Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the · PDF file• In 1986 a small breeding...

Malaysian Nature Society1998 Expedition

to the proposedPulong Tau National Park

Sarawak, Malaysia

Malaysian Nature Society, Miri Branch

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the proposed Pulong Tau National Park ii

Executive Summary

• Pulong Tau National Park, in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, was initially proposed

in 1984 by the National Parks & Wildlife Office and supported with a petition from

the local community (National Parks & Wildlife Office Sarawak 1984). The proposed

park covered 164,500 ha and included Gunung Murud (Sarawak’s highest peak), the

spectacular twin peaks of Batu Lawi and the Tamu Abu mountain range.

• In 1986 a small breeding population of Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus

sumatrensis), previously thought to be extinct in Sarawak, was found within the

proposed park. Together with evidence of other endangered species, this led to a

second proposal to constitute the park, now as 159,000 ha (National Parks &

Wildlife Office Sarawak 1987)

• On 25th June 1998 the initial proclamation to constitute the proposed Pulong Tau

National Park was passed (Notification No. 2174, 1998). The proclamation is a

welcome step, however the proposed area has been reduced to 63,700 ha.

• Batu Lawi was not included and only a small area of Gunung Murud is protected (Map

II). This will degrade the considerable tourism potential of the national park and

failure to include the area in which Sumatran Rhinoceros was recorded also means that

an opportunity to protect the habitat of this seriously endangered species will be lost.

• According to ITTO (Sarawak), Pulong Tau is registered as a Totally Protected Area

of 164,500 ha extent. Hence, the proclamation of just 63,700 ha currently appears

to be inconsistent with requirements under the 1994 International Timber Trade

Agreement.

• Between 27th Aug. and 9th Sept. 1998, members of the Malaysian Nature Society (Miri

Branch) and the local Kelabit community trekked through the forest between Batu

Lawi and Gunung Murud, making observations on the flora and fauna, and ascending

both peaks. In this report, we present an analysis of the great natural diversity of the

area, an account of the journey, and make recommendations for the future.

• This report seeks to demonstrate that this area is an extraordinary piece of Sarawak’s

natural heritage, and submit that it should be preserved in perpetuity. It is

recommended that the boundaries of the Pulong Tau National Park be extended to

include Batu Lawi and the surrounding forests which form prime Rhinoceros habitat.

This should guarantee the long-term viability of Pulong Tau, which as an area of

outstanding natural beauty and a centre of biodiversity, has the potential to become a

world-class tourist destination.

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the proposed Pulong Tau National Park iii

Malaysian Nature Society1998 Expedition

to the proposedPulong Tau National Park

Distribution List

1. Biodiversity Council, Sarawak, c/o Mr. Tan Sri Wong Soon Kai (Chairman) & Mr. Chua TeckKheng (Chief Executive Officer) 18th Floor, Wisma Sumbar Alam, Jalan Stadium, 93660Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (4 copies)

2. Mr. Cheong Ek Choon, Director of Forests, Forestry Department Headquarters, Wisma SumberAlam, Jalan Stadium, Petra Jaya, 93660 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

3. Encik Sapuan Hj. Ahmad, Sarawak National Parks and Wildlife Department / Ibu Pejabat JabatanPerhutanan, Bangunan, Wisma Sumber, Alam Jalan Stadium, Petra Jaya, 93660 Kuching,Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

4. Dato Dr. James Jemut anak Masing, Tourism Minister, Sarawak, c/o Sarawak State LegislativeAssembly, Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri, 93502 Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. (3copies)

5. Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min, Environment & Public Health Minister, Sarawak MinistryOf Environment, Tingkat 18, Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya, 93502 Kuching, Sarawak,Malaysia. (3 copies)

6. Dr. Judson Sakai Tagal, State Assemblyman for Ba Kelalan, Sarawak State Legislative Assembly,Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri, 93502 Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. (3 copies)

7. Datuk Senator Joseph Balan Seling, Member of the Senate representing Bario-Ba Kelalan, No.5,Jln Heather 1, Pujut 3B, Miri 98000, Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

8. YB Michael Lisa Kaya, Member of Parliament representing Bario/Ba Kelalan, 42A95 Bamvella,Jln Peria, Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur 55100, Malaysia (3 copies)

9. Chief Officer, National Parks and Wildlife Department, Forest Department, Jalan Raja, 98000Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

10. Sarawak Tourism Board, Shop lots 3.43 & 3.44, Level 3, Wisma Satok, Jalan Satok/ Kulas,93400 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

11. Sarawak Tourism Board, Visitors' Information Centre Miri, Lot 452, Jln Melayu, 9800 Miri,Sarawak. Malaysia (3 copies)

12. Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, 2nd Floor, Rugayah Building, Song Thian Cheok Road,PO Box 2660, 93572 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

13. Sarawak Tourism Association (STA), Main Bazaar, 93000 Kuching, P.O. Box 887, 93718Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (3 copies)

14. (Group Information Technology), Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (Sarawak Chamber of Commerce),Level 6, Wisma Mahmud, Jalan Sungai Sarawak, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (2 copies)

15. Bario Forest Department c/o Lim Tinggang, Kampung Pa’Ukat, Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia (1copy)

16. Barny Chan, General Manager, Sarawak Timber Association, 10th Floor, Wisma Sumber Alam,Petra Jaya, 93050 / GPO Locked Bag 3095, 93760, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)

17. Wisma Sumber Alam, Petra Jaya, 93660 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)18. Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Timber Council (formerly Malaysian Timber Industry

Development Council - MTIDC), 9th Floor, Bangunan Arab Malaysian, Jalan Raja Chulan 50200Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1 copy)

19. Pemanca Ngimat Ayu, Ulong Palang, Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)20. Penghulu Henry Jala, Ulong Palang, Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)21. Puan Lucy Bulan, Pengetua, Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan, Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)22. John Tarawe, Pa Ukat, Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the proposed Pulong Tau National Park iv

23. John Trang, Chairman, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak, Miri Branch, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)24. Dr. Roland Dom Mattu, Deputy President, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia (1

copy)25. Nawan Bala, Chairman, Highlanders Club, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)26. Gerawat Gala, Secretary General, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak, Miri Branch, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

(1 copy)27. Malaysian Nature Society Headquarters, JKR 641, Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan, 50480,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (30 copies – President Dato’ Dr. Salleh Mohd. Nor, Chief ExecutiveOfficer & Management Committee, 11 local branches)

28. Malaysian Nature Society, Miri Branch, c/o Lot 758, Jalan Alam, Lutong Baru 98100, Miri,Sarawak, Malaysia (20 copies)

29. Malaysian Nature Society, Kuching Branch, c/o Oswald Braken Tisen (Chairperson), WismaSumber Alam, Petra Jaya, 93060 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)

30. Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, NYZS - The Wildlife Conservation Society, 7, Jalan Ridgeway, 93200Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)

31. Professor Ho Coy Choke, Dept. of Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Malaya, 59100Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1 copy)

32. Anthony Lamb, Agricultural Park, Lot 28, Tenom, 89909, Sabah, Malaysia (1 copy)33. Robert B. Stuebing, 10 Locust Hill Road, Cincinnati, OH 45245, U.S.A. (1 copy)34. Dr. Indraneil Das, Associate Professor, Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation,

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)35. Michael H.N. Chong, c/o Meranti Nature Tours/Asian Birds, 233-C, Jalan Bandar 13, Melawati

Metro, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1 copy)36. The Borneo Post, Chief Editor, Sibu Head Office, Lot 433, Sg. Merah Town District, Sg. Antu

Industrial Estate, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)37. The Borneo Post, Editor, Lot 905, Piasau Industrial Estate, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia (1

copy)38. Sarawak Tribune, PO Box 138, Sarawak Press Sdn Bhd, Jalan Nipah, off Jalan Abell Utara,

93700 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (1 copy)39. Editor-in-chief, Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad, No 13 Jalan 13/6, 46200 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia (1 copy)40. New Straits Times, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1 copy)41. Borneo Magazine, c/o Datuk Dr. Jeffrey G. Kitingan (Chairman, Editorial Committee), Borneo

Travel News Sdn Bhd, 3rd Floor, Lot 8, Block A, Damai Commercial Centre Phase IV, P.O.Box 21621, Luyang Post Office, 88774 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (1 copy)

42. International Tropical Timber Organisation, International Organisations Centre, 5th Floor,Pacifico-Yokohama 1-1-1, Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, 220-0012 Japan (2 copies)

43. Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Fund For Nature (WWF) Malaysia, 49 Jalan SS 23/15, 47301Petaling Jaya, Malaysia (2 copies)

44. United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, United NationsBuilding, Rajadamnern Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand (2 copies)

45. Asian Rhino Specialist Group (AsRSG), Species Survival Commission, IUCN-WorldConservation Union, c/o Mr. Mohd Khan (Chairman), No.10, Jalan Bomoh, off Jalan KeramatHujong, 54200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2 copies)

46. Information Officer, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, CambridgeCB3 0DL, England (1 copy)

47. Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2A, England (1 copy)48. Expedition Members – as per section 6 (18 copies)49. Expedition Guides – as per section 6 (6 copies)

Copies of this report may be obtained from: The Secretary, Malaysian Nature Society (PersatuanPencinta Alam), Miri Branch, c/o Lot 758, Jalan Alam, Lutong Baru 98100, Sarawak, Malaysia oravailable by free electronic download from MNS Miri Branch web-site (see References section).

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the proposed Pulong Tau National Park v

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................i i

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE EXPEDITION...........................................................1PULONG TAU: A BACKGROUND.................................................................................1JUSTIFICATIONS FOR GAZETTING THE FULLY PROPOSED AREA OF PULONG TAUNATIONAL PARK (159 000 HA)...................................................................................2THE MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY ............................................................................2MNS EXPEDITION TO PULONG TAU: BACKGROUND .......................................................3

2. EXPEDITION ROUTE............................................................................................7

3. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PROPOSED PULONG TAU NATIONALPARK.................................................................................................................11INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................113.1 GEOLOGY & GEOMORPHOLOGY ..........................................................................113.2 OBSERVATIONS ON THE VEGETATION OF PULONG TAU............................................153.3 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE PROPOSED PULONG TAU NATIONAL PARK.....................233.4 INVERTEBRATES ...............................................................................................333.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON PULONG TAU’S NATURAL HISTORY ................................35

4. IMAGES OF PULONG TAU.................................................................................36

5. RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................40SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PULONG TAU................................................40

6. ESSAYS..................................................................................................................42SCRAMBLING UP GUNUNG MURUD ............................................................................42TWO GIBBONS IN A CAGE........................................................................................43NOISES OF THE FOREST NIGHT ..................................................................................44IN THE FOREST ......................................................................................................44TOASTED SOCKS AND PORRIDGE OATS: CAMPING IN THE FOREST...................................45MY PET WEEVIL ...................................................................................................47A PILGRIMAGE TO BATU LAWI ................................................................................48SARAWAK’S BIGGEST SECRET..................................................................................50A WALK ALONG A LOGGING ROAD ..........................................................................52

7. EXPEDITION MEMBERS....................................................................................53

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................56

9. REFERENCES........................................................................................................57

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the proposed Pulong Tau National Park vi

LIST OF MAPS

Map I Location of proposed Pulong Tau National Park, N-E Sarawak.....................................4Map II Bario and its vicinity showing outlines of proposed and gazetted Pulong Tau

National Park......................................................................................................5Map III Sketch map showing expedition route, main features and outlines of Pulong Tau

National Park....................................................................................................10Map IV Basic geological sketch map along expedition route..................................................12Map V Sketch map illustrating Pulong Tau’s position relative to main drainage basins of

Northern Borneo................................................................................................13Map VI Basic vegetation types along expedition route..........................................................18Map VII Basic types of bird communities along the expedition route.......................................28

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3-1 Species recruitment curve for birds observed along the expedition route......................26Figure 3-2 Frequency distribution of relative abundance of avian species....................................26Figure 3-3 Species discovery curve for mammals recorded between Bario and Ba’Kelalan.............30

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2-1 Log of Malaysian Nature Society Expedition 1998 to the proposed Pulong TauNational Park, 28th August to 6th September.........................................................7

Table 3-1 Vegetation types encountered during the expedition................................................16Table 3-2 Noteworthy plants observed along the expedition route...........................................20Table 3-3 Results from the small forest plots......................................................................21Table 3-4 Characteristics of the five small forest plots...........................................................22Table 3-5 Comparisons of similarity of plots and dominance.................................................22Table 3-6 Birds recorded between Bario and Ba’Kelalan.......................................................27Table 3-7 Results of mammal trapping..............................................................................29Table 3-8 Mammal observations along the expedition route...................................................30Table 3-9 Mammals recorded between Bario and Ba’Kelalan.................................................31Table 3-10 Frogs recorded from Pulong Tau.........................................................................31Table 3-11 Results of light trapping for insects.....................................................................34

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix I: Additional bird species recorded from the Kelabit Highlands....................................59

COPYRIGHT – REPORT PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1999The copyright to this report (text, tables and photographs) except where otherwise indicated, is ownedby the Malaysian Nature Society (Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia).

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Expedition

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the proposed Pulong Tau National Park 1

1. Introduction to the Expedition

Pulong Tau: A BackgroundIn Kelabit and Lun Bawang dialects “PulongTau” means “Our Forest” and expresses boththe pride the local people have in their forestand the sense that it is the collective heritage ofall Sarawakians and Malaysians. The conceptof Pulong Tau National Park evolved from acommunity initiative in the late 1970s. In July1984 the National Parks & Wildlife Officesubmitted a detailed proposal, together with apetition letter from the community, to theGovernment of Sarawak (National Parks &Wildlife Office Sarawak, 1984).

The area of park initially proposed was164,500 ha. This included most of the TamuAbu mountain range, the spectacular twinpeaks of Batu Lawi (height 2043 m), andGunung Murud, Sarawak’s highest mountain(2650 m) (Map I, Map II). Lying close to theIndonesian border in northern Sarawak itencompassed the headwaters of the Limbang,Baram, Kelalan and Tutoh rivers, in fact theentire upper water catchment for northernSarawak. Thus, as well as conservingbiodiversity, the proposed park would have thebenefits associated with watershed protection.Most of the area lies at over 1000 m above sealevel and although no detailed survey had beenundertaken at the time of the initial proposal, itwas expected to harbour a flora and faunarepresentative of the montane areas of northernBorneo.

Between 1984 and 1987 the proposal wasscreened by the State Cabinet which led toapproval in principle, pending on theredrawing of some of the boundaries to avoidconflicts with other land uses.

In 1986 the National Parks & WildlifeOffice conducted a preliminary survey of theproposed park and a small breeding populationof Sumatran Rhinoceros was discovered. Theanimal was considered extinct in Sarawak priorto this find. The survey also noted the role ofthe upland Oak-Laurel forests for maintainingthe populations of Bearded Pig, which are oftremendous value to the local people(Caldecott 1986), and also make spectacularsporadic migrations down to the dipterocarpforest in search of fruit (Caldecott 1984). In thesouth of the proposed park, Orang Utans areknown to enter occasionally, and there are alsosome unusual upland grasslands of great valuefor their unique flora (National Parks &Wildlife Office Sarawak, 1984). The famed

Rafflesia flower can be found around the baseof Gunung Murud and the 1986 survey alsonoted the wild and undisturbed state of theforests, especially around Batu Lawi, andbetween there and Gunung Murud. A secondproposal, submitted in 1987, therefore arguedstrongly for the inclusion of these areas withinthe boundaries of the park (reduced to 159,000ha) and that the park be gazetted as soon aspossible (National Parks & Wildlife OfficeSarawak 1987) (Map II).

Further changes to the boundaries wererecommended and on 25th June 1998 the initialproclamation to constitute the proposedPulong Tau National Park was passed(Notification No. 2174, 1998). The areagazetted comprised 63,700 ha and does notinclude Batu Lawi and the surrounding forest(Map II). It does not include the forest inwhich Sumatran Rhinoceros was found in1986. Furthermore, the summit of GunungMurud, essentially the only piece of truemontane habitat remaining in the gazetted area,is connected to the rest of the park to the southby only a thin strip of forest. This may havenegative impacts on dispersal and populationdynamics of plant and animal species present.

Failure to include Batu Lawi and thesurrounding forest connecting it to GunungMurud and the rest of the Tamu Abu range,has the potential to seriously compromise thevalue of the park, in terms of both conservationand attraction of revenue from tourism. Thepark may no longer be able to serve as a refugefor Sumatran Rhinoceros and other largemammals. The aesthetic beauty of Batu Lawiand Gunung Murud would likely be lost andwith it the primary tourism attractions of thearea.

As a wide area of remote, rugged andpristine forest, large enough to protectpopulations of rare animals such as CloudedLeopard, Bulwer’s Pheasant, Bornean Gibbonand Sumatran Rhinoceros; with superb fishing,including Sarawak’s state fish Ikan Semah;with the spectacular peaks of Batu Lawi andGunung Murud and superb jungle trekking,Pulong Tau has the potential to become one ofSouth East Asia’s elite national parks(National Parks & Wildlife Office Sarawak1987). It could easily rival other alreadyfamous parks in Borneo such as Mulu orMount Kinabalu National Parks, especially if itremains one of the few places in the worldwhere Sumatran Rhinoceros still roam. This



can only be achieved, however, if the parkencompasses sufficient area and includes suchspecial sites as the remote forests around BatuLawi. A reconsideration of the boundaries ofthe park, more in line with the 1984 or 1987proposals, is recommended. These could beconstituted as an extension to the presentproposal.

Justifications for gazetting thefully proposed area of Pulong TauNational Park (159,000 ha)1) Protection of a large area of valuable

montane habitat. The original areaproposed was sufficient to secure theconservation of the species and geneticdiversity of a large part of the mountainflora and fauna of northern Borneo.

2) Protection of rare and seriouslyendangered wildlife These include:Bulwer’s Pheasant, which is found in onlya few localities in northern Borneo;Sumatran Rhinoceros, previously thoughtto be extinct in Sarawak; CloudedLeopard, rare over so much of Sarawak,but reputedly common towards the southof Tamu Abu. Large or rare species requirelarge areas of protected habitat becausesmaller areas may not sustain sufficientnumbers of individuals to maintain longterm genetically viable populations.

3) Protection of rare species of plants .Although a detailed floral inventory ofPulong Tau is not yet available, it isalready known that the area contains apitcher plant, Nepenthes murudensis,which is not found anywhere else in theworld. Many more plants are restricted toPulong Tau and a few other montaneregions in northern Borneo. The openswampy grassland of Ba’Sakun to thesouth of the area is unique and of greatbotanical interest.

4) Protection of the mass migrationsroutes of Bearded Pigs. The pigs feed inthe oak and lithocarpus forests and movedown to the dipterocarp forests during theoccasional fruiting years.

5) Protection of the cultural symbols ofthe Kelabit people. These include stonecarvings, and the mountains of Batu Lawiand Gunung Murud have a strongtraditional and cultural significance.

6) Protection and preservation of themountain peaks. The spectacular beautyof Batu Lawi and the fact that GunungMurud is Sarawak’s highest mountainwarrant the protection of these peaks andthe surrounding forests.

7) Protection of the watershed of all themajor rivers in northern Sarawak.Locally this would protect the vitally

important Bario rice paddies inBa’Kelalan, Bario, Long Lellang and PaTik, which produce premium quality rice.Over the wider region it would safeguarddrinking water and provide floodprotection over a large part of Sarawak.

8) The considerable potential for eco-tourism. With the possibility of fishing,river trips, jungle trekking through apristine forest with beautiful plants, hillclimbing on spectacular peaks, viewing ofrare wildlife and visits to culturallysignificant sites, Pulong Tau has much tooffer the tourist. However, the mainattractions of Pulong Tau are centred onBatu Lawi and Gunung Murud; unless thesurrounding forests and the wildlife withinthem are protected, few people will beinterested in visiting the park.

9) Input to the local economy. Eco-tourismrequires infrastructure and there exists greatpotential for the local economy to gainfrom the existence of the national park.Revenue can be generated through theprovision of lodgings, guiding andsouvenirs.

The Malaysian Nature SocietyEstablished in 1940, MNS is the oldestscientific and non-governmental organisation inMalaysia and is dedicated to promoting natureconservation and appreciation in the country.Its mission is to motivate the appreciation andcare for the Malaysian natural heritage; to getpeople involved in nature and healthy outdoorpursuits through various activities; to promoterealisation of the need to sustain and conservethe natural world for future generations. Thereare 13 member branches throughout Malaysia,served by a central HQ in Kuala Lumpur.Altogether there are about 4,000 members,both Malaysian and non-Malaysian, who sharethe Society's vision and passion (MalaysianNature Society 1998).

The MNS Miri Branch was established in1995 with the aim of sowing the seeds ofappreciation and care for Sarawak's naturalheritage. We hope that this may grow into therealisation that there is a need for sustainablemanagement and conservation of nature andnatural resources in Sarawak for futuregenerations. The Miri branch has about 70members, of which approximately two thirdsare Malaysian, the remainder being foreignworkers living in Miri.

The branch organises regular lectures andslide talks, outings to local places of interestand, occasionally, longer trips to destinationsincluding Pulau Tiga, Loagan Bunut andSimilajau National Parks. The branch alsoruns several projects which, to date, haveinvolved: recycling of rubbish; community



beach clean-ups; awareness of ways to reduceopen burning and a nature course for teachers.The Pulong Tau Expedition is the firstconservation project of this type which theBranch has organised.

MNS expedition to Pulong Tau:backgroundThe Malaysian Nature Society, Miri Branchtogether with members of the localcommunity, conducted a nine day expeditionto the northern part of the proposed park, witha view to raising awareness of the area as one ofoutstanding natural beauty and biological andeconomic value.

The origins of the expedition go back to aregional get-together of the MNS held atLambir Hills National Park in October 1997.At this meeting, an invited speaker from theKelabit community expressed concern overPulong Tau. Given the importance of PulongTau to the conservation of Sarawak'sbiodiversity, MNS Miri branch decided tofollow up on the issue. An expedition provedan ideal way of combining several objectives:to visit the area ourselves so we could havepersonal experience of the forest; to conductsome basic observations to contribute towardsthe scanty scientific knowledge of the area; andthe primary objective of raising awareness ofthe issue of Pulong Tau through ourphotographs and experiences. Hence,preparations were made and permission wasobtained from the National Parks & WildlifeOffice, Forest Research Centre and the Residentof Miri (Permit no. RMD/45/98).

Starting on the 28 August 1998, theexpedition followed the regular trekking routeto Batu Lawi, climbing the lower peak onNational Day. The team then set out throughthe remote forest around Batu Lawi to find anew approach to Gunung Murud and made thefirst ascent of the mountain from the southside. From there the group made its way acrossto the Church Camp and down to Ba’Kelalanwhich was reached on the evening of 5th

September, nine days after setting off.Along the way, surveys of the geology,

vegetation, vertebrates and invertebrates wereconducted. Despite the brief time in the areaand the already demanding trekking schedule,an impressive array of interesting observationswas amassed, revealing both the remarkablediversity of the forests and visibility of thewildlife, and further underlining the importanceof this montane habitat. Of an impressive 67bird and 28 mammal species recorded, one fifthof the birds and almost half the mammals wereBornean endemics, found nowhere else on theplanet. Several, such as Helmeted Hornbill,

Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Bornean Gibbon,Hose’s Langur, Maroon Langur and GiantSquirrel are totally protected species inSarawak.

