Hutan’s mission is to conserve threatened habitats and wildlife species in Sabah and to promote the sustainable management of natural ecosystems by empowering local communities and developing mutually beneficial stakeholder partnerships.
HUTAN
In 1994, Isabelle and Marc visited Sabah for the first time. Realizing that many orang-utans were hanging in disturbed and over-logged forests, they decided to establish an intensive study site in the fragmented forests of Lower Kinabatangan to study orang-utan adaptation to habitat disturbance. Hutan was born. In 1998, with the full support of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Hutan established the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme (or KOCP) in the village of Sukau.
This research question led to the development of a holistic conservation programme steered by community members.
Dr. Isabelle Lackman
Dr. Marc Ancrenaz
OUR GOALS
HUTAN’s long-range intended impact is to sustain meta-population of large-ranging species across entire landscapes encompassing fully protected forests and production areas. This includes a better understanding of wildlife needs in fragmented and highly transformed landscapes; ecosystems’ restoration and reforestation; habitat and wildlife protection; better acceptation of a peaceful co-existence between people and animals; improved policies and land-use planning.
OUR TEAMS
HUTAN is a family of more than 70 full-time highly skilled staff hailing from the Orang Sungai community. The HUTAN Steering Committee, including Isabelle and Marc, is led by:
Hartiman bin Abd. Rahman
“Orang-utan Research Team” (OURS) Manager.
Hartiman is leading our ground-breaking research on orang-utan ecology in fragmented landscapes.
Eddie Ahmad
“Wildlife Survey and Protection Unit“ (WSP) Manager:
Eddie has developed an incredible knowledge and understanding of frogs, birds and other taxa living in Kinabatangan.
Berjaya Elahan
In charge of the KOCP “Honorary Wildlife Wardens” (HWW). Berjaya, or “Badul” started to study wild orangutans with HUTAN in March 1999.
Badul loves wildlife and wildlife photography.
Norinah Braim
Working with us since 2008, Norina wants to preserve the natural heritage of her community. For her, planting trees is a way to help people and animals.
Mariana Singgong
“Dadai”, as she is known to all of us is very proud that a team of women can recreate a forest for the benefits of all.
Dr Nurzhafarina Othman
Farina, founder of Seratu Aatai, believes that elephants and people can co-exist in Sabah: she is dedicated to strengthen stakeholders’s capacity and tolerance to share the habitat with elephants.
Haslan bin Saidal
Since 2008, Haslan was working with HEAP. He is now in charge of the Hutan Community Engagement Programme.
Komitu Pengurusan Pangi
Five Pangi staff and Ahbam are supervising the Pangi Swiftlet Recovery Project
Amanda Shia
Native from Sandakan, Amanda is the HUTAN Research Officer and assists in the development of our scientific activities.
HUTAN has five major Teams or Units:
The “Orang-utan Research Unit” (OURs)
The “Orang-utan Research Unit” (OURs), whose aim is to determine how to sustain viable orang-utan populations within degraded and fragmented landscapes. This team is following wild habituated orangutans at the KOCP intensive study site, located in Lot 2 of the Lower Kinabatangan Sanctuary.
• Abdul Rajak Bin Saharon or “Markkis”. Ex staff of the Sabah Forestry Department, Markkis brings his extensive botanical knowledge to the team.
• Azli Bin Etin or “Kecil”. Originating from Abai, a nearby village. Kecil is one of the best trackers of orang-utans within the team.
• Herman Bin Suali or “Man”. Who was the first researcher to join our team in 1998. Today, Man is also the OURs’ GIS specialist.
• Mohd Daisah Bin Kapar or “Hussein”. Hussein is particularly interested at understanding better how orang-utans could survive in oil palm dominated landscapes.
• Mohd. Faisal Bin Asmara, or “Faisal”. Faisal is in charge of ensuring the quality of data collected in the field.
• Waslee Bin Maharan or “Lolo”. With his intimate knowledge of the forest, Lolo is also an amazing orang-utan tracker.
• Bahrani Bin Elahan or “Sintong”. Sintong is OURS boat captain and driver; he is in charge of ensuring team safety in the forest.
• Mohamed Suhaimi bin Bahrani
• Mohamed Azizi Suhaiman bin Bahrani
• Interns: Hardiman bin Abd Rahman
The “Wildlife and Survey Protection Unit”
WSP identifies ways for people and wildlife to co-exist peacefully in the same environment. In 2002, HUTAN initiated an “Elephant Conservation Unit” that was merged subsequently with the HUTAN Honorary Wildlife Wardens and finally became the WSP in 2016. The WSP works for the protection of wildlife and its habitat through conflict mitigation and biodiversity monitoring. The team is in charge of the KOCP Elephant and Hornbill Conservation projects.
