NGO works with plantation to protect elephants
KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment appreciates the significant role of animal welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in protecting elephants and plantations, and promoting conservation tourism coupled with wild elephant spotting.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew said a case in point is that of 1 Stop Borne o Wildlife, aS a ba hbasedN GO founded in 2016, that initiated an elephant conservation project this year, proving that elephants are an asset to Sabah and not a liability as claimed.
Christina said: “We value the organisation's contribution in saving elephants through its initiative known as #Plant 4 Borneo Elephants.
“Working with an oil-palm plantation in Tawau for mutual benefits is exactly what this
NGO is doing to make elephants an asset, not a liability. And this is a positive and viable project.
"This is the way forward. I hope other relevant NGOs will take the cue from 1 Stop Borneo Wildlife so that its conservation effort can be replicated in other areas where elephants' survival is also at stake," she said.
Christina said an important component of this conservation partnership is the development of the wildlife corridor (within the plantation) in which the saplings of local native trees are cultivated using the plantation's expertise while the visitors travel to the corridor and plant them.
Since its inception, some 300 trees have been planted by 1 Stop Borneo Wildlife volunteers and tourists or local visitors under the direction of plantation staff.
These are mainly fruit trees like figs and laran, and also dipterocarp trees.
It was pointed out that elephants are able to feed on fast-growing plants such as grasses within or on the borders of the plantation.
From another perspective, Christina noted that the NGO's undertaking has boosted the Tawau economy in terms of getting tour operators to take tourists to the plantation for elephant viewing and planting tree seedlings, and creating new jobs for locals like being drivers, chefs, community guides and photographers.
Earlier, in a briefing for the minister, Founder of 1 Stop Borne o Wildlife, Shavez Cheema reported that 20 conservation trips were made to the plantation by international volunteers brought in by the local tour operator and their team ''Adventure Alternative Borneo', and locals since the project started.
"Apart from seeing the elephants, they had the opportunity to plant trees as food for the elephants as well as other wildlife such as hornbills under Plant 4 Borneo Elephants ," he said.
Among the 95 foreign tourists brought in by the local tour operator, Adventure Alternative Borneo, were Dutch, American, German, Czech, Swiss, Australian and British.
He also informed Christina that his organisation is producing a 10-15 minute long documentary on elephants in Tawau, which will incorporate comments from the minister.