However, it was, perhaps, the fantasticbeauty of the forests that left the deepestimpression on the expedition members. Inwalking through this area, one passes fromupper mixed Dipterocarp forest through tall oakand lithocarpus forest, to enchanting Mossyforests on the lower ridges. Climbing higher,one encounters stunted Rhododendrons of theElfin forest on the mountain slopes, literallysmothered in soaking wet moss, and theinteresting heath flora of the mountainsummits. Every corner appears to hold a secret.Orchids abound. There is a profusion of pitcherplants, and the abundant tracks and sounds ofwildlife add to the anticipation of what mightbe around the next corner. Then, when thesummit of Gunung Murud is finally won thereis the breathtaking view towards Batu Lawi. Itis without doubt one of Malaysia’s finestlandscapes.

In the following pages of this report wedetail our findings. The next section providesthe background of the route and our trekkingschedule. The subsequent sections detail ournatural history observations, the result of eachday's survey work. Here, geology, vegetation,vertebrates and invertebrates are given separatetreatment. These are followed by ourrecommendations, a broader coverage of theimportance of Pulong Tau for conservation,some suggestions for the park and commentson how it might be developed. Finally, wepresent a section of photographs taken on theexpedition, essays written about variousaspects of our trip and personal summaries ofthe members.

110o 112o 114o 116o 118o 120o

N

BRUNEI

SABAH

SARAWAK

KALIMANTAN

MAP I : LOCATION OF PROPOSED PULONG TAU NATIONAL PARK, NE SARAWAK

6o

2o

PULONG TAU

NATIONAL PARK

KEY

1987 Proposal : 159,000 ha

1984 Proposal : 164,500 ha

1998 Gazetted ~ 63,700 ha

Chapter 2 Expedition Route


2. Expedition RouteBetween the 28th August and 6th September1998 nine members of the Malaysian NatureSociety and six participants from the localcommunity trekked through part of theproposed Pulong Tau National Park in theKelabit Highlands. The route of the expedition

followed the regular trail from Bario andPa’Ukat to Batu Lawi, then struck out throughthe forest from Camp One (this is its localname) to Gunung Murud, which was climbedfor the first time from the south side, andfinally descended via Church Camp toBa’Kelalan (Table 2-1, Map III).

Table 2-1

Log of Malaysian Nature Society Expedition 1998 to the proposed PulongTau National Park, 28th August to 6th SeptemberFriday, 28th August

10:30 Plane arrives at new Bario Airport, 30 43.608 N, 1150 28.655 E11:45 Depart, beautiful sunny day12:00 Arrive Pa'Ukat (30 45.523 N, 1150 29.438 E), lunch break at Longhouse.13:00 Depart Pa'Ukat, path beside paddy fields13:25 Enter secondary forest, amazing cauliflorous fig13:35 Rest by sawn timber store, forest secondary mostly figs and jackfruit14:30 Enter tall, primary forest, large dipterocarp trees. Following and re-crossing stream several times15:00 Found Punan prayer sticks15:30 Rain16:30 Reached campsite18:00 Set small mammal traps, found large hairy spiderNight Clear if cold night, warmed by camp fire

Saturday, 29th August08:00 First calls of Bornean Gibbon, small mammal traps had four captures, vegetation plot08:30 Breakfast of Tom Yam porridge09:00 Maria Fe found juvenile Pit Viper and large, bright orange weevil09:20 Departed camp, continued up stream, weather started foggy but cleared up for walk11:45 Reached ridge, several sightings en route - large group of Hose's Langurs, and heard Helmeted

Hornbill12:05 Continued along ridge12:30 Lunch13:00 Depart, steep ascent to gap in Tamu Abu13:30 Reached gap and found it covered in litter. Collected litter. Otherwise beautiful mossy forest14:00 First calls of Mountain Imperial Pigeon, boulders very slippery14:30 Heavy rain continued for 90 mins. Plodded through soaking mossy forest.16:00 River crossing, swollen after rain. Clear tea-coloured water17:00 Arrived wet at Camp One (30 50.66 N, 1150 25.94 E). Rain again for 1 hour.

(N.B. Camps One and Two are local names, given by the local people who built the huts &facilities.)

18:00 Set small mammal trapsNight Very comfortable

Sunday, 30th August06:00 Whitehead’s Pygmy Squirrel observed from sleeping bag position07:30 Traps had one capture, Summit Rat, vegetation plot, weather clear08:00 Clear up rubbish from around camp and burn together with that collected from trail yesterday09:20 Depart Camp One, trail follows up stream to ridge, along ridge top all mossy forest13:00 Break for lunch, found beautiful Trilobite beetle; Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel and Smooth tailed

tree-shrew common



(Table 2-1 continued)

13:35 First view of Batu Lawi - spectacular14:15 Red Bellied Sculptor squirrel and Giant Squirrel at view point15:00 Arrive Camp Two (30 51.91 N, 1150 23.48 E)17:00 Set small mammal traps, vegetation plot

Caught up with washing

Monday, 31st August07:00 Small mammal traps two captures including Mountain Giant Rat08:30 Depart for ascent of Batu Lawi, weather overcast but not raining08:40 Ran into party of Bornean Gibbons and watched for 45 mins.09:15 Reach saddle10:00 Reach summit of Female Peak (30 52.122 N, 1150 22.6920), foggy but occasionally clearing for wide

panorama11:00 Depart summit12:10 Reach Camp Two, stop for lunch13:15 Depart Camp Two for Camp One14:30 Find large pig wallow15:00 Heavy rain continues for 3 hours17:05 Reach haven of Camp OneNight Too tired to notice

Tuesday, 1st September08:00 Depart Camp One in direction of Gunung Murud, roughly following bearing of 0400

10:25 Boundary of timber concession (marker no. 1307), interesting things including Trilobite beetle andbeautiful Goniothalamus

11:00 After wandering around decide to follow boundary, still roughly 0400

13:00 Lunch break14:20 Set off again, markers every 20 m numbers dropped to 1050 m then started climbing again15:20 Reach campsite previously used by those marking boundary (marker no. 1178)16:30 Set small mammal traps, vegetation plot, Johnson caught one fish and three frogsNight Comfortable night on pole bed

Wednesday, 2nd September06:30 Loud calls of Blue Breasted Quail, no mammals in traps08:20 Depart camp, continue along border trail10:20 Tough going just two kilometres travelled, steep and slippery, saw Maroon Langur and beautiful

orchid11:40 Reach Sungai Ulu Limbang, beautiful forest stream, stop for lunch13:05 Depart from Sungai Ulu Limbang14:35 Marker no. 1168, 30 52.465 N, 1150 27.755 E147:55 Distinctive change in vegetation crossing from Setap Shale to Meligan Formation, from mossy forest

to tall forest15:00 Reach end of boundary marks and make camp by stream, sign of Bearded Pig everywhere16:00 Set small mammal traps, vegetation plotNight Enjoy huge meal so we don't have to carry food tomorrow

Thursday, 3rd September06:00 Calls of Bornean Gibbons close to camp, traps caught nothing08:15 Depart camp, walking from patches of stunted mossy forest to dry taller forest and back again08:25 Beautiful Wagler's Viper, incredible assortment of Pitcher plants09:50 Large pig wallow near river10:20 Reach base of ascent, follow up convenient ridge



(Table 2-1 continued)

10:50 Find pig highway and follow it11:45 Find open forest, easier walking, stop for lunch13:05 Resume march, Pang Ayu estimates 1 1/2 hours to top!14:30 First view of summit of Gunung Murud but still at least 2 hours off15:10 Engage low gear, scrambling over mossy boulders and clambering up soaking roots18:30 Reach summit just as dusk is settling, foggy, rain just starting, everybody tired but happy19:30 Reach campsite by first stream since summit (Sg. Dappur), guides get fire going in record timeNight Very cold

Friday, 4th September05:45 Beautiful sunrise, view across to Gunung Murud's second summit great07:15 Depart with light loads for summit08:00 Reach summit, spectacular view all around but especially of Batu Lawi, beautiful clear weather09:30 Leave summit and return to camp10:50 Leave camp for Church Camp11:00 Most of trail through karangas forest, interesting sightings - Greater Mouse Deer, Civet track and

Horse Tailed Squirrel12:30 Reach Church Camp, it’s huge, we are given shelter under roof of unfinished building, rain pours

most of the afternoon17:00 Set mammal traps but no more banana bait20:00 One of the camp workers brings a dead Lesser GymnureNight Very cold

Saturday, 5th September06:00 Misty sunrise, traps did not catch anything08:15 Left Church Camp for Ba'Kelalan08:45 On top of Gunung Murud's second summit, more clear views of Batu Lawi09:30 Steep descent through tall mossy forest, but trail easy10:30 Reach logging road – broad cleared cut through the forest, much erosion at the road sides

11:00 Start hiking back along road, hot and exposed12:30 Stop for lunch by stream, Patrick knew this as a beautiful camp site before - now the stream is cloudy

with increased sediment run off13:15 Set off again, first 45 mins. very hot14:00 Re-enter forest along village trails17:30 Reach airport at Ba'Kelalan, tired today we did over 15 km

Chapter 3 Natural History of the Proposed Pulong Tau National Park


3. Natural History of the Proposed Pulong Tau National Park

IntroductionThe primary objective of the 1998 MNS MiriBranch expedition to the forests of Pulong Tauwas to highlight the diversity, distinctivenessand beauty of the plants, animals and physicalfeatures of the area. In order to acquire thisinformation, notes were kept on the geology,flora and fauna of the portion of the proposedpark covered by the expedition route. Ourrecords were limited due to the physicaldemands of trekking, the lack of time forcomprehensive surveys and the area’sremoteness, which precluded the carriage of anyheavy equipment. Nonetheless, the naturalhistory of Pulong Tau is so exceptional thatthe short duration of the expedition wassufficient to allow us to gauge the naturalwealth of these highland forests. This sectionof the report serves to detail the natural heritageof Pulong Tau as revealed during the course ofthe expedition.

We describe first the geology andgeomorphology of the proposed park. Thegeology of an area is a fundamental determinantof all that lies above it, for the nature of therocks governs the characteristics of the soil,thereby influencing the plant communities thatcan establish there. The plant life of PulongTau is therefore described next. Inextricablylinked to the vegetation, the final component ofPulong Tau’s natural history is the animal life,which we consider in two accounts, forvertebrates and invertebrates, respectively.Finally, some conclusions are made concerningthe natural history of Pulong Tau and theinitiatives required to further understand andconserve it.

3.1 Geology & Geomorphology

IntroductionPlate tectonic and structural frameworkThe Cenozoic to Recent (65 Million years topresent) history of the Kelabit Highlands areacan be understood, at a large scale, withreference to the theory of plate tectonicswhereby the crust and upper mantle of the earthis composed of a series of rigid ’plates’ which,over a geological time frame, are in motionrelative to each other. The Kelabit highlandsare viewed in the context of a complexinteraction of three large lithospheric platescovering the SE Asian region;

1. the continental Eurasian (China) plate inthe north-west,

2. the mainly oceanic Indian plate, and3. the continental Australian plate.

The interaction (extension, break-up andcollision) of the plates has resulted in acomplex mosaic of smaller microplates andplate collisional features, such as volcanicisland arcs, accretionary prisms (sedimentsscraped off an underthrusting plate) andmountain belts, whose temporal and spatialrelationships are still not fully understood.

The Kelabit Highlands are thought to bedeveloped on an underlying basement of rifted(faulted) continental crust, upon which coastaland shallow water sediments were depositedbefore Borneo separated from the mainlandEurasian plate (Hutchison 1996). Thishypothesis is based principally on evidence forsubsurface evaporite sediments, and on thedevelopment of reef limestones around themargins of the area (e.g. in Mulu) suggestingthe presence of a more stable (lowersubsidence) block. To the east of thismicroplate, folded and thrusted Rajang flysch(predominantly deep-water shales) deposits ofLate Cretaceous to Eocene age are developed.These are interpreted as having developed overoceanic crust (mainly basalts) and continuenorthwards to form the Crocker Range ofSabah.

In the area covered by the expedition, thedominant structural features evident in thegeomorphology are the folding and faultingalong NE-SW to N-S trending axes. However,the area is structurally complex, with evidenceof NNW-SSE cross-faults and peaks.

Sediments, depositional environments andstratigraphyThe geology of the Kelabit Highlands has yetto be mapped systematically and geologicalmaps remain speculative over large parts of thearea. The basic stratigraphic subdivisions have,however, been established.

N

MAP V : SKETCH MAP ILLUSTRATING PULONG TAU’S POSITIONRELATIVE TO MAIN DRAINAGE BASINS OF NORTHERN BORNEO

BARAMDRAINAGE

BASIN

BRUNEI BAYDRAINAGE

BASIN

GUNUNGMURUD

BATULAWI

Baram

LimbangBelaitTutong

Trusan

PadasGUNUNG MULU

NATIONAL PARK

SCALE (APPROX.)

50 KM

Watershed boundary

KEY

Major River

International border

National state boundary

mountain

Coastline

1984 Proposal : 164,500 Ha

1987 Proposal : 159,000 Ha

1998 Gazetted : 63,700 Ha

PULONG TAU

NATIONAL PARK

based on Sandal (1996) -

The Geology & Hydrocarbon Resources ofBrunei Darussalam



a) Long Bawan and Kelabit Formations:Continental to Coastal & Lagoonalenvironments

The sediments currently exposed at surface inthe eastern part of the Kelabit Highlandscomprise continental ‘red’ beds (the red colouris due to oxidation of iron and is typical ofdesert environments), and coal-bearingsandstones of the Late Cretaceous to EoceneLong Bawan Formation. These pass westwardsinto Kelabit Formation mudstones, commonlycontaining lignitic (coaly) layers, thin lenses oflimestone and occasional pebblyconglomerates. These are interpreted as ofcoastal to lagoonal origin and have been datedas of Early Oligocene to Early Miocene(Tertiary) age. Salt springs at various localitiesin the area may indicate the presence ofsubsurface evaporite deposits (comprising saltssuch as halite and gypsum derived fromevaporation of seawater). An alternativehypothesis is that the springs are sourced fromsalty waters expelled from underlying ‘normal’open marine sediments which reach the surfacealong deep-seated faults.

Further west, but still within the areainterpreted as part of the stable KelabitHighlands microcontinent, are sedimentsassigned to the Meligan and Setap ShaleFomations.

b) Meligan Formation: Deltaic (river delta)environmentThe Meligan Formation is the name given tothe massive sandstones forming the prominentmountain range of the Tamu Abu, includingthe peaks of Batu Lawi and Gunung Murud.The medium to coarse-grained, mainly greysandstones are interpreted as the deposits of anMiddle Oligocene to Early Miocene delta plainand braided river system which prograded(migrated) westwards in response to uplift ofthe Crocker-Rajang hinterland.

c) Setap Shale Formation: Deep marineenvironmentThe Setap Shale is exposed mainly to the westof the Meligan sandstones. It is characterisedby deeper water marine mudstones, with somethin turbidite sandstones (deposits of chaoticsediment-charged flows moving across the seafloor), and has been dated as of Early Oligoceneto Early Miocene age.

d) Recent alluvium: Fluvial (river)environmentQuaternary to present day alluvium (river-deposited sands and clays) forms the sediments

in the river valley bottoms within the KelabitHighlands.

Geology and soil types of theexpedition routeThe expedition route traversed the Meligan andSetap Shale Formations (Map IV).

i) Pa Ukat to Tamu Abu ridgeFew outcrops were seen, but the underlyingrock type is interpreted as structurally simpleMeligan sandstones.

ii) Tamu Abu rangeThe high ridge with its steep scarp faces isinterpreted as a complex fault zone and the‘notch’ in the ridge which provides the accesspoint for the trekking route is interpreted as amajor cross-fault. This cross-fault is orientedroughly NNW-SSE and is thought to be thestructural boundary between the Setap and theMeligan at the SW end of the Setap Shaleinlier (see iii and v below). The Batu Bulipeak is oriented roughly parallel to thisstructure.

iii) Low ground west of the Tamu AbuThis topographically flat area some 8km longby 3-6 km wide is interpreted as a Setap Shaleinlier (isolated outcrop of older rockssurrounded by younger rocks). Geologiststhink that the Setap underlies the Meliganstratigraphically, but the contacts here areinterpreted as primarily structural. Theinterpretation is new and based on observationsof Setap between Batu Lawi and GunungMurud (see v below).

iv) Batu LawiThe Meligan sandstones are interpreted asforming the rugged high ground west of the flatarea of Setap shales, and culminating in thepeak of Batu Lawi. An alternative hypothesisis that the Batu Lawi sandstones represent athick turbidite unit developed within theSetap. This contention could be tested byfurther field mapping.

v) Batu Lawi to Gunung MurudThe route traversed areas of both Meligansandstones and Setap Shales. The expeditionrecords of claystones and turbidite sandstonesof the Setap Shale in stream sections betweenBatu Lawi and Gunung Murud appear to be anew observations, as these have not beenrecorded on previous geological maps of thearea (Singh 1998), which have assigned thearea to the Meligan. It has led to a revisedgeological interpretation for the area of lowground west of the Tamu Abu.



vi) Gunung Murud and route north toBa’KelalanThe major peak of Gunung Murud and thehigh ground to the north is interpreted as beingformed by Meligan sandstones, being moreresistant to weathering than the softershales/clays.

There is clearly a strong relationship betweenthe geology and the topography in the area,with the higher elevations and steeper slopesformed by the sand-rich Meligan and the low-lying flatter ground developed over the softclay-rich Setap. As expected, there are distinctdifferences in forest types between these twoareas (see next section; Observations on theVegetation of Pulong Tau).

Geomorphology and watershedprotectionThe Kelabit Highlands form a mountainousarea bounded on the west and north-west bythe series of ridges of the Tamu Abu range.These ridges are oriented with their axes in aNE-SW direction and reach heights of 2027metres at the peak of Batu Lawi and 2423metres at Gunung Murud, Sarawak’s highestmountain. The ridges are thought to beprimarily a result of uplift associated withfaulting, combined with increased resistance toerosion (i.e. Meligan sandstones being harderthan Setap clays).

The present-day saucer-shaped basins,separated by narrow faulted anticlines are laterstructural features rather than being ofdepositional origin. The steep scarp slopes atthe edges of the Tamu Abu mountain range areinterpreted as representing faulted contacts. Aseries of flat-bottomed inter-montane valleysare also developed between the ridges; some(outside the area of the proposed national park)are farmed for rice cultivation.

The Pulong Tau National Park, asoriginally proposed, covers the head of thewater catchment area for two major drainagebasins (Map V): the Baram (Baram & Belaitrivers) and the Brunei Bay (Limbang, Tutong,Trusan & Padas rivers) basins (Sandal 1996).As such, it has a vital role in controlling therun-off of these major rivers, with the forest andsoil cover acting as a ‘sponge’, absorbingrainfall and releasing it slowly into thedrainage basin. Recent catastrophic floodingevents in the Indian subcontinent (notablyBangladesh) and in China have been linked toupper watershed deforestation in the Himalayasand upper Yangtze regions, respectively. Thiscausal link has been sufficiently clearlyestablished for the Chinese government to havebanned logging in the areas of the upper riversystems.

A likely consequence of logging the areaaround Pulong Tau will be increased run-off ofsediments into the Baram and Limbang riversystems, with greater flooding potential in thelow-lying coastal areas of Sarawak and Brunei.A risk analysis of the benefits of the loggingversus the flood damage potential is beyondthe scope of this report, but it should be animportant consideration in evaluating theeconomic benefits which the proposed PulongTau National Park could bring to Sarawak andMalaysia.

3.2 Observations on theVegetation of Pulong Tau

IntroductionThis section of the reports describes thechanges in vegetation along the expeditionroute, the tree flora of several small plotssurveyed at each campsite and some commentson noteworthy plants seen along the route.

To date, no published flora of the proposedPulong Tau National Park is available. Severalbotanical collections of various detail havebeen made from Gunung Murud and the BatuBuli to Batu Lawi route (e.g. Beaman 1998;Ipor 1998). However, these studies tended tobe of short duration and are likely to be quiteincomplete. Furthermore, no attempt atsummation of accumulated botanical recordsinto a vegetation map, even of the restrictedcollection areas, has been made. Nonetheless,the flora of the proposed park is known toinclude a wide range of the vegetation typesfound in Borneo (especially the montaneelements), and can be expected to berepresentative of the upland flora of northernBorneo (National Parks & Wildlife OfficeSarawak 1987).

The typical zonation of vegetation withaltitude seen so clearly in Peninsular Malaysiais less distinct in Borneo where soil type andtopography blur the boundaries of vegetationtypes (Ashton 1995). This can be observed inPulong Tau where very different vegetationtypes often abut whilst overlapping in altitude.Roughly speaking, the lower areas of theproposed park can be expected to supportUpper Mixed Dipterocarp forest, grading intoOak-Laurel forest at higher altitudes. Heathforest (Kerangas) is expected in lower areasoverlying white sand soils, common towardsthe southern end of the proposed park andimmediately outside around Bario, whilst athigher altitudes this will be replaced by MossyElfin forest rich in Rhododendron. On exposedmountain summits, a montane heathvegetation, with many short-stature Ericaceousplants, can be found. Sandy soil is typicallyextremely nutrient-poor and as a result



generally supports a distinctive and interestingherb flora including orchids and pitcher plants.In montane environments, distributions ofspecies are often restricted leading to highlevels of endemism. At least one species ofpitcher plant, Nepenthes murudensis isendemic to Gunung Murud and it is likely thatseveral other plants will be endemic to PulongTau.

In the south of the proposed park uniqueupland swampy grasslands, such as Ba’Sakun,have been recorded and are clearly of greatbotanical interest (National Parks & WildlifeOffice Sarawak 1984), however, our route didnot cross any of these.

The high diversity and distinctive characterof the vegetation types encompassed by theproposed park makes Pulong Tau potentiallyvaluable in the conservation of the floralbiodiversity of this area of Borneo.

MethodsWhile hiking, notes were made on the generalfeatures of forest, any changes of forest type,and any interesting flowers or treesencountered. For many of the more noteworthyplants, such as orchids or pitcher plants,photographs were taken to allow lateridentification. This was deliberately done toavoid unnecessary collecting of potentially rarespecies. Noting down the date and time, it waslater possible to use the route map (Map III) toestimate the approximate position of eachobservation and thereby develop a vegetationmap. Although our observations were brief andwe did not have the benefit of a specialist planttaxonomist in the party, we deliberately aimedat mapping our observations to derive a moreecological interpretation of the environment wewere hiking through, rather than restricting oursurvey to isolated observations.

At each campsite a small plot wassurveyed. Initially the plots were to be 20 x 20m but this proved too time consuming. Hencethe first plot was 15 x 20 m and eachsubsequent plot 10 x 10 m. All trees whosegbh (girth at breast height; 1.3 m aboveground level) was above 15 cm were measured,the canopy width and height estimated, andidentified by local name. Where a scientificbinomial is available for the local names wehave recorded these; otherwise we havecontinued to use the local names.

