In the Daily Express Tuesday 13 th September 2005 .
KOTA KINABALU: WWF-Malaysia lauded the move by the State government to gazette 26,103 hectares of the Lower Kinabatangan as a Wildlife Sanctuary under Section 9 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
Executive Director Datuk Dr Mikaail Kavanagh in commending the State government said it demonstrated the serious intent of the State government, which is a crucial step towards better protection and management of the Lower Kinabatangan .
The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary contains the only remaining forested alluvial flood plain in Asia .
The gazetting is of major conservation significance because it is the only remaining example of a natural ecosystem that is lost to human use elsewhere.
Forests along large rivers elsewhere in Borneo are different from the Lower Kinabatangan since they are on peat or infertile sandy plains. Hosting more than 1000 plant species, 250 bird species, 90 fish species and 50 mammal species including the Borneo Pygmy elephants. It is also one of the only two areas in the world where 10 primate species, including the endemic Bornean orang utan and proboscis monkeys can be found.
“Management of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary would pose many challenges because the sanctuary boundaries are man-made and do not reflect ecological or habitat boundaries,” said Chief Technical Officer for Borneo Programme, Dr Rahimatsah Amat.