• Ahmad Sapie bin Kapar. Working with us since 2002, Ahmad has built an impressive first-hand knowledge of elephant ecology in Kinabatangan.
• Azman bin Abdullah. Always ready for a joke, Azman spends most of his time following elephants in the forest or in the plantations.
• Hasbollah bin Sinyor or “Apek”. In addition to his skills with elephant research and conservation, Apek is also in charge of the water quality monitoring project implemented in Kinabatangan.
• Mahatir bin Ratag or “Dir”. Dir is passionate about insects and spiders. He is also our GIS specialist.
• Selamat bin Suali. Mat joined WSP in 2018 and is directly involved in data processing and analysis.
• Sudirman bin Sawang or “Max”. Max is working on elephant issues for Seratu Aatai with Dr Farina Othman, and is an invaluable addition to the team.
• Interns: Muhammad Hasraf bin Hasbollah; Mohamad Rozri bin Romzi; Mohammad Daniel Sharizwan bin Jeimin; Zurainah Binti Mohamad Kadim
The Forest Restoration Team
The Forest Restoration Team is in charge of planting, maintaining, and monitoring seedlings of native tree species at selected reforestation sites within or adjacent to the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. This team was officially created in January 2008. This unit comprises 10 full-time staff assisted by 4 to 5 interns who rotate every month. This team is comprised entirely of women. The Unit also runs a small tree nursery to provide seedlings that are used for reforestation activities.
• Hamsiah binti Marhabam. Assistant head for field operations.
• Haslina binti Braim. Field operation.
• Masrita binti Takasi. Field operation.
• Nur Ameera Nadia binti Jolirwan
• Haslina binti Braim
• Siti Sauda Binti Ibrahim. Field Operation
• Azrimah Binti Aslee. Field Operation
• Christine Binti Ayun. Field Operation
• Titek Sandhora Binti Rabani. Field operation
• Misliha binti Osop. KOCP tree nursery and collection center.
• Mahala binti Maharam. KOCP tree nursery and collection center.
• Interns: Ratnah Binti Bingsin; Jumatiah Binti Junaidi; Dayang Dariah Binti Datu Mohd Ahbam; Ozidah Binti Sawang; Kartina Binti Bakri; Datu Mohd Afiq Bin Datu Md Ahbam;
The Pangi Swiftlet Recovery Team
This team is protecting the forest and the colonies of swiflets living in the caves of the Pangi limestone, one of the only patches of primary forest left in the floodplain. The birds are threatened by illegal harvesting of their nests that are used to produce edible nest soup.
• Saifuladha bin Pastor (Head of Pangi sub-camp; Pangi St. Committee)
• Mohd. Raihan Bin Rhasidi (Cave officer)
• Fasland bin Udau (Head of Pangi sub-camp; Pangi St. Committee)
• Mustaqim bin Eram (Cave officer)
• Johari bin Junaidi (Head of Pangi sub-camp; Pangi St. Committee)
• Nazrin bin Mohamad Kadim (Cave officer)
• Johari bin Jamal (Head of Pangi sub-camp; Pangi St. Committee)
• Mohammad Hafizzudin bin Bibbong (Head of Pangi sub-camp; Pangi St. Committee)
• Masland bin Udau
• Ramzi Bin Mario (Cave officer)
• Rahadi Edwan Bin Halid (cave officer)
• Diroh Bin Jonggi (cave officer)
• Hairul Azhar Bin Harun (cave officer)
• Mohd Sofian Bin Harun (cave officer)
• Labari Bin Abidin
• Badrul Hisham Bin Bahari
• Razman
• Mohmad Hazlie Bin Mohd Nazrie
• Azmi bin Etin
The HUTAN Environmental Awareness Programme (HEAP)
The team is disseminating messages about conservation and sustainable use of our environment based on the findings of HUTAN’s efforts in the field.
• Amalina Binti Adenan, Who is passionate about learning.
• Sharmila Aida Binti Datu Md Ahbam, the latest addition to the team.
SUPPORTING STAFF
• Masni Binti Mansor, Rosnah Binti Malak, Nurwajihah Binti Asrah, Hafiz Bin Datu Md Ahbam. In charge of HUTAN offices and support in Sukau.
• Shernytta Poloi, or “Shern”. Based in Kota Kinabalu, Shernytta is HUTAN administrator.
• Harjinder Kler works on sustainability issues with focus on oil palm particularly via the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil
• Miss Chok. The bookkeeper for our organization.