These plots have enabled us to quantifysome of the characteristics of the vegetationtypes we observed. From the basic datacollected in the field we have calculated thetotal and mean basal area, total and meancanopy area, total volume and the relativedominance (contribution of basal area to theplot total basal area) for each species. For eachplot we calculated the total basal area, total

volume, mean maximum height (mean heightof 5 tallest individuals) and species richness.

In addition, Simpson’s diversity index,

D = 1 - ∑(pi)2

where pi = the proportion of individualscontributed by the ith species; an index ofsimilarity between the plots,

S = 2c/(a + b)

where a and b are the number of species ineach plot and c = number of shared species;and a dominance index (similar to the diversityindex but where pi = proportion of basal areacontributed by the ith species) were calculated.All data for Plot 1 was adjusted to account forits larger size. Each plot had one unidentifiedspecies and for the purposes of this report thesewere treated as a single species in thecalculation of the above indices. This resultedin slightly inflated values for the similarityindex (S), whilst providing more conservativeestimates of diversity (D).

Results

Table 3-1 Vegetation types encounteredduring the expedition

1. Cultivated land (paddy field / buffalo pasture)2. Secondary forest3. Heath forest (Kerangas)4. Upper Mixed Dipterocarp forest5. Oak-Laurel forest6. Mossy Elfin forest7. Summit heath

Description of vegetation types observedalong the routeOur botanical observations over the nine daysof the expedition together with surveys of fivevegetation plots allowed us to identify sevendistinct vegetation types between Bario andBa’Kelalan (Table 3-1). These results aredescribed below and illustrated on thevegetation map (Map VI). A great variety ofinteresting plants, particularly orchids andpitcher plants, were observed, notes on some ofwhich also appear in Map VI. Table 3-2summarises our observations of especiallynoteworthy plants, giving the species, locationand method of observation / identification, fielddescription and whether or not a photographicrecord was made. What follows below is a briefdescription of the changing vegetationencountered over each day of the expedition.

28 August 1998



The vegetation immediately around the airportin Bario is typical Kerangas forest, thoughobviously highly disturbed and interspersedwith cleared fields. This Kerangas has thecharacter of typical sclerophytic vegetation. Itis of short stature (approx. 5 - 12 m), withonly a few large diameter trees found in wetterpatches. Common families include Ericaceae,Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae.

The Kerangas forest continued along theside of the track as far as Pa’Ukat where,around the longhouse, are found the wet paddyfields for which Bario is famous. The KelabitHighlands is the only area of Borneo where wetpaddy farming was traditionally conducted andthere is still considerable debate as to how theKelabit and Lun Bawang people, isolated asthey are in the centre of Borneo, developed thetechnology. The paddy fields are generallysmall and bounded by low, about 30 cm,earthen banks that often have irrigationchannels running between them. They are verypicturesque, a locally important culturallandscape feature, and already today a tourismattraction.

From there the path entered an area ofsecondary forest where most of the larger treeshave been extracted for local building and fromwhich firewood is also collected. This forest isgenerally short in stature (< 10 m) and fewtrees are bigger than about 30 cm diameter.The forest appears scrubby and most trunks areof a similar size. Small, typical secondaryforest plants such as members of theMelastomataceae and especially figs (Ficus,Moraceae) were common in this forest.Gradually, the path entered less disturbed forestuntil we were walking in tall Upper MixedDipterocarp Forest. This forest was clearlyspecies-rich and contained some very largetrees, especially Agathis borneensis(Araucariaceae) and Shorea spp.(Dipterocarpaceae). Members of the Fragaceae,especially Lithocarpus species, were also aconspicuous component. Epiphytes, especiallylarge Bird’s Nest ferns (Asplenium nitidus),were common but ground vegetation waslimited to occasional palms, such as Licuala.

29 August 1998 As the path ascended to the gap in the TamuAbu range, the stature of the forest graduallydecreased, though even at the gap the canopystill reached about 25 m in height. The foresthere was Oak-Laurel forest with many trees ofLithocarpus, Garcinia (Clusiaceae) andCallophyllum (Clusiaceae) species. On thenarrow ridge leading to the gap were severallarge Tristaniopsis (Myrtaceae) with theirdistinctive dusty red, peeling bark. Once at thegap, although still Oak-Laurel forest, there wasa conspicuous change in character to muchmossier forest with many large tree ferns

gracing the under-storey. Immediately after thegap, as the path followed a route over themoss-covered boulders and thence over BatuBuli, the forest changed again to Mossy ElfinForest. This forest is shorter in stature (< 10m) and appears much less diverse, with mainlyEugenia (Euphorbiaceae) and Rhododendron(Ericaceae) species. Tristaniopsis was alsocommon, especially along the banks of thestream. The ground, as well as many branchesand trunks, were completely covered in a carpetof mosses, liverworts and lichens. The forestgrows over a thin layer of sandy peat that wasvisible along the trail where the covering ofmoss had worn away. We found many pitcherplants (in particular Nepenthes reinwardtianaand Nepenthes pillosa) and orchids along thissection of the trail. Nearing Camp One, thepath dropped down to the Ulu Limbang,entering again the bigger-statured Oak-Laurelforest which appeared much more diverse.



30 August 1998

Between Camp One and Camp Two thevegetation changed from relatively tall Oak-Laurel forest at Camp One, to Mossy Elfinforest on the top of the ridge, before returningto Oak-Laurel as the path descended towardsCamp Two. On the final descent to CampTwo there were occasionally some very largetrees including some Shorea species,indicating a return to the boundary with theUpper Mixed Dipterocarp forest. This forestalso had many Agathis borneensis.

31 August 1998 The ascent from Camp Two to the femalesummit of Batu Lawi was brief. Afterclimbing out of the Oak-Laurel forest there wasonly a short section in Mossy Elfin forestbefore reaching the steep summit slope whichis covered in mountain heath vegetation andlarge sandstone boulders. The shrubs here weremainly Rhododendron, though some otherssuch as Callophyllum were present. Tallshrubs, over 3 m, were rare and on the femalepeak itself, the vegetation is much more openwith many ground herbs and ferns. Here,several orchids and some floweringRhododendron spp. were found.

1-2 Se ptember 1998 Our path from Camp One to Gunung Murudleft the regular hiking route and cut through theforest. Following the Ulu Limbang upstream,we encountered predominantly Oak-Laurelforest whilst passing through patches of MossyElfin forest, either on ridges or simply on areasof slightly higher ground. The border betweenthese forest types was usually distinct. On themorning of the first day out from Camp Onewe ascended a ridge to view Gunung Murudand found it to be covered with Screw Palms(Pandanus). During the afternoon our pathtook us through an area of Mossy Elfin forestwhich we did not leave until just before theevening campsite. Almost all of the next day'shike was through Oak-Laurel forest, althoughin the early afternoon we entered Mossy Elfinforest again for a little over an hour beforereturning to Oak-Laurel forest.

3 September 1998 The day spent climbing Gunung Murud wasperhaps the most instructive in demonstratingthe diversity of vegetation types in the area.Immediately upon leaving the camp site we re-entered the Mossy Elfin forest, graduallyclimbing up to a small knoll. Here we found alarge variety of pitcher plants includingNepenthes reinwardtiana, N. pillosa, and N .veitchii. Continuing, we entered an area ofopen Oak-Laurel forest. Here, evidence ofBearded Pig (Sus barbatus) was abundant. The

Oak-Laurel forest continued until the steepescarpment of Gunung Murud. Soon, we werescrambling and slipping through a tangle ofRhododendron in short Mossy Elfin forest.This continued until the summit wheremontane heath vegetation similar to that onBatu Lawi was observed. In contrast to thesummit of Batu Lawi, the area was much moreextensive and in sheltered gullies tallerericacous shrubs were found.

4 September 1998 Amongst the ericacous heath we found severalorchids and pitcher plants, including themountain's endemic Nepenthes murudensis. Asthe path descended to the saddle betweenGunung Murud’s two summits it passedthrough an area of taller heath similar inappearance to Kerangas, being drier incharacter and lacking the moss cloakingcharacteristic of the Mossy Elfin forest.Tristaniopsis was common along the streamsides. Lower down this vegetation mergedwith Oak-Laurel forest, which continued untilthe Church Camp.

5 September 1998 Leaving Church Camp the path headed upsteeply to Gunung Murud’s second summit.The trail was cut though Mossy Elfin Forestand only at the highest point was there a smallarea of summit heath. The trail then descendedsteeply, passing quickly into Oak-Laurel forest.Initially this was rather mossy and had manytree ferns but further on the forest became tallerand more open. The logging access roadsreached roughly to the point where the Oak-Laurel forest graded into Upper MixedDipterocarp forest. Although cut through byaccess roads, the Upper Mixed Dipterocarpforest had not been logged yet when wevisited. This forest continued until within twohours of Ba’Kelalan where it becameincreasingly disturbed due to the localextraction of building timber. Approximately30 minutes from the village the path left theforest and entered an area of scrubby buffalopastures interspersed with bamboo clumps.



Table 3-2 Noteworthy plants observed along the expedition route

Date Time Notes

28th August 13:30 Cauliflorous fig, Ficus schwarzii , male tree with a huge crop of developing syconia

13:35 More figs, F. bunneo-aurata and F. parietalis

29th August 11:45 Found cones of Tumu, Agrathis borneensis, very common

14:00 Several pitcher plants in mossy elfin forest. Nepenthes reinwardtiana and N.pillosa

17:00 At Camp One found figs F. sarawakensis and F. megaleia

30th August 13:30 Fruit of Aka (?fruit of tree eaten by gibbon)

14:30 Very large Shorea on path

15:00 Large strangling fig, F. xylophylla. Second strangler leaf similar to F.xylophyllabut smaller, possibly F. subtecta

31st August 10:00 Summit of Batu Lawi, found Rhododendron sp. in flower

1st September 10:00 Following up river, many Tristaniopsis

10:20 Beautiful Goniothalamus with small (2 cm long) flowers borne near ground

11:00 Many Pandanus crowded on top of ridge

2nd September 13:00 Orchid in flower, Coelogyne, sp.

3rd September 08:30 Patch with many pitcher plants, Nepenthes reinwardiata, N.pillosa, N.veitchii.

16:00 Rhododendron sp in flower

4th September 07:30 Found many of Gunung Murud’s endemic pitcher plant, N. murudensis

08:30 Two Orchid species in flower

14:00 Large orchid in flower at Church Camp, Coelogyne radiofrens

Description of the small census plotsThe information derived from the small plotsshould not be extrapolated too far, as single 10x 10 m plots cannot possibly be completelyrepresentative of the forest surrounding them.Plot 1 and Plot 3 were both set in tall Oak-Laurel forest on the border with Upper MixedDipterocarp forest. The other three plots wereall set in higher altitude Oak-Laurel forest.However, Plot 2 was located on the flat riverterrace which supported a taller forest whilstPlots 4 and 5 were both located in mossy,slightly shorter-stature forest.

Table 3-3 lists the species recorded in eachplot and compares them in terms of number ofindividuals, basal area, canopy area, volumeand their relative dominance. None of the plotsare particular similar but given the smallsampling area this is hardly surprising.Interestingly, Agathis borneensis, althoughreported as the most dominant species in thisarea (Ipor 1998), only occurred as a singleindividual in two of the plots. Eugenia

(Myrtaceae) was the most commonly recordedgenus and was more prevalent, both in terms ofspecies and individual contribution, in thehigher altitude plots.



Table 3-3 Results from the small forest plots. Plot 1: 28/08/98, 1st campsite below Tamu Abu (20x15 m); Plot 2: 29/08/98. Camp One, Ulu Limbang (10 x 10 m); Plot 3: 30/08/98, Camp Two, BatuLawi (10 x 10 m); Plot 4: 01/09/98, 1st forest camp, Ulu Limbang (10 x 10 m); Plot 5: 02/09/98, 2ndforest camp, Ulu Limbang (10 x 10 m).

Basal area(cm2)

Canopy area(m2)

Volume Relativedominance

Plot Family Local name Species No total mean total mean (m3)

Plot 1 ? Eukbelanai ? 10 317.8 31.8 144.4 14.4 1.43 17.5Myrtaceae Oubar

labadEugenia sp.1 4 469.4 117.36 241.5 60.4 15.70 25.8

? Kelabono ? 3 244.6 81.5 49.6 16.5 3.47 13.4Moraceae Bua labo Artocarpus sp.1 2 154.5 71.2 71.0 35.5 2.83 8.5Rhizophoraceae Lakae Carallia brachiata 2 185.9 92.9 80.1 40.1 5.84 10.2Fagaceae Salad buda Lithocaupus sp.1 2 69.7 34.9 20.8 10.4 0.18 3.8? ? ? 2 155.1 77.6 125.3 62.7 2.17 8.5Araucariaceae Bindang Agathis borneensis 1 59.0 106.0 0.80 3.2Hypericaceae Dad tamlian Cratoxylum sp.1 1 16.6 3.7 0.01 0.9? Darao ? 1 47.1 17.0 0.16 2.6? Mararian ? 1 48.7 12.5 0.23 2.7Rutaceae Para labo Pleiospermum sp.1 1 52.1 26.9 0.37 2.9

Plot 2 Euphorbiaceae Tuba balud Euphorbia sp.1 3 177.4 59.1 30.6 10.2 1.39 16.5? Marabu ? 2 54.0 27.0 15.5 7.8 0.05 5.0Myrtaceae Oubar

labadEugenia sp.1 2 149.5 74.7 42.1 21.1 1.32 13.9

? ? ? 2 48.4 24.2 6.2 3.1 0.04 4.5Myrtaceae Oubar buda Eugenia sp.2 1 78.8 20.4 0.74 7.3Myrtaceae Oubar wag Eugenia sp.3 1 49.6 6.1 0.26 4.6Leguminosae Segarangan Fordia sp.1 1 49.0 33.9 0.17 4.5Fagaceae Salad paddi Lithocarpus papillifer 1 87.0 64.7 0.90 8.1Fagaceae Salad urung Lithocarpus burkilii 1 119.3 61.0 1.59 11.1Araucariaceae Bindang Agathis borneensis 1 43.6 30.0 0.12 4.1? Bitaur ? 1 29.8 20.0 0.05 2.8? Marabada ? 1 53.4 26.3 0.18 5.0? Lupau ? 1 46.2 24.1 0.08 4.3Aquifoliaceae Bubpuk Ilex cymosa 1 73.8 15.2 0.60 6.9Moraceae Bua edti Artocarpus sp.2 1 17.0 0.7 0.01 1.6

Plot 3 Moraceae Bua labo Artocarpus sp.1 2 44.0 22.0 9.8 4.9 0.03 6.0? Tarunpenan ? 1 84.5 20.0 1.42 11.4? Bitaur ? 1 33.3 3.9 0.11 4.5Fagaceae Salad paddi Lithocarpus papillifer 1 96.4 48.9 1.11 13.1? Eukbelanai ? 1 41.1 21.3 0.09 5.6Myrtaceae Oubar buda Eugenia sp.2 1 45.2 11.7 0.14 6.1Rutaceae Para labo Pleiospermum sp.1 1 77.9 23.2 0.58 10.5Tiliacea Serdang Elaeocarpus sp.1 1 42.7 13.0 0.13 5.8? Urey ? 1 60.3 24.2 0.20 8.2Lauraceae Birar

uwangLitsea sp.1 1 61.9 12.5 0.27 8.4

? Lupau ? 1 18.2 8.0 0.01 2.5? Belayo ? 1 54.6 18.0 0.26 7.4Dipterocarpaceae Serangan Shorea sp.1 1 15.1 3.5 0.01 2.0? ? ? 1 63.1 14.1 0.38 8.5

Plot 4 ? Mararian ? 2 328.4 164.2 111.2 55.6 7.22 42.2? Tabuln ? 2 69.7 34.9 8.6 4.3 0.16 9.0Hypericaceae Dad tamlian Cratoxylum sp.1 2 72.8 36.4 34.7 17.4 0.16 9.4Myrtaceae Oubar tabu Eugenia sp.4 2 259.4 129.7 175.6 87.8 5.08 33.3Myrtaceae Oubar buda Eugenia sp.2 1 31.7 8.9 0.06 4.1? ? ? 1 16.3 1.6 0.01 2.1

Plot 5 Myrtaceae Oubar sp. Eugenia sp.5 4 115.6 28.9 25.1 6.3 0.16 15.8? Marabu ? 3 69.1 23.0 13.9 4.6 0.07 9.5? ? ? 2 53.4 26.7 10.4 5.2 0.04 7.3Myrtaceae Oubar buda Eugenia sp.2 1 24.5 4.3 0.03 3.4Myrtaceae Oubar tabu Eugenia sp.4 1 52.8 8.0 0.24 7.2? Kadfi ? 1 90.7 34.4 0.66 12.4? Lapau ? 1 66.3 9.1 0.25 9.1Tiliaceae Kelanah Brownlowia sp.1 1 20.1 6.0 0.01 2.8? Ado ? 1 112.4 19.6 2.01 15.4? Kati ? 1 47.4 9.3 0.20 6.5Rubiaceae Atap Nauclea sp.1 1 77.2 25.0 0.38 10.6



Conversely, Artocarpus sp. 1 (Moraceae) andPleiospermum sp. 1 (Rutaceae) were recordedonly in the lower altitude plots. In otherrespects, however, the turnover of species andgenera between plots does not follow a clearpattern.

Table 3-4 compares the plots on the basisof several ecological parameters. Again thesmall size of the plots is probably responsiblefor the slightly inconsistent results. The highvalue for the total basal area of trees in Plot 2reflects the presence of several large trees onthis flat river terrace site. Although Plot 4 hadonly a few individuals these included four large

trees producing the disproportionately highvalues for both total basal area and volume.Mean maximum height however appears toreflect the anticipated situation with Plots 1 &3 in the lower altitude forest and Plot 2 on theriver terrace being the tallest. If account ismade for the clump of “Eukbelanai” in Plot 1then the species richness also follows theexpected pattern with the taller, lower altitudeforests being more species-rich. The sameapplies to the diversity and dominance indicesalthough, interestingly, all the plots arerelatively diverse with many of speciesrepresented by a single individual.

Table 3-4 Characteristics of the five small forest plots

Plot Location Total basalarea

(cm2 per m2)

Totalvolume

Mean max.height (m)

Speciesrichness

Simpson'sdiversity index

(D)1 1st camp site 6.07 11.06 23.4 8 0.842 Camp One 10.77 7.46 14.6 15 0.923 Camp Two 7.38 4.74 15.2 14 0.924 1st forest camp 7.78 12.69 13.4 6 0.825 2nd forest camp 7.29 4.05 10.2 11 0.87

Table 3-5 Comparisons of similarity of plots and dominance

Similarity index Dominanceindex

Plot 1 2 3 4 51 * 0.26 0.29 0.33 0.04 0.862 * 0.17 0.10 0.15 0.913 * 0.20 0.08 0.924 * 0.35 0.695 * 0.89

From the index of similarity (Table 3-5),which is based solely on presence or absence ofspecies, none of the plots are very similar, thehighest value being only 0.35. Again, someunusual results appear. Thus Plot 1 is mostsimilar with Plot 4 and least with Plot 5 butPlot 4 is most similar to Plot 5. The latter isexpected as these are the lower diversity,higher altitude sites. The lack of a consistentgrouping amongst the other three plots,although they show a reasonable degree ofsimilarity to each other, probably reflects thehigher diversity coupled with the small plotsize.

DiscussionThe complex topography and juxtaposition ofsandy and clay soils have led to a mosaicdistribution of vegetation types across the areaas a whole. This was especially evident withthe continual crossing between rather tall Oak-Laurel forest and more stunted Mossy Elfinforest during the Ulu Limbang section of thetrek (Map VI).

To the uninitiated, the Oak-Laurel forestwas surprisingly tall and open for a forestgrowing at this altitude (1000 - 2000 m). Italso appears to be relatively diverse, asreflected by the high Simpson diversity indexvalues. Three of the small plots had more thanten species (>5 cm dbh; diameter at breastheight). With such small plots it is clear thatonly a small proportion of species at any onesite are represented and this leads to the ratherlow similarity indexes between the plots.However, the complex topography also appearsto have generated a high beta diversity, withriversides, well drained slopes, ridge tops andhollows, for example, all apparently supportinga slightly different forest. A more detailedsurvey using larger plots (0.5 or 1 ha) will berequired to show this clearly.

The other vegetation type most frequentlyencountered was the Mossy Elfin forest. Thiswas considerably less rich in terms of treesspecies diversity. However, it supports afascinating array of herbaceous plants,especially the orchids and pitcher plants. Thefact that this forest is nutrient-poor is alsoobvious from the dark, tea-coloured pools



which are the result of tannins leached fromdecomposing leaves and indicate a slow andincomplete decomposition process. Asexplained above, the soil is composed of a thinsandy peat and the amount of surface water weobserved reflects its poor drainage. This forestis found mainly in the elevated areas and ridgetops suggesting that the forest develops overrather hard, impervious sandstone that onlyallows the development of a thin soil, with alot of surface run off and consequent nutrientleaching. Conversely, the Oak-Laurel forestappears to develop on deeper soils on theslopes and river valleys.

On our hike between Camp One andGunung Murud, mostly over the Setap Shale,we tended to find Oak-Laurel forest associatedwith streams and turbidite sand outcrops,while Mossy Elfin forest occupied the flatterregions. Towards Gunung Murud, close to oursecond Forest Camp we found a distinctboundary between Mossy Elfin forest and tallOak-Laurel forest with almost no associatedchange in elevation or inclination of theground. Inspection of the soil however revealedthat we had passed from a thin, slippery claysoil of the Setap Shale to a coarse-grainedsandy soil, derived from the MeliganSandstone. The latter had clearly allowed thedevelopment of a relatively deep, well-drainedsoil with which the Oak-Laurel forest wasassociated. Hence, within the MeliganFormation Oak-Laurel forest was associatedwith slopes allowing the development of adeep coarse grained sandy soil and Mossy Elfinforest with the resistant, poorly drained ridges.

On the other hand, within the Setap Shale,Oak-Laurel forest was found over outcrops ofturbidite sands along the mountain streams andMossy Elfin forest with the thin clay, andtherefore poorly drained, soils of flatter areas.

In the case of the Mossy Elfin forest foundon the steep slope of Gunung Murud, this hada thin covering of peaty soil over sandstoneboulders and crags. In this case, although thesource material was Meligan Sandstone, thesteep inclination has led to very high run-offrate and, consequently, only a thin nutrient-poor soil could develop.

Clearly, complex topography and soildifferences are responsible for complicateddistribution of forest types and a more precisesurvey would reveal differences within thesegeneral types. Thus, for example, we canreasonably expect that both the Oak-Laurel andMossy Elfin forests overlying the sandyMeligan formation will be distinct from thoseover the clayey Setap Shales, and that theMossy Elfin forest of the steep slopes isdifferent from that on flatter areas.

