LtoR – YBrs. Tuan Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD);Dr. Hjh Yatela Zainal Abidin, YSD Chief Executive Officer; Dr Ravinder Kaur, Founder and Scientific Director of Explore Gaia Enterprise (or GAIA); Associate Professor Dr. Normah Awang Besar @ Raffie, Dean of the Faculty of Tropical Forestry, UMS
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia celebrated its second National Hornbill Day at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) today, reinforcing nationwide efforts to protect the country’s iconic hornbills through science-driven conservation, policy alignment and community-based participation.
The event, held in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department, Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD), SD Guthrie Berhad, and conservation group GAIA, brought together government agencies, researchers, and industry players to honour hornbills as vital ecosystem engineers and those working to safeguard their habitats.
Supported under the Belanjawan MADANI 2025 initiative, the programme also seeks to create alternative livelihood opportunities for local and rural communities engaged in hornbill conservation, including nest monitoring and habitat restoration work.
At the UMS gallery, two new field manuals were launched to strengthen conservation practices — the Fig Propagation and Caring Manual for Hornbill Management in Oil Palm Plantations and the Artificial Hornbill Nest Construction Guide. The documents serve as technical references for plantation teams and local stakeholders to ensure safe and standardised conservation practices across working landscapes.
The event also featured a TED-style sharing session with five experts representing key pillars of hornbill conservation: Dr. Ravinder Kaur (GAIA) on ecological research, Mr. Melvin Amandus (Sabah Wildlife Department) on enforcement, Mrs. Siti Zulaikha Abdul Wahab (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability) on policy, Prof. Dr. Abd. Hamid Ahmad (UMS) on plantation coexistence, and Ms. Anastasia Anak Jimmy (UMS) on youth advocacy.
UMS Vice-Chancellor Prof. Datuk Dr. Kasim Haji Mansor said universities play a crucial role in cultivating conservation leadership among the younger generation.
“Through National Hornbill Day, UMS students and Hornbill Ambassadors gain exposure to field-ready guidance and real roles that connect learning with Sabah’s landscapes,” he said.
YSD Chief Executive Officer Dr. Hajah Yatela Zainal Abidin commended the transition of hornbill conservation from planning to tangible field implementation.
“With dedicated local champions, hornbill conservation is beginning to flourish across habitats, estates and schools,” she said, reaffirming YSD’s long-term commitment to supporting habitat restoration, nesting site protection and community capacity building.
Delivering the keynote address, Sabah Wildlife Department Director Tuan Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar announced that the department is reviewing the hornbill’s protection status under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, with a proposal to upgrade it from Schedule 2 to Schedule 1 species.
“We will also continue to support ongoing research and conservation in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary,” he said.
Over the past four years, YSD, SD Guthrie and GAIA have collaborated on a multi-year conservation programme focusing on hornbill protection, which has been extended to December 2026. The partnership has yielded significant results, including nest monitoring, artificial nest trials, food plant propagation and the formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for nest box installation and fig cultivation.
Two plantation sites — SD Guthrie Damai Estate in Sarawak and Lavang Estate in Sabah, have been designated as demonstration areas, proving that oil palm landscapes can coexist with hornbill conservation goals.
The event also recognised 31 certified Hornbill Ambassadors from SD Guthrie and UMS for completing coexistence and outreach training. They will now spearhead awareness activities in schools and estates under the YSD Eco Citizen – Program Kawan Enggang 2.0 initiative.
Since 2010, Sabah has received RM96 million in conservation funding from YSD across 19 projects, representing nearly half of YSD’s nationwide environmental investment of RM221 million. These projects span forest rehabilitation, wildlife conservation, environmental education, and anti-poaching initiatives.
Among Sabah’s flagship programmes are the Bukit Piton Forest Reserve reforestation, which restored 5,400 hectares of degraded forest and now supports around 400 orangutans, and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sepilok, which has cared for 44 rescued bears and reached over 170,000 visitors.
Other ongoing efforts include human, orangutan coexistence programmes, rapid response anti-poaching teams, rare tree propagation, and restoration projects in oil palm estates, all aimed at balancing biodiversity conservation with sustainable land use.
Together, these initiatives form a comprehensive framework for long-term hornbill and wildlife conservation, reflecting Malaysia’s commitment to biodiversity protection while strengthening the well-being and participation of local communities.
