Tabin Wildlife Refuge is a nature preserve in
Sabah, eastern
Malaysia, on the island of
Borneo.
It was created in 1984 to preserve Sabah’s disappearing wild animals.
Occupying a large part of the peninsula forming the northern headland of
Darvel Bay, it is located 48 kilometers east of
Lahad Datu.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve (TWR or Tabin) comprises a rectangular area of
approximately 122,539 ha. in the centre of the Dent Peninsula,
north-east of
Lahad Datu town, south of the lower reaches of the
Segama River and north of the
Silabukan Protection Forest Reserve. It can be reached via sealed and gravel roads from Lahad Datu in about 40 minutes. The reserve is covered with lowland
dipterocarp forest.
Fauna
Tabin has been declared a Wildlife Reserve primarily on account of
the large number of animals inhabiting its forests, some of which are
highly endangered. The three largest mammals of Sabah – the
Borneo Elephant,
Sumatran Rhinoceros and
Tembadau (
Bos javanicus),
are all found within the reserve. The elephant population has been
estimated to 120-300 animals in 1993. Other ungulate species include
Sambar,
Muntjac and
Mouse Deer. In addition seven of Sabah´s eight primate species are present, among them
Orang Utan and
Proboscis Monkey. However, these two species occur in relatively low numbers in the reserve. The biggest predator in the reserve is the
Sunda Clouded Leopard. There are also several other smaller carnivores in the reseve.
[1] Of bird species, 42 families representing 220 species have been recorded.
Organisation
The land belongs to the people of Sabah. It is under government ownership and has Reserve status. The
Sabah Wildlife Department is the custodian of the animals in the reserve. The
Sabah Forestry Department
is responsible for the trees in Tabin. In 1998, the Malaysian
government privatized ecotourism programmes for Tabin and over the last
few years increasing numbers of tourists have been coming to the
reserve. Among activities permitted in the reserve are jungle trekking,
wildlife viewing, photography and filming. Natural
mud volcanoes
are an important natural attraction for wildlife seeking salt, and
these have become a bonus for visitors coming to see wild animals.
Reference
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabin_Wildlife_Reserve
2.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBDSN9qMFaIRO31iehtzQ70NjXE_gJCJ7RYY3Ju9sIVuFF22YOhvntMNCk7Ye86-pEV8l1SSwneFvT6PKKB7ScCj_6gvy9SDe_Nt-X-AO6E8zUWf6YuX2MEmZSsEd-gny3PxxBdcOfJ29/s1600/waterfall.jpg