The summit heath found on both the peaksof Batu Lawi and Gunung Murud isextraordinarily interesting for its diverse and

highly endemic herbaceous flora. In general,mountain summits are better collected andstudied than other areas because of theirrelatively small area and because botanists tendto find this environment interesting. Batu Lawiand Gunung Murud are no exception as the listof collections made there indicates (Beaman1998). To this background our expedition canonly add the short list of observations given inTable 3-2.

The route we followed through Pulong Taurevealed not only that the area has a montaneflora representative of northern Borneo, but thatthese forests support a high diversity of speciesand complex and diverse association of foresttypes. This leads to a high turnover of speciesin a relatively small area. The high level ofendemism and the presence of many fascinatingplants, such as the pitcher plants and orchids,underlines the value of this area forconservation of the floral biodiversity ofSarawak.

3.3 Vertebrate Fauna of theProposed Pulong Tau NationalPark

Introduction

As initially proposed, Pulong Tau NationalPark encompasses 164,500 ha of almostentirely undisturbed forest, from altitudes ofapproximately 900 m to 2650 m on GunungMurud. As such, it can be expected to harboura vertebrate fauna fully representative of theupland areas of northern Borneo. Evidence ofrare and highly endangered species, such as theSumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinussumatrensis) or Clouded Leopard (Neofelisnebulosa), and the abundance and visibility ofmany other species suggest that the remotenessof the area, especially that around Batu Lawi(Map II), has largely protected the fauna fromthe depredations of hunting (National Parks &Wildlife Office 1987).

Isolation following fragmentation of habitatinto small pockets of intact upland forestsurrounded by expanses made unsuitablethough human modification, is a major threatto such vertebrates. The often small size ofthese remaining forest patches (they can beindividual mountain peaks) limits the size ofpopulations they can support, placing thecorresponding species at increased risk ofextinction. Certain resources may be absent,forcing animals to migrate in a search whichmay be fruitless if the nearest suitable patch issimply too distant. Reproduction may also beaffected - small population sizes can hindermate-location or force animals to mate withclose relatives, increasing the risk of geneticdisorders manifesting in their offspring.



Finally, small habitat patches are at greaterintrinsic risk from the extremes of nature.Single, random environmental events such asfires, disease outbreaks or droughts havedisproportionately large effects on small,isolated populations.

For these reasons, the existence in PulongTau, of a large area of quality montane habitat,capable of supporting populations of the largestmammals and birds (and, as a corollary, manysmaller vertebrate species) is extremelyexciting. The vertebrate fauna of the proposedpark has yet to be inventoried in detail and thatof the uplands of Bario is generally poorlyknown. For example, based on limitedcollections and early studies (e.g. Davies1958), Payne et al. (1985) use “KelabitHighlands” to describe distributions ofmammals in the area, giving no indication ofspecific distributions within this large andhabitat-diverse region. In 1986, Sarawak’sNational Parks & Wildlife Office conducted asurvey of the proposed park and found evidenceof a small breeding population of SumatranRhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) in theUlu Sg. Limbang region (National Parks &Wildlife Office 1987). Prior to this discovery,the species was considered extinct in Sarawak.Other mammals were found in abundance,Clouded Leopard being apparently common inthe southern part of the park, but no detailedlist was published. The report also discussedthe large populations of Bearded Pig (Susbarbatus) found throughout the Tamu Aburange, stressing the importance of PulongTau’s forests for maintaining their populations.These pigs undertake periodic migrations fromthe Oak-Laurel forests down into the lowlandDipterocarp forests following the sporadicfruiting of the latter. The migrations arecolossal in scale, lasting two to five years andinvolving hundreds of thousands ofindividuals, moving across the forest floor andcrossing rivers - a natural phenomenon on a parwith the African Wildebeest migrations and, assuch, a spectacular element of Sarawak’snatural heritage (Caldecott 1984).

BirdsCompared to mammals, the birds of theKelabit highlands have been studied somewhatmore rigorously. However, bird surveys inrecent years have not specifically concentratedon the area encompassed by Pulong TauNational Park. Two species lists published inthe last four years (Gregory-Smith 1998,Sreedharan 1995) suggest that the avifauna ofthese highlands is diverse and representative ofbetter described montane bird communitiessuch as that of Gunung Kinabalu. There existsamongst the birds of Borneo an altitudinalpartitioning of habitat and resources wherebycommunity shifts can be recognised as one

passes from the lowlands to the higher land.The range of altitude in Pulong Tau maytherefore be reflected in the existence of severaldiscrete avian communities within the park.

MammalsThe last major contribution to the knowledgeof the mammal fauna of the proposed park wasthe survey conducted by the National Parks &Wildlife Office in 1986. In 1996 a study ofsmall mammals was undertaken in theimmediate vicinity of Bario. However, thecapture rate was low and, apart from five batspecies, only two common terrestrial specieswere recorded (Rahman et al. 1998).Simultaneously, larger mammals were recorded(mostly from casual observations by researchersworking on other projects) but, again, most ofthe work was concentrated near Bario andrelatively few species were recorded (Abdullahet al. 1998). These studies provide littleinformation about the fauna of Pulong Tau, asthey were largely conducted away from theprimary forest.

Reptiles and AmphibiansRegarding reptiles and amphibians, a paucityof knowledge appears to be the norm formontane regions. In the most recentherpetological research in the area, Zainuddin(1998) recorded 18 frog species and four snakespecies (but no lizards) from the vicinity ofBario. Physiological constraints imposed bythe cooler temperatures of the highlands arelikely to limit the diversity of these cold-blooded vertebrates as altitude increases (Inger& Tan 1996). However, whilst this pattern isconfirmed for snakes, some Bornean frogsappear to have adapted to montane habitats(Inger & Tan 1996). Much remains to bediscovered about reptiles and amphibians inBorneo and it is highly likely that new speciesremain to be discovered.

Aims of Vertebrate SurveyThe aims of the vertebrate survey were:

1. to augment the scanty inventory of theproposed Pulong Tau National Park’svertebrate fauna;2. to assess, in general terms, the degree ofdisturbance, diversity and endemism;3. to pay particular attention for evidence ofthe Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinussumatrensis).

To achieve these aims, vertebrates were studiedin three natural groups: birds, mammals, andreptiles & amphibians. For the third aim, theroute of the expedition (Map III) was chosenlargely to allow exploration of the general areain which Sumatran Rhinoceros was observedin 1986.



MethodsBirdsAvifaunal observations were made largely onan ad hoc basis during the each day’s walkbetween camp sites. Additionally, when timepermitted, birdwatching sessions wereconducted in the early morning and lateafternoon. Bird sightings were recorded in ten-species lists such that each observation wasadded to the current list only if it had not yetbeen recorded on that list. Once a list wascomplete a new one was started. This methodallowed the construction of a species discoverycurve and provided the basis for an index ofcommonness whereby the proportion of liststhat a species appeared on reflected its relativeabundance (or rather conspicuousness) in thearea (MacKinnon 1993).

MammalsMammal records were made in three ways:direct observations of diurnal species; nocturnallive-trapping of small terrestrial mammals; andindirect observations based on calls, tracks,droppings and so forth. For practical reasons,no effort was made to survey bats. Directobservations, usually aided by binoculars, weremade by all members of the expedition whiletrekking to Batu Lawi or between there andGunung Murud and Ba’Kelalan (Map III).Small mammal live-trapping was conducted onmost nights (except two occasions when timewas lacking) and consisted of baitingcollapsible, wire cage traps (30 x 15 x 15 cm)with sweet potato and banana and placing themat approximately 20 metre intervals alongtransects perpendicular to the trail. Traps wereset at dusk and collected shortly after dawn.Captured mammals were anaesthetised withchloroform, weighed, measured (length of head& body, tail, hind foot and ear length andwidth), identified and released. Although 50traps were brought on the expedition, damageto some during the trip meant that only 35were still working by the last night oftrapping. The total number of trap nights was255.

Species identifications were made followingreference to the guide of Payne et al. (1985).This source was also used for fieldidentification of mammal tracks. The localmembers of the expedition were able to identifymammal calls and other signs (e.g. diggings,droppings). In a similar manner to the birdcensus, species observations were arrangedchronologically in lists of five species, eachspecies occurring only once on a list. When anew list was started, species were recorded onit in the order they were observed until the listwas complete. The number of lists on which aspecies occurs is therefore an index of itsabundance and diversity can be assessed by the

rate at which new species accrue on eachsubsequent list.

Reptiles and AmphibiansSnakes were recorded when encountered andphotographed for subsequent identification.Frog sampling centred on the campsites andcomprised locating individuals by their calls orby torchlight scans, followed by live capture ina butterfly net or by hand. To avoid damaginga frog’s sensitive skin, rubber gloves wereworn. Captured frogs were transferred to a clearplastic bag so that they could be handled easilyand observed closely for identification purposes(using the key of Inger & Steubing 1997).Body length (snout to vent) was measuredprior to release.



Results

BirdsDuring the course of the expedition 67 speciesof birds from 29 families were recorded, ofwhich 13 species (19.4%) are endemic toBorneo (Table 3-6). These endemics represent35% of Borneo’s 37 endemic bird species. Thespecies discovery curve for birds (Figure 3-1)created from the species lists has yet to plateau,suggesting that only a fraction of the totalavifauna was recorded during the 9 days ofsampling. Indeed, 64 additional species whichhave been recorded in the Kelabit highlands asa whole are likely to occur within the area ofthe proposed National Park (Appendix I).Thus, the total diversity of birds in the park isconservatively estimated to exceed 130 species.The majority of observed species (56 spp;84%) were recorded relatively infrequently,being included on only one or two of thespecies lists made (Figure 3-2). Conversely,three species (Golden-naped Barbet, MountainImperial-Pigeon and Black-nest Swiftlet) wereparticularly common, appearing on 6, 7 and 8of the 13 species lists, respectively.

Three broad bird communities could bediscerned with respect to different habitat types

included on the expedition route. In andaround the human settlements of Bario, PaUkat and Ba’Kelalan, non-forest and forest-edge birds were common, many takingadvantage of the padi fields as nesting andfeeding sites. These species includedCinnamon Bittern, Eurasian Tree Sparrow,Yellow-vented Bulbul and Pacific Swallow. Inthe forest, bird sightings were not numerousenough to allow identification of distinctcommunities. In fact, a small number of birdspecies were recorded throughout the forest andappear to exemplify the avifauna of PulongTau. These species were Mountain Imperial-Pigeon, Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Black-nestSwiftlet and Golden-naped Barbet. The thirdobvious avian community could be found atthe highest sections of the expedition route,notably the peaks of Batu Lawi and GunungMurud. Ochraceous Bulbul and MountainBlackeye were typically the only speciesrecorded there (Map VII).

Particularly interesting observationsinclude the sighting of Common Myna (likelyto be an escape from Bario or Pa Ukat) and anumber of lowland species (e.g. Blue-wingedLeafbird and Little Green Pigeon) observed athigher altitudes than expected.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Number of species list

Cum

ulat

ive

num

ber

of b

ird

spec

ies

Figure 3-1 Species recruitment curve forbirds observed along the expedition route

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Number of appearances on species lists

Num

ber

of b

ird

spec

ies

Figure 3-2 Frequency distribution ofrelative abundance of avian species



Table 3-6 Birds recorded between Bario and Ba’Kelalan. Species are listed by family withnomenclature following (MacKinnon & Phillipps 1993). Bold type indicates species endemic toBorneo.

ARDEIDAE Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier

Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus

ACCIPITRIDAE DICRURIDAE

Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus

Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aenus

PHASIANIDAE Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus

Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis

Crimson-headed Partridge Haematortyx sanguiniceps ORIOLIDAEBlack Oriole Oriolus hosii

SCOLOPACIDAE Black-and-crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus

Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos

CORVIDAECOLUMBIDAE Short-tailed Magpie Cissa thalassina

Little Green Pigeon Treron olax Bornean Treepie Dendrocitta cinerascens

Mountain Imperial-Pigeon Ducula badia Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca

Little Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia ruficeps

SITTIDAE

CUCULIDAE Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis

Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus

Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus TIMALIIDAERusty-breasted Cuckoo Cacomantis sepulcralis Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps

Chestnut-bellied Malkoha Phaenicophaeus sumatranus Sunda Laughingthrush Garrulax palliatus

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Garrulax mitratus

APODIDAE Chestnut-crested Yuhina Yuhina everetti

Edible-nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga

Black-nest Swiflet Collocalia maxima SYLVIIDAE

Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta Yellow-breasted Warbler Seicercus montisMountain Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus trivurgatus

TROGONIDAE Mountain Tailorbird Orthotomus cuculatus

Whitehead's Trogon Harpactes whiteheadi Bornean Stubtail Urosphena whiteheadi

Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios

MUSCICAPIDAE

BUCEROTIDAE Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra

Helmeted Hornbill Buceros vigil Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni

Grey-headed Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis

CAPITILIONIDAE White-throated Fantail Rhidipura albicollis

Gold-whiskered Barbet Megalaima chrysopogon Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi

Red-crowned Barbet Megalaima rafflesii

Mountain Barbet Megalaima monticola PACHYCEPHALIDAE

Golden-naped Barbet Megalaima pulcherrima Bornean Whistler Pachycephala hypoxantha

PICIDAE STURNIDAEChecker-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Orange-backed Woodpecker Reinwardtipicus validus Hill Myna Gracula religiosa

EURYLAIMIDAE NECTARINIIDAEWhitehead's Broadbill Calyptomena whiteheadi Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Anthreptes singalensis

Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja

HIRUNDINIDAE Temminck's Sunbird Aethopyga temminckii

Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica Whitehead's Spiderhunter Arachnothera juliae

CAMPEPHAGIDAE DICAEDAE

Sunda Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina larvata Black-sided Flowerpecker Dicaeum monticolum

Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris

Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus ZOSTEROPIDAE

Everett's White-eye Zosterops everetti

CHLOROPSEIDAE Mountain Blackeye Chlorocharis emiliae

Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis

PLOCEIDAE

PYCNONOTIDAE Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

Flavescent Bulbul Pycnonotus flavescens Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca



MammalsOver the nine days of the expedition 28 speciesof mammals were recorded (Table 3-9). Twelveof these are Bornean endemics and 11 speciesare montane specialists. Ten species areprotected under Sarawak law.

The results of the small mammal trappingsare presented in Table 3-7. Six species werecaught in seven captures, an indication of thehigh diversity of small mammals in theseforests. Only the first night’s trapping wasespecially successful and after the third nightno more captures were made, a possibleconsequence of bait and trap deterioration.Total trapping rate was relatively low (3.14 per100 trap nights). Of particular interest were thecaptures of Mountain Giant Rat (Sundamysinfraluteus), known from Gunung Mulu butnot previously recorded in the KelabitHighlands, and Summit Rat (Rattusbaluensis), in Borneo previously only recordedfrom Mt Kinabalu, hence a first recording forSarawak and the Kelabit highlands.

Table 3-8 presents, chronologically, themammal observations made whilst hiking eachday. Used in conjunction with Map III, theapproximate position of each observation alongthe route was established. Referring to thevegetation map (Map VI), the vegetation typein which observations were made can then alsobe identified. It should not, of course, beassumed that each of these species only occursat these points. Mammals are mobile and oftenelusive, hence the information on theobservations only provides confirmation ofwhere they were found.

Results of special interest include theobservation of possible Oriental Small-clawed

Otter (Aonyx cinerea) spraints near the camp atabout 2,500 m altitude on Gunung Murud. Itappears to be much higher than any otherrecord of the species and what it could befeeding on at that altitude is not at all obvious.The dropping was found on a prominentboulder by a stream 50 m from the camp andwas approximately the correct size and shapefor ‘otter’. However, the field guide (Payne etal. 1985) does not provide a description ofdroppings and the local guides were unable toidentify it, so it will have to remainunconfirmed. The second noteworthy sightingwas the track of a civet (based on size, eitherBinturong or Masked Palm Civet), at about2,400 m between the summit camp andChurch camp. The former species has beenrecorded at altitudes of up to 1,500 m whilstthe latter has been found at 2,100 m onGunung Kinabalu (Payne et al. 1985;MacKinnon et al. 1996). Unfortunately, thedetails of the tracks were insufficient to separatewhich of these two species left them.

Figure 3-3 is a species discovery curve forthe mammals based on the five-species listsconstructed during the expedition. The curve isstill climbing which suggests a significantproportion of the mammal fauna was notrecorded. Judging by the broad distributionpatterns described by Payne et al. (1985), weestimate the total mammal fauna of theproposed Pulong Tau National Park to includeas many as 82 species. Most of the speciesrecorded were montane species, for exampleMountain Ground Squirrel, Slender-tailedTreeshrew or Mountain Giant Rat. However, asignificant number appear to be morecharacteristic of lowland faunas (e.g. PlainPygmy Squirrel, Yellow-throated Martin andGreater Mouse-Deer)

Table 3-7 Results of mammal trapping. Sex: M=male, F=female; Condition: Non Rep.=Nonreproductive, Rep.=Reproductive; Measurements (all in mm): HB=Head & body; T=Tail; HF=HindFoot; EL=Ear Length; EW=Ear Width; Wgt.=Weight in grammes. No captures were made after30/8/98

Date Location Species Sex Condition HB T HF EL EW Wgt.

28/08/98 Forest camp Chestnut Bellied Spiny Rat Maxomys ochraceiventer M Non Rep. 155 165 32.5 14.0 10.0 95Long-tailed Giant Rat Leopoldamys sabanus F Non Rep. 193 300 40.0 22.0 18.0 200Long-tailed Mountain Rat Niviventer rapit M Rep. 230 22 45.0 25.0 16.0 220Mountain Treeshrew Tupaia montana M Rep. 170 157 37.0 15.5 16.0 140

29/08/98 Camp One Summit Rat Rattus baluensis 190 220 40? 15.0 11.0 140

30/08/98 Camp Two Chestnut Bellied Spiny Rat Maxomys ochraceiventer M Non Rep. 150 162 31.0 16.0 12.0 90Mountain Giant Rat Sundamys infraluteus M Rep. 290 300 55.0 23.0 15.0 485



0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Number of species list

Cum

ulat

ive

num

ber

of s

peci

es

Figure 3-3 Species discovery curve for mammals recorded between Bario and Ba’Kelalan

Table 3-8 Mammal observations along the expedition route

Morning Afternoon

Day 1 No observations no observations

Day 2 Bornean GibbonBornean Yellow MuntjacSun BearHose's LangurOriental Small-clawed OtterCommon PorcupineBornean Mountain GroundSquirrel

Day 3 Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel Whitehead's Pygmy SquirrelBornean Gibbon Giant SquirrelSmooth-tailed Treeshrew Red-bellied Sculptor Squirrel

Day 4 Bornean Gibbon Bearded PigWhitehead's Pygmy Squirrel

Day 5 Bornean Yellow Muntjac Bornean Yellow MuntjacBornean GibbonPangolinJentink's Squirrel

Day 6 Bornean Gibbon Hose's LangurMaroon Langur Bearded PigJentink's Squirrel Bornean Yellow Muntjac

Day 7 Bornean Gibbon Treeshrew (unidentified)PangolinPlain Pygmy SquirrelBearded PigBornean Yellow Muntjac

Day 8 Bornean Gibbon Lesser GymnureMountain TreeshrewOriental Small-clawed OtterCivet (unidentified sp.)Greater Mouse-DeerHorse-tailed Squirrel

Day 9 Bornean Gibbon Red-bellied Sculptor SquirrelYellow-throated Marten Red MuntjacSmooth-tailed TreeshrewSun Bear



Table 3-9 Mammals recorded between Bario and Ba’Kelalan. Nomenclature follows Payne et al.

(1985). Observations classed as visual (V), trapped (T), calls (C), dead (D), quills (Q), footprints (F) orother signs i.e. scratch marks, droppings (S)

Reptiles and AmphibiansOnly four snakes were sighted during theexpedition and, of these, only two remainedmotionless long enough for photographs to betaken. Both were Pit Vipers, an adult Wagler’sPit Viper (Trimeresurus wagleri), and ajuvenile which may be Trimeresuruspopeorum.

A total of ten frogs of six species wererecorded (3-10). A Golden-legged Bush Frog(Philautus aurantium) was captured callingfrom a one metre high perch adjacent to thecamp at the base of Batu Lawi (altitude

approximately 2000 m). Four frogs(Leptobrachella baluensis, Rana kuhlii (twice)and Rana picturata) were recorded in the spaceof one hour from within, or adjacent to, a small(two metre-wide), rocky stream at our firstforest camp. Another R. kuhlii and one R.palavanensis were recorded from the ChurchCamp. Finally, two specimens of Ranaerythraea were found on the final night of theexpedition, near to rice fields in the settlementof Ba’Kelalan (altitude 1000 m).

No lizards were observed during theexpedition.

Table 3-10 Frogs recorded from Pulong Tau

Capture No. Common name Scientific name Body length

1 Golden-legged Bush Frog Philautus aurantium 26 mm2 Kinabalu Dwarf Litter Frog Leptobrachella baluensis 20 mm3 Kuhl's Creek Frog Rana kuhli 80 mm4 Spotted Stream Frog Rana picturata 35 mm5 Kuhl's Creek Frog Rana kuhli 45 mm6 Smooth Guardian Frog Rana palavanensis 27 mm7 Kuhl's Creek Frog Rana kuhli 25 mm8 Smooth Guardian Frog Rana palavanensis 24 mm9 Green Paddy Frog Rana erythraea 62 mm10 Green Paddy Frog Rana erythraea 32 mm

Common name Scientific name Ende

mic

s

Mon

tane

Prot

ecte

d

Observation

Erinaceidae Lesser Gymnure Hylomys suillus * DTupaiidae Mountain Treeshrew Tupaia montana * * * V, T

Smooth-tailed Treeshrew Dendrogale melanura * * VCercopithecidae Hose's Langur Presbytis hosei * * V

Maroon Langur Presbytis rubicunda * * VHylobatidae Bornean Gibbon Hylobates muelleri * * V, CManidae Pangolin Manis javanica * SSciuridae Giant Squirrel Ratufa affinis * V

Horse-tailed Squirrel Sundasciurus hippurus VJentink's Squirrel Sundasciurus jentinki * * VRed-bellied Sculptor Squirrel Glyphotes simus * * VBornean Mountain Ground Squirrel Dremomys everetti * * VPlain Pygmy Squirrel Exilisciurus exilis * VWhitehead's Pygmy Squirrel Exilisciurus whiteheadi * * V

Muridae Summit Rat Rattus baluensis * TMountain Giant Rat Sundamys infraluteus * TLong-tailed Mountain Rat Niviventer rapit * TChestnut-bellied Spiny Rat Maxomys ochraceiventer * * TLong-tailed Giant Rat Leopoldamys sabanus T

Hystricidae Common Porcupine Hystrix brachyura QUrsidae Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus * SMustelidae Yellow-throated Martin Martes flavigula V

Oriental Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea * F, SViverridae Unidentified Civet unidentified * FSuidae Bearded Pig Sus barbatus F, STragulidae Greater Mouse-deer Tragulus napu VCervidae Red Muntjac Muntiacus muntjac V

Bornean Yellow Muntjac Muntiacus atherodes * C



DiscussionIn only nine days 106 vertebrate species wererecorded, an impressive tally considering thephysical challenge of hiking and camping inthe highland forests. Given that manyvertebrates exist at low densities, are elusive,nocturnal, or otherwise difficult to observe, thisis a very respectable list and clearly reflects thediversity and visibility of wildlife in theproposed Pulong Tau National Park. Ourcaptures of two species of small mammalpreviously unrecorded in the region and thepossible otter spraints and civet tracks at highaltitude on Gunung Murud demonstrate howlimited the knowledge of even the mammalfauna is from this area.

