Today, one of the major threats to the long-term survival of the orang-utan in the area is the intense fragmentation process that results from these recent man-made transformations and jeopardizes animal’s movements. Recent surveys conducted by the “Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project” (KOCP) and the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) have shown that the Kinabatangan orang-utan population is split into at least 20 different sub-populations. It is well established that fragmented and isolated wildlife populations face increased risks of inbreeding, diseases, and localized extinction.
In 2003, KOCP and the Sabah Wildlife Department decided to set up rope bridges above the tributaries of the Kinabatangan River to provide access for arboreal species to cross these water bodies. So far, a total of seven bridges have been installed. These bridges are tied up to remaining trees on both sides of the tributaries and provide a physical connection between the two banks.
This bridge project was initially supported by zoos (Cleveland Metroparks, Columbus Zoo, the Houston Zoo) and other KOCP partners. Over the years, multiple designs were tested in an attempt to find a suitable model that could be used by the orang-utans. Over the years, several witnesses claimed to have seen orang-utans using the KOCP bridges, and the first photographic evidence of this was finally obtained in February 2010.
Although the evidenced use of these bridges is a success for the KOCP partnerships/rope-bridge project, in reality, these rope bridges are only a temporary fix. There remains the urgent need to re-establish contiguous forest between isolated patches of habitat that are inhabited by the orang-utans. To be successful in a constantly changing environment, efficient conservation measures need to be undertaken at the landscape level, incorporating a variety of stakeholders and multiple-use habitats where people and wildlife live together.
