The artificial nest box project leader, Pg. Mohd. Sahlan Salam, in action.
SANDAKAN : – Sabah is known for its immensely rich and interesting fauna, including arboreal wildlife.
In the tropical rainforests, certain arboreal animals, such as hornbills, flying squirrels and other small birds rely on natural tree cavities as their nesting sites.
These animals prefer mature trees and conducive location as their nesting sites.
However, due to land-use changes and other environmental pressures, the natural nesting sites or cavities are declining and difficult to find.
A male Oriental Pied Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris, feeding the female (Photo by Jackson Parulin).
Therefore, the Sabah Forestry Department took the initiative in 2017 to set up artificial nest boxes to address these challenges, focusing mainly on hornbills and flying squirrels.
A Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Petaurista petaurista, with its baby inside the box (Photo by Pg. Sahlan).
In line with the Sabah Forest Policy 2018, the Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, emphasizes that the department has been putting much effort in protection of forest biodiversity, including wildlife conservation, and at the same time, promoting natured-based tourism in generating revenue for the State.
This project, undertaken by the Forest Research Centre in Sepilok, led by Pg. Mohd. Sahlan Salam and his Wildlife Research Team, aims to integrate artificial nest boxes into wildlife research and conservation efforts, enhancing ecological understanding and promoting nature tourism.
Installing artificial nest boxes can also elevate ecosystem stability by supporting species that play vital roles in seed dispersal which can create long-term sustainability of forest ecosystem.
By increasing the visibility of wildlife, nest boxes can help promote conservation awareness, environmental education and nature tourism respectively, notably at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok, which is under the management of Sabah Forestry Department.
The department is also working with various agencies in wildlife conservation.