The species recruitment curves for birdsand mammals both show that the rate at whichnew species were recorded had yet to decline,indicating that many more species are likely toexist in the park. We estimate that PulongTau’s bird and mammal fauna combined willnumber well in excess of 200 species. This is aconservative estimate given that GunungKinabalu (albeit with a greater altitudinalrange) boasts over 100 mammal and over 300bird species (MacKinnon et al. 1996). Clearly,a full inventory of vertebrates by dedicatedfieldworkers is required. One reason for theobserved high diversity is that, in addition tothe typical montane element, the area supportsmany species more commonly associated withlowland forests.

Several of our records were of species, suchas Sun Bear, Bornean Gibbon and HelmetedHornbill, which are especially prone to huntingor other human disturbance. That they exist inPulong Tau, together with the fact thatmammals, in particular, were so visible isindicative of the quality of the habitat.However, one species of particular interest, theSumatran Rhinoceros was not recorded. Ourrelatively intensive hiking schedule may havecontributed to us missing evidence of this raremammal. Alternatively, the Rhinoceros mayalready be absent from the area, a possibleconsequence of illegal poaching. Access roadsfor the logging concessions have beenconstructed right up to the foot of Batu Lawiand, given the high value of rhino horn,poachers are likely to take advantage of thisroute into rhinoceros habitat. Clearly, if theSumatran Rhinoceros is going to besuccessfully preserved in Sarawak, qualityhabitat like this area urgently needs to beprotected.

In contrast, evidence (in the form of tracks,nests, wallows and rootings) of Bearded Pig(Sus barbatus) was abundant, particularly onthe ascent of Gunung Murud. It would appearthat these montane Oak-Laurel forests are

capable of sustaining large pig populationswith their abundance of acorns. In addition totheir amazing migrations mentioned earlier,Bearded Pigs are an important source ofprimary protein for local people. Conservationof undisturbed areas critical to the maintenanceof their populations is therefore important.

Similarly, montane forests may also be theexclusive breeding grounds of pigeons in thegenera Treron, Macropygia and Ducula (Wells1985). These species feed in both the lowlandand montane forests, where they may beimportant seed dispersers and, therefore, agentsof rain forest regeneration (Crome 1975,Lambert 1989).

Small mammal captures were relativelylow compared to those in other studies ofMalaysian forests (Medway 1972, Langham1983). The small mammal fauna of PulongTau remains enigmatic to the extent that wecannot make concrete statements aboutexpected diversity or densities at suchelevations. Other similar studies are equallyambiguous. In West Malaysia, Medway (1972)found a 3-fold increase in captures betweenaltitudes of 150 m and 1000 m, whilstLangham (1983) found the reverse pattern.

The problems associated with attemptingto study small vertebrates over a short time-scale were also evident with regard to theamphibians and reptiles. Because of the lowencounter rate with these groups, we cannotdraw any firms conclusion about their projecteddiversity in Pulong Tau. For example, noskink or lizard was recorded and only onePhilautus frog was observed, despite membersof this genus being specialist moss breederscommon in montane areas (Inger & Tan 1996).We can, however, expect the herpetofauna ofPulong Tau to be similar in diversity andcommunity composition to that of the well-studied Gunung Kinabalu in Sabah. There, 40species of amphibians, 27 species of lizards and36 species of snakes have been recorded (Smith1931). In all likelihood, there exist species offrogs in the mountains of Borneo which areunknown to science (Inger & Tan 1996) andthere is every reason to expect that discoveriesawait in the forests of Pulong Tau.

Many of the species of birds and mammalsobserved during the expedition are Borneanendemics, montane specialists, or both. Thesespecies in Pulong Tau are found nowhere elseon the planet save for the very highest land inBorneo. For example, 26 of the bird speciesrecorded (eight of which are Bornean endemics)are considered to be “dependent extensively orexclusively on montane forest” (Wells 1985).As this montane habitat becomes increasingdisturbed and fragmented the long-termsurvival prospects of these species will belikely to deteriorate rapidly.



Our results show that Pulong Tau is anarea in near-pristine condition, with a highvertebrate diversity and many unique species.The forest area is apparently extensive enoughto support breeding populations of a number oflarge-bodied animal species. The visibility ofmany species suggests that this is one of a few,dwindling areas in which hunting has yet totake its toll. We believe that the findings ofour brief observations will be borne out inmore stringent surveys. Furthermore, it ishighly likely that Pulong Tau is the last refugeof as yet undiscovered species. To conclude,Batu Lawi and the surrounding forests ofPulong Tau through which the expeditiontrekked supports a diverse and interestingvertebrate fauna - one that deserves immediateprotection.

3.4 Invertebrates

IntroductionThe great biodiversity of tropical forests ismost obviously reflected in that of theirinvertebrate inhabitants. However, any attemptto thoroughly sample the invertebrate fauna of agiven forest site requires considerable time,effort, variety of methods and expertise. Anadditional constraint is that most invertebratesencountered in the tropics have yet to bedescribed and therefore lack scientific names.The nature of the expedition reported here wassuch that only limited records of invertebratescould be made. This section of the reportbriefly concentrates on insects, and beetles inparticular, before making mention of otherinvertebrates observed.

InsectsWorldwide, insects comprise half of all knownanimal and plant species combined and nearlyhalf of all insect species belong to the orderColeoptera, the beetles (Wilson 1988). Littleresearch has been conducted on the insect faunaof the Kelabit highlands of Sarawak. Gunsalam(1998) recorded an impressive 71morphospecies of ants during eight days ofsurveying and Zaidi & Ruslan (1998) andFatimah & Hanapi (1998) have producedinformation on the region’s cicadas andcaddisflies, respectively. Whilst revealingsome of the area’s insect diversity, the limitedscope and time-scale of these studies emphasisehow limited our knowledge of the total insectfauna of the Kelabit highlands is.

Predictably, most invertebrates observedduring the expedition were insects, with themajority being beetles. Insect observationsoccurred either as random encounters duringeach day’s hike or as the result of light-trapping. For the latter, a white sheet of cloth,one metre square was suspended near a bright

kerosene pressure lamp most evenings between7 and 9 p.m. Insects attracted to the light wereidentified to order or family level and limitedcollections of particularly interesting specimenswere made. The collections have been lodgedwith the Forest Research Centre, Kuching.

The most commonly observed diurnalinsects were ants and termites. However, nospecial attention was paid to these groupsbecause of our lack of expertise in identifyingthem. Flies and mosquitoes were far lessconspicuous than in lowland dipterocarpforests. On and around fungi, small clouds oftiny drosophilid fruit-flies were observed and astalk-eyed fly was recorded in the camp on 2nd

September. One large (6 cm long), brown,spiny stick insect was observed at the firstcampsite. Holloway (1984) reported a distinctupper montane butterfly fauna in nearbyGunung Mulu National Park. We observed fewdiurnal lepidopterans, however, and cannotprovide supporting evidence from Pulong Tau.

During daylight hours, beetles were onlyencountered sporadically. The first and mostspectacular beetle found was a large weevil(Curculionidae), possibly Macrochirus praetor(Tung 1983). Near Camp One, one carabid andone tenebrionid were found. Two noteworthyspecies of beetle were encountered along thetrail in mossy forest (between Camp One andCamp Two, 30/8/98 and near Camp One,1/9/98). These were Trilobite beetles(Lycidae); species in which the females nevermetamorphose into the adult stage but remainlarval in appearance despite being sexuallymature. The plating on the backs of the larvaeis reminiscent of the Trilobites of theCambrian period (now extinct), hence thecommon name. The winged males are able tolocate the flightless females using olfactorycues. Both species observed were very large (5– 7 cm long). The first was dark brown withorange-rimmed armour, and the other was aplain dark brown all over. During the walkalong the first part of the logging road on thedescent from Gunung Murud (05/09/98) thefollowing beetles, found dead on the road, wereobserved or collected: one coccinellid, fourscarabaeid (of three species) and one bupresid.In addition, a cicindelid beetle was observedflying off. Finally, a few beetles were collectedin Ba’Kelalan (06/09/98); one platypodid,three scarabaeid (of two species) and threechrysomelids of a single species.

Table 3-11 summarises the results of lighttrapping. Despite five and a half hours ofoperation, this method met with surprisinglylittle success except on the night of 2nd

September. Prevailing weather conditions mayhave limited the success of this method ofinsect sampling as most nights were relativelydamp with clear skies and a large waxingmoon. The pressure lamp attracted numerous



moths, along with the occasional bug, waspand earwig. Most of the insects attracted,

however, were beetles.

Table 3-11 Results of light trapping for insects

Date Trap time Weather and trapconditions

Insects observed on the light trap Specimens collected

28/8/98 7 - 9.30 p.m. Dry, fair,20 o C at 8 p.m.

Moths abundant (at least 15 medium-sized species), 5 tiny chrysomelidbeetle species. 2 tiny weevil species.

NO COLLECTIONS MADE

29/8/98. 8 - 9.30 p.m. Small clearing nearriver, wet conditions

Low insect activity, 1 black carabid,3 wasps, few moths, few ants

Carabidae: 1

30/8/98 8 – 9 p.m. After rain, wetconditions.19.5oC at 9 p.m.

Low insect activity, few moths, 2wasps, 2 tiny chrysomelid species

NO COLLECTIONS MADE

31/8/98. None After heavy rain TRAP NOT SET NO COLLECTIONS MADE

1/9/98 8 - 9.30 p.m. Fair Low insect activity, 2 black carabids(same species as 29/8/98), 2 wasps,few moths, 1 earwig.

NO COLLECTIONS MADE

2/9/98 8 - 9.30 p.m. After rain. Chilly. Considerable activity. Mainly beetles(see next column). Moths also active- 5-10 different medium size species.

Elateridae: 1Erotylidae: 1Lampyridae: 1Passalidae: 5 (3 species)Scarabaeidae: 6 (4 species)Tenebrionidae: 1

3/9/98 None Windy and cool afterrain, 17oC at 9pm

TRAP NOT SET NO COLLECTIONS MADE

4/9/98 Cerambycidae: 1Chrysomelidae:3 (2 species)Staphylinidae: 3 (2 species)

Other invertebratesCrustaceansAn unidentified freshwater crab was found inthe small stream at the first forest camp onroute to Gunung Murud. This brown specimenwith a whitish underside measuredapproximately 6 cm in width and 4 cm inlength of the carapace. It was surprising to finda crab at approximately 1500 m above sealevel.

MyriapodsMillipedes (Class Diplopoda) were encounteredfrequently on the trails and forest floorthroughout the trip. At the divide and in theGunung Murud areas their remains wereoccasionally seen as the only prey insidepitcher plants. Centipedes (Class Chilopoda)were seen under logs at Camp Two (30/08/98),near Forest Camp and Church Camp. Thesewere brown coloured and of medium size,approximately 6 – 8 cm in length.

ArachnidsOne scorpion, coloured metallic dark green-black, was seen, sitting motionless on the trailwhen we hiked back from Camp Two to CampOne (31/08/98). It measured approximately 10cm in length. Spiders, mostly of the wolf, weband jumping varieties, were commonly seen.The largest and most striking specimen was abird-eating spider found on a night walk near1st Camp (28/8/98).

WormsPlatyhelminth worms were seen on severaloccasions. A particularly striking specimen ofthese primitive organisms was a terrestrialtriclad (Class Turbellaria), possibly Bipaliumkewense, with a broadened hammer-like head,found near the summit of Gunung Murud. Ofthe annelid worms, most abundant wereleeches (Hirudinea) of at least two species,found on low vegetation and on the forest floor.They were ubiquitous throughout our route,save for the highest ground near to the summitof Gunung Murud.

DiscussionWithout a sustained sampling period, utilisinga broad range of methodologies in order torecord invertebrates with disparate ecologies,little can ever be said about an area’sinvertebrate fauna. Our results serve only tohighlight the fact that the invertebrate fauna ofPulong Tau is interesting and diverse, and thatconsiderable additional fieldwork is required toelucidate its ecology in any detail. Systematicstudies by specialist entomologists, samplinga wide range of habitats are clearly required ifPulong Tau’s invertebrate fauna is to becompared with that of other Malaysian forests.



3.5. Concluding remarks onPulong Tau’s natural historyMost of the information reported above wasacquired in little over one week and, as such,serves to highlight a number of important factsconcerning the natural history of Pulong Tau.Firstly, Pulong Tau is not simply one largeforest, but a composite of a number of quitedistinct habitat types including UpperDipterocarp, oak & laurel, and Mossy ElfinForests, and Summit Heath. This combinationof discrete habitats results from the range ofaltitude and the underlying geology andtopography encompassed by the park.Secondly, there is a high level of endemismamong the plants, birds and mammals (andprobably all other groups) inhabiting PulongTau. Many species in the proposed park are tobe found only on Borneo. Others are yet morespecific, the montane forests of north Borneobeing the only parts of the planet on whichthey can be found. A third important feature ofthe wildlife of Pulong Tau revealed by theexpedition is that large, vulnerable vertebratespecies such as Sun Bear and Bornean Gibbonstill roam these forests. The presence of suchmammals indicates the general health ofPulong Tau’s forests, in terms of intact foodwebs, limited disturbance and hunting, andviable population sizes. All of these features ofPulong Tau suggest that it has the potential tobecome one of Malaysia’s flagship nationalparks.

Whilst highlighting some facets of thegreat natural wealth of Pulong Tau, the gapsleft in the findings of the expedition emphasisethe need for intensive inventories of all

components of the proposed park’sbiodiversity. The remoteness of the area andconsequent lack of rigorous study, togetherwith the fact that montane areas act as centresof speciation suggests that species new toscience exist within the confines of PulongTau. Whilst this is hardly surprising withregard to plants and insects, undescribedvertebrates, particularly frogs and snakes, canalso be expected to exist there.

With a sufficient area, similar to itsoriginally proposed size, and adequateprotection, Pulong Tau has the potential toconserve a considerable proportion ofSarawak’s biodiversity. Pulong Tau’s largesize is crucial in that it encompasses a widerange of distinct forest types and can supportthe population dynamics and movements oflarge animal species.

The control of hunting, which appears tohave had limited impact so far, is an importantcomponent of the future protection of PulongTau’s larger birds and mammals. Necessarily,the traditional use by the local people of forestplants and animals would need to be controlledor curtailed within the boundaries of PulongTau. However, the potential for tourism-relatedrevenue in the form of the need for guides,lodging and food, and local industriesproducing souvenirs is considerable. Thesealternatives suggest that the future of both thelocal communities and the wildlife of theKelabit highlands are inextricably linked Forall these reasons, the gazetting of the full sizeof the proposed national park should beurgently considered.

Chapter 4 Images of Pulong Tau


4. Images of Pulong TauThe economic and scientific justifications for gazetting the whole of Pulong Tau a national park areclearly those that hold sway with the local community and policy makers. However, Pulong Tau ismuch more than the simple sum of its components. Remoteness and unblemished nature create aflavour of ‘wildness’, of beauty of an uncompromising sort. This aesthetic quality, though difficult toconvey to those who have not been lucky enough to see it for themselves, is as much a part of theheritage of Pulong Tau as are the mountains and streams or plants and animals that constitute itsvarious parts. A national park that encompasses so much of beauty is a rare national asset.

Visiting Pulong Tau would definitely be the best idea but for those unable to drop everythingand go immediately, we present here just a taste of what you may see. In this section we show thereader some of the many photographs we took while on the expedition. It should be stressed that thesephotographs were all taken on the expedition, in just nine short days while we tramped our way toBatu Lawi and then on to Gunung Murud.

1. The twin peaks of Batu Lawi viewed from the summit of Gunung Murud. The view of thisextraordinary peak must be one of Malaysia’s finest.

2. Kuhl's Creek Frog Rana kuhlii, a relatively common species of the mountain streams3. A Trilobite beetle (Lycidae), this is the armour plated female larvae (roughly 7 cm long). The

female becomes sexually mature without metamorphosing into an adult form. This species isunusually large and may prove to be a species particular to Pulong Tau.

4. Cliffs of the Tamu Abu range looking south just before the final ascent to the notch. These cliffsmark the boundary of Pulong Tau; once inside you enter a different world.

5. Crossing over Batu Buli there are many small streams and pools like this filled with deeply tea-stained water. The colouration is from leached tannins in this nutrient-poor environment.

6. Cauliflorous Goniothalamus flowers are usually produced singly but this species had bunchesclustered at the base of the tree. The flowers are very fragrant.

7. A Lichen on the stem of a small tree. A common sight in the mossy elfin forests.8. A weevil found by Walter. It was a veritable monster in shiny red armour.9. Wagler's Pit Viper Trimesurus wagleri, as deadly as it is beautiful.10. An agitated Scorpion, disconcerted after sixteen people trooped past.11. A large bird-eating spider emerging from its hole.12. Ginger flower pokes up though the moss.13. Orchid Coelogyne radiofrens; this beautiful specimen was on a dead branch near Church Camp.14. Orchid, Coelogyne15. Orchid16. Rhododendron at the summit of Batu Lawi17. Profusion of growth on the forest floor18. Batu Lawi, the taller ‘male’ peak is glimpsed through the foliage during the ascent19. Batu Lawi’s male peak in close up20. The moss carpet21. Atop Batu Lawi's ‘female’ peak we take a group photo with the male peak in the background.22. The multicoloured and crenellated lip of a large pitcher plant Nepenthes veitchii23. Composition of a single pitcher of Nepenthes reinwardiata24. Nepenthes lowii , the Roman goblet shaped pitcher plant, amongst the undergrowth25. Pitcher plant in miniature, Nepenthes26. Two jugs of Nepenthes veitchii27. A small hairy pitcher, Nepenthes pillosa28. Gunung Murud’s endemic pitcher, Nepenthes murudensis, amongst the summit vegetation.29. A shady clear water stream in the Ulu Limbang.30. A logging road encroaching on nature31. Dawn over Mt. Temburong in Brunei viewed from near the summit of Gunung Murud32. Airport buildings, with the runway in the foreground, at Ba’Kelalan

Chapter 5 Recommendations


5. RecommendationsAs the reader should by now appreciate,Pulong Tau is an exceptionally valuable pieceof the natural heritage of Sarawak. It isessential that this heritage be adequatelyprotected. There is considerable urgency, giventhat the construction of logging access roadshas already begun. It is also of the utmostimportance that the park be sufficiently large toprotect the full diversity of habitat types,particularly the altitude range from the UpperDipterocarp Forests to the Summit Heaths, andthat large areas of undisturbed forest arepreserved to protect populations of rare species.If created without such design in mind the parkmight not be able to protect a significantproportion of the biodiversity of the area andhence would fail in its primary purpose.

The current proposal for 63,700 hawhile a considerable achievement does notincorporate sufficient lower altitude forest,which is generally the more diverse forest and,as even our limited observations show, is anintegral part of the higher altitude habitatsbecause of the number of species in common.Especially important is consideration ofecological functional groups, such as seeddispersers and top predators. These are anessential component of the ecology of thehigher altitude forests but cannot exist solelyin them because they require a greater area tosupport their populations. The stability andfuture of the high altitude forest is thus linkedto the protection of the lower altitude forests.

Our main recommendation is that thegazetted area of 63,700 ha should be increasedto include Batu Lawi and a significantly largerarea of lower altitude forest, more along thelines of the 1984 and 1987 proposals. Thiscould be achieved by proposing an extensionto the current protected area. In respect oflogging concessions that may have beenawarded within the area a compromise could beaccepted by drawing the boundary along theline to which the access trails now reach (MapII). This is approximately the upper boundaryof the Dipterocarp forest above which there arefew large trees.

The boundaries must be designatedbefore timber extraction commences andpreferably as urgently as possible given theincreased access that the trails have affordedpoachers. Permitting timber extraction abovethis boundary and then including it the parklater will not suffice. Firstly, forest at thisaltitude is slower growing and the environmentin general is more fragile to disturbance.Hence, ecology of the forest would be disturbedto such an extent that it would no longerfunction as a primary forest. Secondly, theshort-term disturbance and increased access, if

not controlled soon, will deplete the wildlifeespecially the rarer and more valuable speciesfor which Pulong Tau is still a haven.

Finally, looking further to the futureone of the principle revenues for Pulong Tauand the Bario vicinity will surely be that oftourism and Pulong Tau will make a valuableaddition to the other parks given its spectacularscenery and the opportunity to see wildlife.However, much of the tourism potential lies inthe attraction of Batu Lawi and the integrity ofthe surrounding forests, which support somuch wildlife.

If the forests around Batu Lawi, extending toGunung Murud, are logged rather thanincluded in the park, it is likely that futuretourism income from the national park will beseriously affected.

Suggestions for the developmentof Pulong Tau

The following suggestions are respectfullysubmitted respectfully to the relevantauthorities for their consideration :

1. Increased flights to Bario, Ba’Kelalan andLong Lellang.

Currently one of the major constraints on thedevelopment of the economy of Bario and thevicinity is the small number of flights. This isparticularly a problem for the tourism industrybecause obtaining tickets can be difficult andfor larger groups impossible. It also limits thedevelopment of facilities and opportunity forsmall-scale industries.

2. Establishment of a park office andinterpretation centre in Bario or Pa’Ukat.

A small office is required for the localadministration of the park, enforcement ofwildlife laws, education and to provide somelimited employment opportunities for locallabour. It is not recommended that a largefacility with chalets and so forth is constructedgiven the considerable building costs and thefact that private enterprise, in the form of smalllocal lodges and longhouse accommodationshould be encouraged. The office could bestaffed by local people and take advantage ofthe existing informal network of local guides.One of the functions of the park office should beto formally train and licence guides for thenational park trails, with an emphasis on safetyand preservation of the environment.

Chapter 5 Recommendations


3. Wildlife protection and hunting

Hunting is a popular and important activity forthe local population of the Kelabit Highlands.Hence, a restriction of traditional huntingrights might be met with some opposition.However, the strong support of the localKelabit people for the national park proposalindicates a deeper awareness of the ecologicalimportance of Pulong Tau and the potentialvalue of tourism. It is important that theWildlife Department makes it clear thatwildlife protection laws will be enforced, butalso that some provisions are made so thattraditional hunting, especially for Bearded Pig,could be allowed in certain areas.

• It must be made clear that all protectedspecies cannot be hunted and that peoplewill be prosecuted if caught.

• All regular tourist trails, especially toBatu Lawi and Gunung Murud and thesurrounding areas must be non-huntingareas. The carrying of a firearm in theseareas should be an offence.

• Hunting areas should be locatedconveniently in relation to the longhouses.If practical, a hunting quota system shouldbe instated.

