Wildlife atlas of Sabah: a long view between 1980 and 2020

The Wildlife Atlas of Sabah was recently published, in English and Malay, presenting information for 31 mammal species living in the dipterocarp forests of Sabah in northern Borneo. The data indicate substantial declines over 40 years, including the extirpation of the Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis in 2019. This followed a wave of widespread and intensive timber extraction, and then a period of oil palm plantation development. Despite these declines, Sabah still holds viable populations of the remaining forest mammal species, with the majority living in logged forests that are regenerating naturally. Safeguarding these populations depends on keeping the deforestation rate at its current low level, to maintain about half of the state as natural forests. Within these forests, current policy is for 30% of Sabah to be Totally Protected Areas, and the remainder to be under sustainable timber production. All forest areas require management to control hunting, especially to protect larger and commercially valuable species. Oil palm plantations support little forest wildlife, but oil palm companies can still support wildlife conservation through restoring wildlife corridors and controlling hunters’ access to adjacent forests. The Sabah government is seeking to integrate forest protection and palm oil production through a jurisdictional approach to certified sustainable agricultural practices.