS researcher, at the time of his Lao rodent discovery. "But of course it is an indication of how little we know, and a window onto what we could be losing without ever knowing." For more information on current research in Malaysia's rainforests, take a look at the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) Asia, the WCS-Malaysia Program, and the WWF-Malaysia.