• The tourism industry and localcommunity leaders should be educated inthe importance of wildlife conservation fortheir own livelihood and enrolled ascommunity wildlife officers. A particularemphasis should be placed on educatingthe children in the local schools.

4. Formation of a private TourismAssociation for Bario and neighbouringvillages.

This would provide a focus for development oftourism in Pulong Tau and the Bario vicinityin general. The association should be maderesponsible for registering accommodation andguides, standardising prices, producing smallguide books and information pamphlets,maintaining trails including litter collectionand the repair of camp huts and organisingcommunity participation. Most of the staffcould be recruited locally and some positionscould be held on a part-time basis while theindividuals continued with their traditionaloccupations.

Out of the association, a ‘Friends of PulongTau’ society could be administered. Visitorsto the park could be invited / required to joinand in return receive an informative newsletterfor one year. Funds raised in this way could bechannelled towards park development activitiessuch as trail or hut construction, andconservation efforts.

5. Field study centre

Pulong Tau is still largely unexploredscientifically and it also could offer a valuableopportunity for the education of school anduniversity groups if some limited facilitieswere provided. These should include a simplewooden laboratory building, a good quality,secure store for leaving equipment and samplesand possibly an accommodation hostel. Alimited amount of field equipment could beprovided for visiting groups to avoideverybody having to carry equipment on theplane. Needless to say, the facility wouldalways be small but it would be a valuableaddition to the functions of the park. Thecentre could be run by the National Park office,with the teaching and guide staff recruited fromthe local population, where possible. Theaccommodation hostel could be administeredby a local longhouse.

6. Small local Museum

Looking further ahead, a local museum for theKelabit Highlands could be constructed inBario or preferably one of the nearby villages.This could be funded in part by the localtourism association but would needgovernment support, and possible the supportof the many educated Kelabits now living inMiri and elsewhere. The small local museumwould be a valuable contribution to the localcommunity by preserving artefacts andphotographs, and allowing people to identifywith their origins and understand the rapidchanges their communities have undergone. Asmall facility administered locally wouldprobably best meet these needs.

Chapter 6 Essays


6. Essays

Scrambling up Gunung MurudClare Mandeville

Day 7. As soon as I woke up I felt a tension inthe air. This would be the most demandingday of the expedition; we would make ourascent of Gunung Murud. Not along the foresttrails used by others but from the south sidethrough undisturbed forest, cutting our ownpath as we had for the previous two days.We’d left Batu Lawi behind us and struck offfrom Camp One in a north-easterly directionroughly following the main river in the valleylying on the far side of the Tamu Abu ridge.Although we all held the awe-inspiring imageof Gunung Murud in our minds as we’d seen iton day four from the female peak of Batu Lawi,we hadn’t seen it again for the last two days.We’d been navigating by compass bearings asthe full canopy of mature trees above usisolated us from the mountains and ridgessurrounding us. I felt very focused and packedquickly and carefully, making sure none of myequipment hindered me in the scramble, climb,slip, slide, tumble and sprawl which I haddeveloped into my own personal style ofjungle trekking.

Soon we were walking through a densescrubby forest. Suddenly there was a shoutfrom the front of “Snake!”. I struggled to seeover the shoulders of those in front but evenwhen I looked in the direction of the wavingarms I could see nothing. I peered closer andwith a great deal of effort and repeateddescriptions of where to look I eventuallymanaged to distinguish a Wagler’s pit viperfrom its background of leaves. Our guide, PangAyu had seen this snake clearly from a distanceof about four metres. I couldn’t help butwonder if I’d been in the lead how close to itwould I have got before noticing it or would Ihave stumbled right into it?

All around us were superb examples ofpitcher plants of an unbelievable variety ofshapes, sizes and colours. When we foundsome examples of Veitch’s pitcher plantswhich could easily hold a litre of fluid each, ofcourse a photo was essential. I was brought inby Steve to act as scale with the resultingphotograph being recorded as ‘Clare with twobig jugs’! Much to my combined horror anddelight this photo made it into a local Chineselanguage paper.

At one point Pang Ayu, shinned over 10mup a tree to catch a glimpse of the elusiveGunung Murud, which he claimed was only 3-4 hours away. This was the first of his notedunderestimates of time. The forest floor openedup to yield ubiquitous evidence of beardedpigs. There were many tracks of both adults

and young; indeed we took advantage andfollowed these natural pig trails whenever wecould. There were frequent pig wallows, whichsucked us in when we went too close lookingfor evidence of rhino horn marks, and pig‘nests’, which unsurprising were not in treesbut on the forest floor. I was sorely tempted totest the comfort of these nests of branches andleaves, which did look inviting, until someonementioned ticks and fleas and I rapidly changedmy mind.

Twelve o’clock and lunch was consumedquickly, as we were all keen to push on andmeet the challenge ahead. This was when PangAyu made his much-remembered prediction,“Only one and a half more hours to the top”.Little did we know then that we should havemultiplied this estimate by a factor of four!Subsequently we’ve discussed whether thiswas a psychological ploy to keep up ourmorale but for me it became reversepsychology as I never believed any of histimings again and gloomily doubled, tripled orquadrupled his further estimates.

Accompanied by the cry of, “Engage lowgear!”, we began a gradual climb. The finalpart of our ascent is truly one of my mostlasting memories of the expedition. Althoughit was physically long and arduous, there wasnever a moment when I felt I wouldn’t be ableto succeed. Whether this was due to the moralsupport of the other expedition members, mygritty determination not to fail myself in anyway or a complete lack of imagination I’m notsure, but I suspect it was a varying mix of allthree. We hauled ourselves through the almostvertical montane rhododendron forest for fourhours. Our feet rarely touched solid ground aswe scrambled over matted branches and roots,covered in moss. I was walking near the backwith Walter and the porters and by the time Icame to some of the trickiest sections, the besthand and footholds had been torn away and weproceeded with much pulling up with the armsand pushing of the person in front.

No time to be coy, just shove! Every sooften a section would seem too difficult for meand one of the porters with a rueful smilewould step forward and cut another hold orhaul me up, backpack and all. Those at thefront, however, had a different problem. Themoss, which was growing prolifically overeverything gave a false impression of the size ofthe branches and roots and caused them tocrash through it unexpectedly, although thecushioning effect of the moss prevented injuriesto anything other than pride. Gradually itbecame darker and we were confronted withseveral sections of vertical rock, which we hadto climb around. We all started to feel anxiousand kept glancing at our watches and lookingup trying to work out if we were nearing thetop but the angle of the face and the cover of

Chapter 6 Essays


the trees kept making us see ‘false summits’which dashed our hopes. We were all clear onone thing; this was not the best place to stopand make camp for the night! In fact it wasimperative for our safety that we reached thesummit before nightfall.

Slogging onwards, with hopes swingingwildly up and down, I strained to hear thejoyous whoop I knew would come from thoseat the front when they made it onto thesummit. Finally at just after six-thirty, when Iwas debating whether to get my torch out, Iheard an excited buzz of voices from above andbefore I knew it, I burst out of a clump ofbushes onto the welcome flat ground of thesummit. All around me in the dark weresmiles and laughter. An incredible feeling ofaccomplishment and comradeship welled up inme and made me feel an exhilaration that Ihave rarely experienced in my life. We all linedup for a team photo, the expedition members,guides and porters and the resulting printshows us peering out of the dark, exhausted,filthy up to our thighs and elbows with soiland moss, but obviously jubilant. We hadsucceeded in one of the physical objectives ofthe expedition, to be the first group to climbGunung Murud from the south.

Two Gibbons in a CagePatrick Allman-Ward

Whilst climbing the female peak of Batu Lawiearly on the last day of August we had beenenchanted by the rare sight of a troupe ofBornean gibbons, apparently flying through thetree tops with the greatest of ease. Their callspulsated in the clear morning air andaccompanied us on our journey for a good houror so. We were very fortunate, for sightings ofthe Bornean gibbon in its natural habitat areinfrequent, and when made do not last long asthey quickly make their elegant escape. It wasone of the enchantments of our trip that weheard their swooping calls on most days, andindeed they made a relatively reliable alarmclock as they were most active at first light.

These beautiful primates are totally arborealand travel rapidly in the rainforest canopy,swinging (or "brachiating") by their long arms.Their movement is fast and fluid, poetry inmotion indeed. They have been declared aTotally Protected species in Sarawak, meaningthat they cannot be hunted or kept inconfinement without a special licence. It wasall the more shocking therefore to encountertwo young gibbons held in relatively smallcages at the end of our walking trip. The firstwas in a kampung in Ba’Kelalan, and thesecond was in the canteen of the loggingcompany's main camp, three hours drivenorthwards on the way down to Lawas.

Whilst on a previous jungle trip my guideshad shot and eaten a green leaf monkey (Hose'sLangur). They had invited me to join themand I had done so out of a sense of camaraderie.But as I ate what I remember to be tasty (ifchewy) meat, I saw, out of the corner of myeye, the lopped hands of the poor animal lyingupon the ground. Its tiny fingernails and padswere intact and resembled for all the worldthose of a young child. The mouthful of stewturned to sawdust in my mouth, for there issomething too recognisable, too resonatinglyhuman about these creatures to make feedingupon them a comfortable experience.

A similar feeling enveloped me as Iregarded the two young gibbons in their cages.Their melting dark eyes fixed upon mine witha clear sense of recognition andcommunication. A shoulder was turned againstthe wire netting, partly as a gesture ofsubmission but mostly for the gratification ofphysical contact. As I tickled the fur throughthe wire a head would turn every now andagain and would gaze at me quizzically andlongingly, seemingly aching for the comfort ofconstant contact that would normally be theirsin their natural environment. These younganimals have a bleak future. They were almostcertainly taken at a young age from theirmothers, who had been shot illegally by thoseworking in the logging camps. These orphanswould have no chance of survival if they werereleased back into the wild for it would beunlikely that any troop would accept them andthey would quickly die, as social outcasts.

Humankind has created an unenviableparadox for these gentle creatures. To survivein captivity deprived of sibling affection anddoomed to early death through inappropriatenutrition and disease, or to be released intoalmost precipitous death through starvation intheir own natural habitat. The best that couldbe hoped for, is that the Sarawak Forest andWildlife Department will collect them andsend them to a rehabilitation centre where theycan at least receive the necessary experttreatment and handling that they will need ifthey are ever to regain the freedom of thecanopy.

These two tragic cases are but the visibletip of the iceberg of depredation that followshard upon the heels of logging. For once accessroads have been opened up into the forest withany degree of density all those who hunt, bethey loggers, natives or "sportsmen" will takefull advantage of them. There will no longer bea hardcore of undisturbed, inaccessible forestinto which the animals can retreat and whichcan form a springboard for their resurgence.Other areas have been quite literally decimatedand indiscriminately culled of anything thathas culinary or monetary value, irrespective ofstatute or regulation. It is therefore all the more

Chapter 6 Essays


important that substantial areas, such as theproposed Pulong Tau National Park arepreserved to allow the conservation andregeneration of all tropical rainforest species,including those like the Borneo gibbon whichprovide us with such unfailing pleasure.

Noises of the Forest NightMichiko Nakagawa

At night in the forest, it was basically quiet.But when we meant to listen to something, itwas filled with many kinds of noises. Thenoise of fire told us that it was getting dark andthat we could drink something hot and havedinner about one hour later or so. During thisexpedition I fully realised that fire is reallygreat. It plays many roles, lighting the campsite, cooking dinner, literally warming us andour heart, preventing leeches from getting tous, drying our wet socks, clothes and swollenfeet and providing us with place for our chatter.We talked about interesting episodes whichtook place that day, experiences during otherexpeditions and the future of the forest everynight, sitting down around the fire. Sometimeshearty laughter; sometimes serious discussion.Various kinds of our voice echoed through theforest.

There was surely a river by each camp-sitebecause we need some water for cooking,drinking and washing our hands and faces. Sowhen there was a momentary pause in our chat,we could hear a feeble sound of stream of water.Moreover a frog sometimes croaked, but to ourregret as it is difficult for us (except for ourfrog-catcher, Johnson) to find frogs, we cannottell what kind of frog that wa,s nor how manyspecies croaked. Though in the old days therehad been much more frogs, one guide said.After logging in many places, rivers becamedirty and turbid, the habitat of frogs waschanged. Some frogs would be too sensitive toadapt themselves to new habitat.

In addition to frogs, chirps of insects(maybe cricket, grasshopper or something)were awfully wonderful. Their chorus soakedinto us and was best music for listening atnight in the forest. Sometimes we could hear abuzzing sound that was the noise of beetlewings. It was louder noise than I expected, sowhen a beetle suddenly flew by my ear, I wasreally surprised at it.

Every night we went to bed around 9o'clock. Now the noise of fire and our talkfaded out, but it was about to become quiet,when someone snored loudly. The more tiredwe were, the more terrible snoring and themore people snored. However, we were soexhausted that we fell into a deep sleep withlullaby of chirping sound of insects and evensnores.

In the ForestRhett Harrison

Mist rose off the river, swollen with overnightrain, and wafted through the trees. Dew drippedheavily. The ground was sodden. It was chilly.The wet and cold fed our apprehensions.

But calling gibbons beckoned, their hootsinviting us to cross the river, to explore theirforest.

The slight tension in the air, as we crawledreluctantly out of warm sleeping bags, splashedicy water over our faces in pretence of washingand organised our rucksacks, was becausetoday we would leave the regular trail, thecomfort of the huts and set off across theuncharted forest. Would it take us three days orfive to reach Gunung Murud? Would we beswallowed by a swamp or reach all the way tothe mountain only to be forced back byinaccessible crags? But this is what we hadreally come to do. What views would weencounter – which of the many denizens of thisremote forest would show themselves? Theprevious evening we had held a meeting as tohow we should proceed and overwhelmingly,in fact unanimously, it had been decided wewould try to make our way through the forest.Even the guides, and they would be carryingmost of the load, seemed eager. Yet only PangAyu knew anything of the forest. Ten yearspreviously he had walked in roughly theopposite direction when assisting NationalParks staff on a wildlife survey. Otherwise, itwas new to all.

Sixteen packs on legs crossed the slipperylogs that constituted the bridge and in Indianfile headed up river. The first three hours wereslow and wearisome. The Limbang meanderedaround and our path, between avoiding theloops and trying to head in roughly the correctdirection, meandered even more than the river.We hadn’t gone far though when we had ourfirst interesting observation of the day. Abeautiful Trilobite beetle in dark brown armourwith bright orange horns protruding from thecorners of each segment. Soon after, the sweetfragrance of flowers, a cauliflorous tree(Goniothalamus). Simple flowers, hanging likebells but with thickened, triangle shapedpetals, clustering around the base of the trunk.Iban ladies use the richly scented oil from theseflowers as perfume in their hair, but here therewere only the beetles and ourselves toappreciate their sweet aroma. We started toascend a steep ridge. It was hot now. It becamesteeper. We hauled on trunks and roots, andsweated. A narrow crest crammed with thornyPandans and ferns but the stunted trees allowedus a glimpse of Gunung Murud. It was a long,long way off.

Chapter 6 Essays


“Just two days, maybe three,” calls PangAyu cheerfully and then moves us on before wehave time to object. It was the last time wewould see Gunung Murud until we climbed itthree days later.

We slide ungainly down from the ridgecursing and questioning why we had ever hadto climb it in the first place. Then suddenly, infront of us, a red paint mark - the sign of anintruder, a statement of ownership trespassingin the common forest. It didn’t take us long towork out that we’d stumbled on the markingsof a concession boundary, right in the middleof a proposed national park. That put a ‘rightdowner’ on the proceedings. Was it reallypossible that all this beautiful forest was goingto be ploughed up with bulldozer trails? It’snot even as if there were any big trees. Thatsomeone could even consider marking aconcession boundary through a forest like thisspelt out a futility in our endeavour. Was itbetter to bear witness to this desecration ofnature than to have never enjoyed it at all?

Pang Ayu opted to follow the boundary asit saved valuable time and effort from nothaving to cut our own trail and from here onwe proceeded much more efficiently despite theslippery ground. Actually, it was a miracle thatsomeone didn’t impale themselves on one ofthe cut stems that mined the trail. These wereabout knee height and finished in a sharpenedtip where the parang had sliced through. Perfectfor transfixing the abdomen, especially withsome help from a heavy rucksack pushingdown from above. That afternoon we walkedfor several hours through the mossy forest;being a little flatter the going was easier and,though tired, once or twice we managedenough enthusiasm to appreciate some orchids.Then for a while it drizzled and everybody wasirritated from the continual slipping. It wastime to camp – but Pang Ayu was out in front.We stumbled on. Not much longer? Wepitched down a bank and suddenly there itwas, El Dorado, a camp with a real woodenframe! A beautiful spot with a small stream andsome lovely trees and with a ready-made frameleft by boundary markers. With just a touch ofirony, it dispelled the bad moods andtiredness, and we settled down to a greatevening of fishing, one minnow sized specimenthat was roasted and eaten before it wasidentified, frogging, wood-smoked socks andstory telling.

Dawn pierced the canopy with a scatteringof rays which danced with the leaves. A Blue-breasted quail called from just upstream. Thegibbons were all the more eloquent for theeffort we’d made in coming to visit them. Webroke camp quickly and made our way alongtrail. It was in many ways similar to theprevious day. Stumbling and slipping alongbetween the stakes. The forest can be quite

claustrophobic. Trunks reach up to the canopy,out of reach but closing out the sun, and on theground both sound and sight penetrate only ashort distance. Signs of progress are rare. Oneis lost is the scale of the forest. The interest isin the detail. Every bank and hollow, everytree and fern provide a different view. Thesmall flowers, spiders, insects, the birdsflitting across the path and the occasional signsor calls of more elusive residents, livening upthe experience. Appreciating the forest requiresmore effort - not so much the physical exertionof having to hike through it but taking in thesurroundings, observing the minute along thetrail.

Nevertheless, we had lunch at a place eventhe most unimaginative could not have failedto enjoy. A tributary of the Ulu Limbang, itwas a steep mountain stream with watercascading between giant, moss shroudedboulders. Cool refreshing water and a littlebreak in the canopy which allowed us to baskin the sun while we rested tired limbs. Therewas also the magic of knowing that we werealone in this expanse of forest, further now fromcivilisation than we would be at any othertime.

The afternoon’s hike was brief. We passedthrough the mossy forest for about a furtherhour, bumping into a couple more orchids.Then emerged into a large gap created by a treefall. We stayed to do some birdwatching for abit, making use of the higher light levelsaround the gap while the guides started tocamp just over the river, actually a generousname for a sluggish peat brown stream. Thetent was just a simple job with the canvasspread between two trees and everybodysleeping on the floor but we had a camp fireand that evening we settled down, after settingour traps and completing the other surveys, toa heartier meal than usual. There was a sense ofanticipation floating round the camp. Wehadn’t know whether we’d make it this farwhen we set out two days ago, though in factit hadn’t proved so tough, and tomorrow wewould climb Gunung Murud. It didn’t seemdaunting any more, at least not much. Wewere enjoying things too much.

That night a Yellow Muntjac wasparticularly noisy.

Toasted Socks and PorridgeOats: Camping in the ForestMariafe Nunez

During our nine days jungle trekking fromBario to Batu Lawi, Gunung Murud andBa’Kelalan we had eight overnights. While thelast night was spent in an open, newlyconstructed wooden house in the Church Campon Gunung Murud, the other sites were in the

Chapter 6 Essays


real virgin forest. Three times we used woodenhuts, constructed by Kelabit guides and peoplewho regularly use the remote trails of the area.The little houses, for us four-stars of the forest,provided a perfect hideout on rainy nights.Besides a quite spacious area they even boasteda few kitchen utensils. But best of all, thesehuts had a central fireplace and a stock of drywood - very valuable, given the fact that wearrived in these places totally wet and hungry.

Everybody found enough space forattempting to dry their dripping clothes andsoaked shoes. These circumstances contributedto comfortable nights and rather good sleep andin addition we felt out of reach of the armies ofleeches crawling around outside. These simplehuts were at Camp One near the Limbang riverand Camp Two near the foot of the Batu Lawimountain, and both located along the trail fromBario to Batu Lawi. In the following, however,I will refer to the forest campsites, where nightswere spent more or less in the open. Wouldthis be comfortable at all?

When we arrived in our first camp site wefelt very tired from a day’s trek and wet fromthe rain. Our six Kelabit guides swiftly cleanedup the site by cutting grasses and removing thefallen and rotten trees around. Then theystarted building a simple shelter. The roof ofthe shelter was a tarpaulin hung over a sturdyrope strung between two trees. The edges weretied near the ground with ten-foot guy ropes.The floor under this roof was furnished withsoft, green twigs and leaves. The guidesperfectly and smoothly shared the work. So, atthe same time an open fire was made just nextto the place where we were going to sleep.This routine was repeated from site to site. Inthe ‘frog camp’ we found an abandoned,wooden camp skeleton. The guides just neededto repair it and swiftly engineered an elevatedwooden floor. One morning when we wereready to leave from the frog camp there wasstill a pair of lady's stockings hanging near thefireplace and nobody claimed them. Mycompanions suggested that they were mine -but I denied – and the guides started gigglingsuspiciously. Apparently it belonged to one ofthem and was used as an anti leech device.

The daily routine developed such thatwhile the guides were constructing our shelterwe repaired and set the mammal traps. Webaited the traps with banana and sweet potatoand subsequently some of us placed the trapsaround the campsite in the forest. Others werebusy with their respective surveys. After themain chores were completed we rid our bloodylegs from leeches, cleaned ourselves in theriver, and cured our bruises by applyingointments and plasters. Martin, our pseudomedic, was always at hand with medical gearand his advice. Our filthy, soaked clothes,socks and shoes were hung above and near the

fireplace. As this procedure developed intoquite a daily ritual, competition for the best‘toasting spots’ got more and more intense.For some of us it became as important asgetting the food in time. A futile struggle, asthe next morning usually started with slippinginto the cold, damp gear again!

After refreshing we rested and sat aroundthe fire. The healing warmth felt too good,while we consumed coffee or tea. Somemembers of the group were writing their diaryor looked into the mammal book identifyingthe animals we saw during the walk. Ourporters were busy unpacking their heavyrucksacks, which contained our food. Thenthey selected – not such a hard choice at all -and prepared dinner. Sometimes we listened toeach other’s jokes like the funny stories ofMartin and Rhett, which made us happy andhelped to forget our tiredness.

Our food for nine days trekking was justcanned foods which was sardines, biscuits,packs of instant Maggi mee, oatmeal which wecooked like a porridge with tom yam orchicken cubes, cabbage as our vegetable, beans,bread, rice, basic spices and a can of custardpowder. All of that was carried by our sixporters together with the traps for mammals,the big and wide plastic roof we used forcamping, utensils for cooking, kerosene, ropeand Michiko’s old newspapers. These werekept for storing samples of leaves of differenttrees species and they were getting heavierevery day. They had to carry quite a bit,including their personal items.

After two days we ran out of bread, thethird day we ran out of sugar and Milo. Thiswas quite a blow since our energy had to comefrom somewhere. On the seventh day thecabbage, beans, canned biscuits and sardineswere finished. Therefore the last 3 days wewere left with nothing but oat porridge withtom yam and chicken cubes. Even the staplesof rice and Maggi mee were rationed!Everybody dreamed of nice food but we had nochoice because we had to eat what we had. Atthe end the oat porridge and Maggi meebecame our favourites.

Our master cook was Johnson, the personwith a remarkable humour. He proved to be agood frog catcher as well. One night, duringour Johnson-style porridge dinner, Mike triedto serve from the hot pot, which suddenlyslipped and got poured onto his foot. Hescreamed in horrible pain and Rhett rushed toremedy with cold water. Mike found sometemporary relief in the nearby cold Limbangriver, but faced the prospect of a walk with aswollen, blistering foot.

Late evening activities were the search forfrogs or other interesting nocturnal animals orinsects to study and identify. Walter wentoutside the shelter with our bright kerosene

Chapter 6 Essays


lamp to attract insects. The ladies were in theshelter writing notes or looking through bookabout wildlife. Our guides were usually stillchatting but we did not know what they weretalking about, as they spoke in their ownlanguage. They constructed their own basicshelter. We usually crawled into our bags nottoo late, feeling exhausted.

In the morning we got up around sixO'clock either from the noise of our guidescooking our early breakfast and the calls of thebirds and animals or sometimes Mike's alarmclock. After collecting the traps we set theprevious evening, we studied the animalswhich were caught, removed the baits andcollapsed the traps to make them portableagain for the next journey. We were busy everymorning after breakfast, packing again ourluggage, got into our dirty and smokedclothes, toasted socks and shoes from thefireplace and filled up water supplies for thenext long walk. The porters were also busypacking our food and the other items. Beforewe left the place we made sure that we did notleave any rubbish to keep the area clean.

For me both the demanding trip and theforest camping were most challenging andrewarding. Upon our return home to Miri I felthappy and a little proud of having experiencedthe virgin forests of Pulong Tau.

My Pet WeevilWalter Wuertz

It happened in the first forest camp where wegot up in the morning on August 30th, after agood night’s sleep. As we scuttled around thesite in preparation for the day and everybodyfollowed their routine to get going, my wife,Mariafe, shouted, “BEETLE! BEETLE!”

She stood just a few steps away from ourcampsite. I rushed there and realised that thiswas no false alarm, no, she really haddiscovered something! There was a large beetleon the low vegetation, about a foot aboveground. With its long snout and typicallyshaped body I immediately recognised it as aweevil. It had brilliantly dark red colouredwing cases and black markings on thepronotum behind the snouted head. The firstreaction was to call our other colleagues.Surely, this beetle would be one of the insecthighlights of the trip and everybody would bekeen to document it with their camera. For thisphoto session, certainly the first in the beetle’slife, I relocated it onto a nearby log where theview was unobstructed by leaves. The beetlestayed put, as if it expected somethingpleasant, hardly irritated by this bunch ofcamera-flashing intruders. Although notequipped with the best apparatus for close-ups,

I nevertheless gave it a try as well. Onceeverybody returned to their interruptedactivities I had a closer look: a strikinglybrilliant darkish red, spots on the neck, a longsnout and relatively long legs. Duringhandling its needle-sharp claws penetrated intomy skin and it was almost impossible to shakeor take it off. So I had to push it onto a leaf,just like you would push a stubborn mule.Even this was not entirely successful and,using a bit of force, one of its claws broke off. Ihad never seen this species before, although ourlocal guides claimed that it was a notuncommon insect in the Kelabit Highlands.

After the photo session the beetle reallydidn’t have a choice: it had to travel with us.We were not well equipped to carry specimensas large as this, in fact we had not evenintended to carry any kind of live animals. Aswe had no special container for large liveinsects, it had to go into the wooden boxmeant for dead specimens and containingnaphthalene cubes. This must have felt mostunpleasant for our new pet, but certainly wouldkeep flies and other potential visitors at bay.So we started walking, with the weevil-boxattached to one of the guide’s back-packs. Oncewe arrived at the rest place the next evening, Ichecked the beetle. It was in good condition,although somewhat dizzy from the naphthalenevapour. It must have felt good when exposedto a breeze of fresh air.

The chief guide, Pang Ayu, remarked that,in the Kelabit highlands, this beetle iscommonly known as buang kenangan. Herecalled that people occasionally used andcontinue to use both larvae and adults asdelicacies, although he did not expand on therecipes. Another guide told me the adults arebest eaten fried. And interestingly, live beetlesare used by the Kelabit people in a number ofother funny ways. Children play with them bytying a string to one of the legs, then swingthe bulky insect, which then instinctivelyunfolds its two wing pairs with a loud, deepbuzz. A second, more bizarre application of theliving beetles is to tie them with their elytra tothe wooden pillars in rural houses. In thisposition they would forcefully cling on toanything coming in touch with their strugglinglegs, thereby effectively becoming a mousetrap. The weevil’s ‘grip’ is incredibly strongfor an insect weighing only a few grammes.Aided by its sharp, anchor-like claws, it willrender an unsuspecting small rodent trappedand unable to escape.

Having arrived at home, the beetle musthave felt relief as well, since it was allowed toescape its wooden box. Fruit and water wereoffered. Adult weevils don’t eat too much,however, fruit and water will keep them happyand will prevent desiccation. While the larvalstage feeds and grows for a few years, weevils

Chapter 6 Essays


have a relatively short life expectancy as adults.I was not surprised when it finally died oneweek after returning from the expedition. Thecolouration, however, is expected tosignificantly fade after death. This is just onereason why living beetles are so much moreawesome and enjoyable than dead collectionspecimens. Luckily, the photo taken in thewild proved to be of respectable quality, evenwith my camera.

Since the journey I searched for the speciesin several beetle books. However,documentation on beetles of the tropics and inparticular this part of the world is scarce. Ifound a candidate in the book 'CommonMalaysian Beetles'. It could well beMacrochirus praetor, a species thatsuperficially matches the observed individual.However, a more scientific approach usingidentification keys for tropical weevils andpossibly comparative work in a museumcollection would be needed. Incidentally, of theapproximately 150 families that make up theorder of beetles (Coleoptera), the weevils’family is presently thought to be the mostspecies rich with 60,000, or one in five of allbeetles. However, the majority are tiny in sizecompared to this real giant of a beetle.

A Pilgrimage to Batu LawiMartin Storey

North of the green Kelabit valleys of Bario,beyond the Tamu Abu range, is a mysteriousmountain called Batu Lawi. Its two whitesandstone peaks emerge from the seeminglycontinuous canopy of primary rainforest likeancient raised stones or the two humps of apetrified monster. The sharpest sandstone peak,known as the male peak, rises vertically tosome 300 metres above the surrounding forest,culminating at an altitude of about 2040metres. Its partner, the female peak, standsclose by along the same ridge, to the south. Itis just a little rounder, almost as in deferenceto the main pinnacle. People have been awedand intimidated by Batu Lawi for timeimmemorial. In the Kelabit cosmology, themountain of fire, Batu Apoi, once came to burnall living things, but the husband-and-wifepeaks fought back and defeated Batu Apoi,which went extinct out of spite.

Thus the Batu Lawi peaks are revered asthe original parents of all highland people, andto this day, as their protectors. A strange andepisodic phenomenon adds to the mountain’shaunting legend: although all but inaccessible,the top of the male peak is covered withshrubby vegetation, which sometimesspontaneously bursts into flame. The naturalistCharles Hose, who witnessed this himself,speculated that the bleached surface of the rock

can reflect and focus the sun rays like amagnifying glass, causing dry grass to catchfire. In any case, the Kelabits still revere andfear the sacred mountain. In its neighbourhood,they refrain from speaking its name, so as notto awaken its spirits. Until a couple ofcenturies ago, the Tabun, a branch of theKelabit people, were living at the base of BatuLawi; they have since migrated down river tothe Limbang valley. Around Batu Lawi, theforests are traditional hunting grounds, and theKelabits know them well. Yet in spite of allthis human activity, there is no record ofanyone climbing either peak before 1946, whenBritish biologist and former soldier TomHarrison reached the top of the female peak.

The late Tom Harrison first came to NorthBorneo in the early nineteen thirties, to studythe avifauna of the Tinjar valley. The Tinjarriver, a tributary of the Baram, is relativelynear the Kelabit Highlands, to the west. Inthose days, the people of the Tinjar did notknow anyone who had visited the Kelabits,whom they could describe nonetheless as a"lost tribe" living in a place of abundance andwealth. The Kelabits were living then as theyhad for centuries, a relatively peaceful life innear-total isolation from the rest of the world.They had developed advanced techniques ofirrigation and wet rice cultivation, and thecycle of their life was driven by the cycle ofrice. Both men and women wore sophisticatedear ornaments which elongated their ear lobes –a practice fast disappearing today. Severalnatural mineral seeps provided salt, which wasthe only currency they used. They lived inopen, semi-communal longhouses, and theirmost cherished possessions were old jars,beads, and buffaloes.

Tom Harrison and his peers parachuted inthis isolated area during the Second WorldWar to organise a resistance hotbed against theJapanese occupants, a story he narrated indetail in his book "World Within". From theair, the white peaks of Batu Lawi had been theonly reliable landmark for the dropping planeslooking for the Bario valleys. When he laterlearned of the loss of one of the two aircraftwhich had dropped his men over Bario,Harrison pledged to climb the female peak ofBatu Lawi. Thus, he achieved, in 1946, thefirst recorded ascent of Batu Lawi. Below thesummit, he placed a Kelabit carved plaque inmemory of the lost crew. It was another fortyyears, 1986, before anyone else climbed theKelabits’ sacred mountain. A few months afterthat, for the first time ever, the male peak wasconquered by a group of British armymountaineers. Since then, in the past decade orso, it has become a favourite destination foradventurous hikers fascinated by the twin whitepeaks. In spite of having been climbed

Chapter 6 Essays


regularly, Batu Lawi remains a physical andspiritual challenge.

Walking on a mountain trail is normallylike stepping into a different world, a sort ofsecret society. Just being there makes you aninitiate. In the mountains, people are courteousto each other, and perfect strangers will havelong conversations around a campfire, usuallyabout food, the comparative anatomy ofblistered feet, and the weather. The walk fromBario to Batu Lawi is a different experience,however, since one is unlikely to meetanybody along the trail. That is, until reachingthe base of the mountain and "Camp Two", thesecond refuge built by the Kelabit people inmemory of the victims of a 1992 aeroplanecrash. On a makeshift shelf, in a rusty metalbox to keep rodents at bay, is a visitors’ book.Browsing through it, like previous visitors didin their time, one can get briefly acquaintedwith the other hikers, many locals and manyforeigners, who braved leech bites and wait-a-while rattan stings to conquer Batu Lawi.Some of the entries are humorous, some areelaborate, with illustrative art, some are even alittle bitter – like my own entry of two yearsago, when the weather forced us to turn back atthis point. Yet most contributors try toconvey, in their own words and language, theprivilege and joy they feel at being in a pristinerainforest, and let go a moving cry-from-the-heart to preserve it for the future.

The Camp Two wooden hut is wedged ina clearing between two little creeks, whichkeep the area humid and the grass lush. It takesabout two days to reach it from Bario. Afterleaving the sheltered rice padi valleys of Bario,the path goes through tall dipterocarp forestinto the Tamu Abu range, up and down asuccession of steep ridges, sometimes alongthem. At the top of one, we came across abunch of ruffled bamboo rods planted in theground; our guides told us that they wereprayer sticks, placed there by Kelabit people.Before reaching Camp One, the first chaletbuilt by the Kelabit at the intersection of tworivers, one walks through a stretch ofappropriately named elfin forest, at altitudeshovering around the 1500 metre mark. Thetrail is strewn with sandstone boulders coveredby waterlogged moss, and it often takes handsand knees to prevent slipping. One of theboulders, early on, is covered by a largepetroglyph of a human-like character, possiblya woman; our guides tell us that it was carvedby "an old man", now deceased. Just beforeCamp One, a wide river required team work tocross. At the camp, a larger river was crossedby walking on a fallen log. From that crossingonwards, the deep cooing of the large mountainimperial pigeons kept us company all day asthe path took us up and down some more,through stretches of oak and of mossy forest.

We heard many other birds, and the eagle-eyednaturalists among us also spotted a few smallmammals. About one hour before reachingCamp Two, a fallen tree on the side of a ridgehad created an opening that permitted the firstsighting of the twin peaks of Batu Lawi. Sincewe could see the peaks, the peaks could see ustoo, and thus we now had to avoid irritatingthem by saying their name.

It was early the next morning that we leftCamp Two to ascend the mighty mountain.Almost immediately, the sound of crashingbranches right next to our ridge trail alerted usof some fast-moving presence in the trees. Weall caught glimpses of the Bornean gibbons,who swung to the background while vocalisingloudly. Rhett promptly set up the recordingequipment, and we were able to monitor thequality of the sound he was hearing on theheadphones by the width of the smile on hisface. As we carried on walking, the group ofgibbons kept us company for a while. The oakforest became increasingly mossy with altitude,and although hardly noticeable at first, the pathitself was becoming narrower and steeper. Thewalk became a climb, and we started use ourhands to maintain our balance as we ascendedthe eastern flank of the mountain. After lessthan an hour, we reached the saddle betweenthe two peaks. The vegetation was low, with aprofusion of pitcher plants, orchids, andrhododendrons – characteristic of poor soil andharsh weather conditions. We branched to thesouth, and started our final climb, up largeboulders piled up miraculously along a steepand narrow ridge. At times, the ridge is only afew metres wide, and beyond the edge is asheer drop of several hundred metres. Theground is soft under the foot, and at times thewalk is on aerial roots precariously fixed to therock substrate. In one instance, we had to use arope to pass an overhanging boulder. Under theshelter of one of the larger boulders is a 1987bronze replica of the wooden plaque left byTom Harrison in 1946 – a moving tribute tothe missing aeroplane crew, as well as a thinly-veiled tribute to the Kelabit people themselves,since Harrison signed the plaque using thename they gave him. I was particularly movedby the fact that the original wooden plaque hadbeen left there too, where it was found. Thewood is slowly decaying, and the words arebarely discernible anymore. A few more metresalong the trail, and we reached the top of thefemale peak, which afforded us with a circularview of the endless forest canopy, sprinkledwith patches of rising mist. Gusts of wind werebringing clouds from the valley which veiledpartially the majestic male pinnacle. At thatmoment, we heard the sound of the spectacularhelmeted hornbill, the largest in Borneo of thebirds so symbolic of Sarawak. A differentgroup of gibbons was vocalising in the

Chapter 6 Essays


distance. After a snack and numerous picturesof the group with the Kelabit guides, as wewere getting ready to start our descent, themist cleared, revealing to our horrified eyes anetwork of logging access roads to the Westand the North of the mountain, some comingwithin just a few kilometres of its base. Wewalked down silently, while the gibbons,oblivious to the threat to their habitat, kept oncalling. Within an hour, we were back toCamp Two where we had a lunch. We thenpushed on back to Camp One, which wereached after a four-hour walk.

While walking on these rough trails,through the different forest types, one iscompelled to reflect on the uncertainty of thearea’s future. The forest teems with life: allthese insects, birds, mammals, plants and treeshigh and low, are a splendid demonstration ofthe amazing diversity of life, to use EdwardWilson’s expression. The forest seems to havebeen there forever, but this air of timelessnessis misleading: it is in fact precariouslybalanced, and should we throw it out ofbalance, it may all disappear forever. Like abeautiful dandelion seed which disintegrateswhen we try to remove just one of its silkyhairs, the forest is fragile. Its capacity forregeneration is not unlimited. Moreover, BatuLawi is, like Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Murud, andother mountains of the region, an island ofbiological diversity which is known to harbourunique species of plants and animals, even ifnot all of these have been discovered yet. Assuch, Batu Lawi is part of the heritage ofSarawak, of Malaysia, and of the world.Should the area be logged? It does not take ascientist to note that there are actually few treesof a commercial size in the Pulong Tau area.The extraction of so few trees in such a remoteand rugged terrain is unlikely to becommercially viable. Experience gainedelsewhere in the country shows that driving thelogging roads in would cause large-scale top-soil erosion and landslides. The headwaters ofthe Limbang and the Baram rivers wouldbecome silty and milky. The entire economyof the region and the regions down streamwould be affected indeed – negatively and forthe long term. In contrast, carefully managedeco-tourism could have a long term positiveeffect, in a world where areas of such pristinebeauty are becoming increasingly rare.

It is difficult to contemplate that the beautyand natural heritage of Batu Lawi could be soldso cheaply.

Sarawak’s Biggest SecretMike Shanahan

“Man cannot fail to be dominated by theforests”, wrote botanist Patrick Synge

following his part in the 1932 OxfordUniversity expedition to Sarawak. Indeed, nottoo long ago, the forests of Borneo knew nodimension. From coast to coast the vast(746,337 km2) island was smothered by averdant blanket, present since the height of thedinosaurs’ dominion 100 million years ago.Over time the forests changed, new species ofanimals and plants evolving to replace morearchaic forms. Yet throughout, the wholeremained intact and healthy, a great green lungin the South China Sea.

Today, a steadily increasing stream oftourists is visiting Sarawak and beingenchanted by the diversity of its forests.Despite great disturbance (logging, agriculture,etc) to the state’s forests in modern times,Sarawak boasts a first class network of nationalparks. Here can be found the world’s mostbotanically diverse forest (Lambir Hills), someof the world’s biggest caves (Mulu), the oldesthuman remains in South-East Asia (NiahCaves) and a list of wildlife attractions thatincludes orang utans, proboscis monkeys,hornbills and Rafflesia, the world’s largestflower. Despite this string of superlatives onlyfew people get to see the crowning glory ofSarawak’s natural beauty and arguably one ofthe tourism highlights of South East Asia.This is because Pulong Tau National Park,despite being proposed 15 years ago, remainsto be fully gazetted. Sarawak’s biggest secret,an area of rich wildlife, cultural heritage and thestunning peaks of Batu Lawi and GunungMurud remains unknown to the vast majorityof tourists and Sarawakians or Malaysiansalike.

The submontane forest of Pulong Tau isperpetually moist, a condition favouring theproliferation of fungi with their multifariousfruiting bodies; brackets, slimes, mushroomsand coral fungi. They provide splashes ofcolour in what is otherwise a sea of greenery. Acommon tree in the area is Tristaniopsis - likean overzealous sunbather suffering for his folly,its bark peels off like skin leaving a smooth,red surface below. Mammals here appear lessshy than those in the lowlands and we werefrequently rewarded with views of scamperingtreeshrews and squirrels. More exciting was theraucous squawk of maroon langurs thatpreceded a rushed view of their red coats asthey leapt unerringly between trees.

Despite being only three and a half degreesnorth of the equator the altitude made the forestcool and, thankfully, lacking in mosquitoes, aubiquitous pestilence in the lowland forests. Intheir place, as beasts whose existence tested thetraveller’s nerves, was a surfeit of leeches. Weeven considered a prize for the most bizarreleech location after I found one blood-engorgedindividual happily draining my navel. Thetitle deservedly went to Steve who, after

Chapter 6 Essays


photographing wild pig tracks, found he wasunable to close one eye. A quick proberevealed the source of his discomfort to be aleech which, when removed, brought with ithis contact lens dangling from its oral sucker!We rapidly got used to these irritatinginvertebrates and became expert at single-handedly rolling them into a ball to detachthem from our skin, and flicking them intoorbit.

Other hazards to the incautious travellerinclude the climbing palms, or rattans, whosewinding stems are bedecked with recurvedspines. To untangle oneself from rattan hooksis an exercise in frustration for escaping onetwine’s reach invariably places you firmly inthe next one’s grasp. The only solution is towalk backwards the way you entered or standstock-still whilst somebody else laboriouslydetaches the vicious spines.

After our first day’s trek, we reached acampsite, the heavens opened and I feared wewould be drenched and miserable. Our guides,however, had other ideas. Within a fewminutes they had chopped and positionedenough poles to hang and tether our largetarpaulin, and hot coffee was brewing over thehastily made fire. Their remarkable efficacy infire setting with universally damp wood lay inthe use, as a fire-lighter, of damar, a resinousexudate of dipterocarp trees.

As night fell, the frogs (with backingvocals provided by cicadas, crickets andgeckos) led a nocturnal symphony, barking,belching and whistling their calls of love andterritory. Frogging, if such a verb exists, canbe a frustrating activity. In the forest night’sinky darkness, calls betraying theseamphibians’ presence abound. Our attempts totrack them down went, however, largelyunrewarded as the frogs appear capable of voice-throwing and tend to become silent uponsensing the vibrations of a human’s approach.Luckily, the exuberant Johnson, one of ourguides, had a remarkable talent for frog locationand introduced us to a variety of interestingspecies.

Our relationship with the guides was animportant component of our overall experience.Seeing the forest through their eyes helped usappreciate the importance of the forest in theirculture. Throughout, the journey was madeconsiderably more pleasant by their goodhumour, as reflected in the way they began tocall each other by women’s names; Margaret,Caroline, Judy. We too earned somewhat lessflattering sobriquets. Translated from theKelabit tongue they included ‘Mrs Always AtThe Back’ and ‘Mr Jumps Up And Down’.

The second day of walking took us steeplythrough a gap in the Tamu Abu cliffs and aswe climbed higher the structure of the forestchanged noticeably about us. We had left

behind the dipterocarp trees and entered a zoneof mossy forest, remarkably silent save for thedeep, eerie coos of mountain imperial-pigeons.Botanists’ alternative name for this vegetationtype is Elfin forest, a most apt epithet as ittruly is a place of fantasy. Tolkien may evenhave struggled to describe the ethereal beautyof this damp domain, shrouded in low cloud,where the trees are stunted and thick-leafed. Onevery surface clung carpets, often inches thick,of mosses, liverworts and lichens.

Our walking substrate now comprisedmoss-clothed boulders and progress ground toa snail’s pace. To avoid slipping it wasnecessary to grip the trees and each time it wasakin to squeezing a sponge, as the mossesdisgorged their moisture and sent it coursingdown our sleeves. It was in the moss forestthat we found ourselves surrounded, fromnooks by our feet to the tops of trees, bypitcher plants. Like alien artworks, their beautybelies a dark secret. For the purpose of thepitchers is to act as death traps to unwaryinsects, digesting them with a juice similar tothat in our own stomachs.

The bird life we encountered wascharacterised by species found nowhere on theplanet other than Bornean montane forest.Throughout our journey we were accompaniedby the took-took-turruk call of one suchendemic, the golden-naped barbet. Despite itsconstant proximity and conspicuous voice, asighting of this green gem of a bird eluded us.Other montane species were less shy, like thechestnut-crested yuhina, a type of babblerwhose insect-seeking forays often brought it towithin a few feet of us obviating the need forbinoculars to admire its proud crest and cheekybehaviour. Another endemic, the black-sidedflowerpecker, preferred to remain high in thecanopy, industriously harvesting the fruit ofepiphytic mistletoes.

It was with weary feet that we finished ourjourney by descending into the fertile valleyand the sleepy rice village of Ba’Kelalan. Aswe did so our great sense of achievement wastinged with sadness, not only at leavingbehind the primal beauty of our forest home ofthe last nine days but also at the uncertaintyregarding its future. Our primary aim was toinventory and record the diversity of wildlifeand habitats we encountered but one felt that asorry fate was inevitable for the pristinewilderness we had come to know. It is easy forWesterners to forget that we have alreadyplundered our own forests but it is not with apolicy of hypocrisy that we decry thedevastation of forests in the tropics.Remembering Synge’s sentiment, I cannothelp feeling that the reverse is true, thatSarawak’s forests cannot fail to be dominatedby man. I remain in hope that a sense ofnational pride and commitment to preserve for

Chapter 6 Essays


future generations this piece of Sarawak’s richheritage will prevail over the hard law of short-term profit, and that Batu Lawi and PulongTau will be protected in perpetuity.

A Walk along a Logging RoadStephen Hart

The logging tracks have already carved theirway into the northern side of Gunung Murud,Sarawak’s highest peak. As we descended thismountain on the final leg of our journey, myfirst sensation on the road was that of theintense heat, as the sun beat down on the hardbaked earth. In contrast, under the tree canopywhere we had spent most of the previous week,the air was always cool and humid.

The mountain has cultural significance tothe Kelabit people and my initial thought waswe had just encountered an access road toprovide an easy route for the Church pilgrims.It was soon clear this was not the case, as wepassed large flat areas which had beenbulldozed for the loading and turning of thelogging trucks.

The land is steep and rugged and the roadsare, by necessity, brutal in their efforts to carveout a stable platform and prevent landslidesinto the valleys between the ridges. The mainriver we passed bore testament to increasederosion and run-off. Rather than seeing thefamiliar peat-coloured water, it flowed a greymud-rich mixture, evidently inhospitable tofish and frogs.

The walking on the road was all too easyand mixed emotions followed. In the forest, Ihad to pick almost every step among the

twisted roots which crossed our path. Mynumerous stumbles paid tribute to the desire todrink in as much as possible of the captivatingplants, birds and animals around me. On theroad, things were different – I could take mytime and look more at my surroundings. Wesaw and identified many birds along the road,having extra time to view them before theydisappeared among the trees. The irony is thatthe hunters have too - I saw a used shotguncartridge showing that roadside shooting hasnow started. And after so many days of haulinga heavy pack over the rough terrain, theenjoyment of some easy walking inspiredfeelings of guilt. Was it right to enjoy arelaxed few hours trekking to Ba’Kelalan at theexpense of the area?

In steep mountainous terrain, to extracttimber in this way clearly scars the landscape.And these were just the access roads we wereseeing, with the actual logging not yet started.Landslides and erosion into the rivers hadalready begun. I had recently seen news storieswhere China identified watershed deforestationas a prime cause of the flooding affecting aquarter of its population. Preservation of theforest will always have to be balanced againstthe need for government income from timber inorder to provide funds for the community.However, the trees seemed to be smallcompared with typical lowland forest speciesand presumably of lower monetary value. Myoverall feeling is that in this area of suchecological value, religious significance andtourism potential, an alternative land use isclear.

Chapter 7 Expedition Members


7. Expedition MembersAll members of the expedition team arecurrently residing in the region and aremembers of the Malaysian Nature Society,Miri Branch.

Stephen HartSteve Hart (33) is an Englishgeologist/geophysicist with degrees from theUniversities of Durham (BSc) and Oxford(D.Phil.). Whilst currently working for ShellInternational, Steve is a committee memberand vice-chairperson of the Malaysian NatureSociety’s Miri branch. His work in the field ofoil and gas exploration has led to assignmentsin Burma, the UK & Malaysia. He has astrong interest in eco-tourism, having visitednational & marine parks in South & CentralAmerica, Africa & Asia. His previousexpedition experience involved geochemicalsampling of active volcanoes in Ecuador &Colombia during the 1990 Oxford UniversityExpedition to the Northern Andes.

"I felt that I had been in Borneo some one anda half years, taking in numerous exciting andenjoyable experiences, but not offering much inreturn. The expedition fitted in with myattempts to support the local Malaysian NatureSociety branch committee and seemed to be amost worthwhile project. I was especiallyattracted by the fact that the national parkproposal had come from the local Kelabitcommunity and the Sarawak ForestDepartment and was not an attempt to ‘force’ anational park on a group of people who did notreally want it. While essentially being ‘soft’rather than ‘hard’ science (mainlyobservationally driven), the main revelation forme was the diversity in species that wemanaged to record. This was not just in plantsand birds, which I half-expected, but also inmammals. With such a large number ofmammals recorded in just a few days, thisargues for the importance of Pulong Tau as areal centre of biodiversity."

Clare MandevilleClare Mandeville is a 30 year old Englishgeologist with degrees from Oxford (D.Phil.)and Cambridge (B.A.) Universities. Currently,Clare lectures in technical communication atEcotech Technical Institute, Miri. Her previousexpedition credentials include the CambridgeKenya Study Group 1989 (working with ruralcommunities in Kenya), Oxford UniversityExpedition to the Northern Andes 1990(sampling active volcanoes) and the GranthamVenturers’ Expedition to Namibia 1992 (withSave the Rhino and local schools).

"Before I came to Miri, I imagined that Borneowould be one huge primary rainforest and thatorang-utans and hornbills would easily bespotted as I travelled around. I wasdisappointed when I realised the scarcity ofrainforest around Miri and felt I wouldn’t reallyexperience the best that Borneo has to offer if Ididn’t spend some time in an area of rainforestwhich remained untouched by man. I was thelast member to join the expedition. When theexpedition was first planned, I thought I wouldnot be able to get leave from Ecotech. I onlyjoined one week before it was due to start whenI heard that someone had dropped out, but hisflight reservations had not yet been cancelledand also it was confirmed that the datescoincided with exams at Ecotech. At 11.30p.m. on the night I heard this information, Isuddenly realised I would always regret it if Imissed this opportunity, so I sent an e-mailexpressing my desire to go. Parts of theexpedition were tough physically and I becameaware that I did not have the fitness andstamina that I had at 20. Mentally, however, Iwas determined not to fail at any of thechallenges we faced including the climbing ofboth Batu Lawi and Gunung Murud. Overall, Ifeel I gained so much knowledge from theguides, the other expedition members and theforest itself about this splendid area which is sorich in cultural and natural history.Unforgettable."

Mike ShanahanMike Shanahan is a 24 year old graduatestudent from Jersey in the Channel Islands.Having completed B.Sc. and Master’s degreesin biology and biodiversity & conservation atthe University of Leeds, he is currentlystudying the ecology of seed dispersal byBornean fruit eating birds and mammalstowards his doctorate. Mike’s previousexperience of tropical forests includes visits toSri Lanka, India, Peruvian Amazonia and longperiods in Lambir Hills National Park,Sarawak.

"To me, the expedition represented not only aphysical challenge and a chance to see a newpart of Sarawak, but an opportunity to dosomething worthwhile for the State’s plantsand animals which have so enchanted me overthe past couple of years. By recording andpublicising the area’s beauty and biodiversitywe can make a contribution towards securingprotection for what is surely one of the mostecologically and culturally important parts ofSarawak."



Michiko NakagawaMichiko Nakagawa is a 23 year-old Japanesegraduate student. She joined the Center forEcological Research in 1998 after graduatingwith a B.A. in Forestry from KyotoUniversity. Currently, she is studying the seedpredators and seedling demography ofDipterocarp trees, in terms of their ecology.This was the first expedition for her. However,she has a special interest in conservation andrecovery of tropical forests.

Rhett D. HarrisonRhett is a 29 year old British graduate studentcurrently studying for a PhD at the Center forEcological Research, Kyoto University on theecology of figs at Lambir Hills National Park,Sarawak. He took a BSc in Zoology at theUniversity of Durham, U.K.; and a MSc atKyoto University. Previous expeditionexperience includes a Durham UniversityExpedition to Peru 1990, which conductedbiological surveys in the Tambopata-CandamoReserve Zone, and a voluntary research projecton mercury and the gold mining industry inBolivia.

“In early 1995 approximately sixmonths after arriving at Lambir Hills NationalPark I was introduced to the then fledgingMNS group in Miri – actually I was asked togive the society a slide talk. However, I waskeen to do so as I felt that, being under theauspices of a respected national society, itwould be the ideal opportunity to becomeinvolved with local conservation activities.Quite early on the idea of an expedition arose;and Pulong Tau became the obviousdestination, given its value to conservation andthe fact that it was a local issue but of nationalimport. In addition, ever since first arriving inSarawak I had wanted to get a real ‘wildBorneo’ experience. Lambir Hills, beautiful asit is, was a bit too soft, what with showers,beds and a canteen, and of course Miri justdown the road. Pulong Tau was thatexperience. It was amazing.

Walter WuertzWalter Wuertz is a 40 year old Germannational. After 7 years of studies in a widerange of natural sciences he graduated with'Diplom Geologe' from the Johannes GutenbergUniversitaet Mainz (Germany) in 1984. Duringhis student years he was involved in short termgeological studies and jobs in Germany,Sweden, Greece and South Africa. In 1985 hejoined Shell and worked asGeologist/Geophysicist in the Netherlands, theUK and Vietnam. Currently he is a productiongeophysicist in Sarawak Shell Berhad (Miri,East Malaysia). He has a strong interest in

nature and conservation and travelled, besidesmost European countries, to Africa, North andSouth America and Asia, often off the beatentrack, and to areas of conservation importance.He is a member of the National GeographicSociety, the WWF, the BUND and theMalaysian Nature Society. His specialattention within natural history is inhabitat/species conservation and inentomological aspects.

Mariafe NunezMaria Felecitas L. Nunez is a 22 year oldFilipino national, born and raised on the islandof Palawan, often called 'the last frontier', dueto its bounty of natural treasures and lack ofinfrastructure. She holds a Diploma inFisheries Technology with a major in FishProcessing from the State Polytechnic Collegeof Palawan (Institute of Marine Sciences). Hermain interests are healthy nutrition and naturalhistory along with conservation issues.

Patrick Allman-WardPatrick Allman-Ward is a 43 year oldgeologist working for Brunei Shell Petroleum.He joined Shell in 1982 after graduating with aPhD in Mining Geology from the RoyalSchool of Mines, Imperial College and hassubsequently worked in the Netherlands,Malaysia and Nigeria before arriving in Bruneiin 1997. Whilst always maintaining a keeninterest in outdoor life and activities, hebecame hooked on the tropical rainforest whenhe joined a Zoo Negara expedition to theTaman Negara in 1990. This was followed upby numerous trips to other Malaysian NationalParks and Wildlife areas including Bako,Kinabalu, Mulu, Danum Valley and PulongTau where he climbed Gunung Murud in 1992and Batu Lawi in 1993. Subsequently furthertrips were made in Africa to national parks inNigeria, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. He is anenthusiastic (if untalented) amateurphotographer and contributed to the book"Wildlife Watch in Brunei Darussalam". Hehas also submitted various articles onecological issues to local and internationaljournals with varying degrees of success.

Martin StoreyMartin Storey is a 35 year-old French engineerliving and working in South-East Asia, and amember of the Malaysian Nature Society since1995. Since his first visit to Malaysia in 1987,he has travelled all over Peninsular and EastMalaysia, usually accompanying his uncle,Malaysian entomologist Hugh Storey. Hedeveloped a private interest in nature andconservation by eco-touring the world, often onfoot, working as a volunteer in the Congo



(lowland gorilla behavioural study) and inCosta Rica (leatherback turtle conservation),and recently as a member of this MNS PulongTau Expedition. He is a co-author of the book"Wildlife Watch in Brunei Darussalam"(published 1998) and can be contacted byemail at: [email protected].

The GuidesA significant part of the expedition’s success isdue to the knowledge, dedication andresourcefulness shown by the six guides andporters that made up part of the expeditionteam. The experience and wisdom of the mainguide, Pang Ayu, was a crucial factor in theaccomplishment of many of our objectives,especially the section of the trek where we cutour own path from Camp 1 to Gunung Murudrather than follow the forest trails used byothers.

Pang Ayu Kpg. Pa’UkatPang Ayu is a local Kelabit community leaderand was our lead guide. He assisted in thedaily planning of the route and timing,organised the other guides/porters and madethe decisions regarding the setting up of thecamps. His knowledge of local trees and plantswas invaluable in the identification required inthe vegetation survey.

Lim Tinggang Kpg. Pa’UkatLim works for the Bario Forestry Departmentand was Pang Ayu’s second-in-command. Hewould sometimes take the lead from Pang Ayuand showed responsibility and initiative whenorganising the other guides/porters. He wasalso very helpful in the measurement of thetrees included in the vegetation survey.

Johnson Puding Kpg. Arur DalawJohnson was gregarious and energetic andshowed great humour and friendship toeveryone. He was able to produce quantities ofsimple camp food in a short space of time. Hewas also talented in the collection and spottingof specimens of many different species,including frogs, crabs, beetles and orchids. Hemanaged to catch a small fish by hand from aforest stream.

Edwin Radu Kpg. Pa’Lungan Edwin also lives and works in Miri. He washelpful and will be remembered for sharing alocal Kelabit dance with us on the night of thefarewell party.

Jelly Akup Kpg. Pa’UkatJelly showed his strength by carrying around50 small mammal traps and assisting in theirdaily re-assembling and packing.

Lisa Barur Kpg. Pa’RamapuLisa was a helpful guide, a little more reserved.He put in a lot of effort into his portering.

Chapter 8 Acknowledgements


8. Acknowledgements

Firstly we wish to thank the Forest Department, Sarawak for permission to undertake the expeditionand co-operation in the efforts we made to record the natural history of Pulong Tau. Thanks also to theWildlife Department Offices in Kuching and Miri for their assistance and to the Resident of Miri forpermission to enter the area (Permit No. RMD/45/98).

The Malaysian Nature Society members who participated in the expedition are indebted to thetremendous help and friendship offered by the guides. Needless to say, without their considerableenthusiasm and assistance we would never have managed a fraction of what was achieved. Thanks alsoto John Tarawe for his encouragement and for helping organise the logistics from the Bario end. In Miriwe would like to thank the other members of Kelabit community and the Malaysian Nature Societywho supported our efforts both before and after the expedition.

Rob Stuebing and Indraneil Das helped with the identification of frogs and snakes. Anthony Lambassisted with the identification of some of our slides. Thank you for your assistance and to all thosewho commented on drafts of this report.

Chapter 9 References


9. References

Abdullah, M. T., Lakim, M. & Rahman, M. A. (1998). Notes on the large mammals of Bario,Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journey through Borneo. Bario.The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Ashton, P. S. (1995). Biogeography and ecology. In: E. Soepadmo. & K. M. Wong (eds.). TreeFlora of Sabah and Sarawak. Ampang Press, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 513pp.

Beaman, J. H. (1998). Preliminary enumeration of the summit flora, Mount Murud, Kelabit Highlands,Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journey through Borneo. Bario.The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Caldecott, S. (1984) The bearded pigs erupt. Sarawak Gazette, 11, 6-11.

Caldecott, J.O. (1986). Hunting and wildlife management in Sarawak. Forest Department Sarawak /WWF Malaysia. Kuching / Kuala Lumpur.

Crome, F. H. J. (1975). The ecology of fruit pigeons in tropical north Queensland. Australian WildlifeResearch, 2, 155-185.

Davies, D. D. (1958). Mammals of the Kelabit Plateau Northern Sarawak. Fieldiana. Zoology 39, 119-147.

Fatimah, H. A. & Hanapi, S. (1998). An account of caddisflies (Trichoptera) from Bario, KelabitHighlands, Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journey throughBorneo. Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Gregory-Smith, R. (1998). Avian diversity of the Kelabit highlands. Pp. in I. Ghazally & B. D. Laily(Eds.). Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. Pelanduk Publications, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Gunsalam, G. (1998). A preliminary survey and assessment of ant (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) fauna ofBario, Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A ScientificJourney through Borneo. Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. PelandukPublications..

Holloway, J. D. (1984). Notes on the butterflies of the Gunung Mulu National Park. Sarawak MuseumJournal, 30, 89-131.

Hutchison, C. S. (1996). Geological Evolution of South-East Asia. Geological Society of Malaysia.

Inger, R. F. & Steubing, R. B. (1997). A Field Guide to the Frogs of Borneo. Natural HistoryPublications, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Inger, R. F. & Tan, F. L. (1996). The Natural History of Amphibians and Reptiles in Sabah. NaturalHistory Publications, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Ipor, I. B., Tawan, C.S., Ismail, J. & Bojo, D. (1998). Floristic compositions and structures of forestsat Bario Highlands, Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journeythrough Borneo. Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. PelandukPublications.

Lambert, F. R. L. (1989). Pigeons as seed predators and dispersers of figs in a Malaysian lowlandforest. Ibis, 131, 521-527.

Langham, N. (1983). Distribution and ecology of small mammals in three rain forest localities ofPeninsular Malaysia with particular reference to Kedah Peak. Biotropica, 15, 199-206.

MacKinnon, J. & Phillipps, K. (1993). A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java andBali. Oxford University Press Inc., New York.

MacKinnon, K., Hatta, G., Halim, H. & Mangalik, A. (1996). The Ecology of Kalimantan. IndonesianBorneo. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Malaysian Nature Society (1998). Minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting. MalaysianNaturalist, 51, 79-86.

Malaysian Nature Society Miri Branch (1999). Pulong Tau - Our Forest. Malaysian Naturalist, 53(1),32-37.

Chapter 9 References


Medway, Lord. (1972). The distribution and altitudinal zonation of birds and mammals on GunungBeram. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), 23, 103-154.

National Parks & Wildlife Office, Sarawak (1984). A proposal to constitute Pulong Tau National Parkin the Fourth and Fifth Divisions of Sarawak. Kuching National Parks & Wildlife Office, ForestDepartment Sarawak.

National Parks & Wildlife Office, Sarawak. (1987). Revised proposal to constitute the Pulong TauNational Park in the Miri and Limbang Divisions of Sarawak. Kuching National Parks & WildlifeOffice, Forest Department Sarawak.

Notification No. 2174. (1998). Initial Proclamation to consititute the proposed Pulong Tau NationalPark. Sarawak Gazette, Kuching

Payne, J., Francis, C. M. & Phillipps, K. (1985). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo. TheSabah Society & WWF Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu.

Rahman, M. A., Abdullah, M. T. & Ketol, B. (1998). The small mammals of Bario, KelabitHighlands Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journey throughBorneo. Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Sandal, S. T. (Ed.). (1996). The Geology and Hydrocarbon Resources of Negara Brunei Darussalam.2nd edn. Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sendirian Berhad & Brunei Museum.

Singh, H. (1998). The physiography and general geology of the Kelabit Highlands surrounding theBario Area. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journey through Borneo.Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Smith, M. A. (1931). The herpetology of Mt. Kinabalu, North Borneo, 13,455 ft. Bull. Raffles Mus.5, 3-35.

Sreedharan, S. (1995). Bario bird notes. The Sarawak Museum Journal, 48, 191-218.

Tung, V. W-Y. (1983). Common Malaysian Beetles. Malaysian Nature Society, Natural HistoryHandbooks, Kuala Lumpur.

Wells, D. R. (1985). The forest avifauna of West Malesia and its conservation. In: A. W. Diamond &T. E. Lovejoy (Eds.). Conservation of Tropical Forest Birds. International Council for BirdPreservation. Technical publication No. 4. Cambridge.

Wilson, E. O. (Ed.) (1988). Biodiversity. National Academic Press, Washington, D.C.

Zaidi, M. I. & Ruslan, M. Y. (1998). Cicadas of Bario, Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail & Laily Bin Din(Eds.). A Scientific Journey through Borneo. Bario. The Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak. IBEC,UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Zainuddin, R. (1998). A brief note on frogs of Bario, Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak. In: Ghazally Ismail& Laily Bin Din (Eds.). A Scientific Journey through Borneo. Bario. The Kelabit Highlands ofSarawak. IBEC, UNIMAS. Pelanduk Publications.

Internet Websites (as of September 1999)

Malaysian Nature Society Headquarters : http://www4.jaring.my/mns/

Malaysian Nature Society Miri Branch :http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Wetlands/5589/mnsleft.html

MNS Miri Branch Pulong Tau site : http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/2949/


Appendix I: Additional bird species recorded from the Kelabit Highlands. Data fromMacKinnon (1993) and Gregory-Smith (1998).

Family Common name Scientific nameARDEIDAE Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensisACCIPITRIDAE Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela Besra Accipiter virgatusPHASIANIDAE Ferruginous Partridge Caloperdix oculea Bulwer's Pheasant Lophura bulweriRALLIDAE White-breasted Waterhen Amauronis phoenicurus Watercock Gallicrex cinerea Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropusSCOLOPACIDAE Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Common Snipe Gallinago gallinagoCOLUMBIDAE Thick-billed Green-Pigeon Treron curvirostra Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia emiliana Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indicaCUCULIDAE Large Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus sparverioides Bay-banded Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratiCENTROPODIDAE Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensisSTRIGIDAE Brown Hawk-Owl Ninox scutulataPODARGIDAE Dulit Frogmouth Batrachostomus harterti Short-tailed Frogmouth Batrachostomus poliolophusCAPRIMULGIDAE Malaysian Eared Nightjar Eurostopodus temminckiiAPODIDAE White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificusHEMIPROCNIDAE Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennisALCEDINIDAE Blue-banded Kingfisher Alcedo euryzona Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chlorisBUCEROTIDAE White-crowned Hornbill Aceros comatus Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulatusCAPITILIONIDAE Red-throated Barbet Megalaima mystacophanos Bornean Barbet Megalaima eximiaPICIDAE Olive-backed Woodpecker Dinopium rafflesiiEURYLAIMIDAE Hose's Broadbill Calyptomena hosiiPITTIDAE Blue-banded Pitta Pitta arquata Banded Pitta Pitta guajanaHIRUNDINIDAE Barn Swallow Hirundo rusticaCAMPEPHAGIDAE Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Hemipus picatusPYCNONOTIDAE Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus Ashy Bulbul Hypsiptes flavalaDICRURIDAE Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dricrurus paradiseusIRENIDAE Asian Fairy-Bluebird Irene puellaTIMALIIDAE Temminck's Babbler Pellorneum pyrrogenys Mountain Wren-Babbler Napothera crassa Eye-browed Wren-Babbler Napothera epilepidota White-necked Babbler Stachrys leucotis Black Laughingthrush Garrulax lugubris White-browed Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius flavicapis Brown Fulvetta Alcippe brunneicaudaTURDIDAE White-Browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis White-crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti Sunda Whistling-Thrush Myiophonus glaucinusMUSCICAPIDAE Rufous-tailed Jungle-Flycatcher Rhinomyias ruficauda Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher Rhinomyias gularis Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica Indigo Flycatcher Eumyias indigo Rufous-chested Flycatcher Ficedula dumetoria Maroon-breasted Philentoma Philentoma velatumLANIDAE Brown Shrike Lanius cristatusZOSTEROPIDAE Pygmy White-eye Oculoncinta squamifrons

Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the · PDF file• In 1986 a small breeding...

Documents

Transcript of Malaysian Nature Society 1998 Expedition to the · PDF file• In 1986 a small breeding...