Community help needed to record endemic bird species — Jerip

 September 26, 2016, Monday

The participants together with the organising committee and guest-of-honour posing for a group photo.

PADAWAN: Borneo Highlands holds great attraction for international bird-watchers as it is home to several endemic bird species found nowhere else.

Public Health Assistant Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said that there needs to be community involvement to help record the bird species that occur there so that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture can promote it and make Sarawak a destination for bird-watching.

“We want to train people in the villages here to be involved. They will learn to appreciate all the birds in Sarawak,” he said during the prize-giving and closing ceremony of the Sarawak International Bird Race 2016 yesterday at Borneo Highlands Resort.

Dr Jerip pointed out that Borneo Highlands Resort is unique because it has all the facilities they need for an event such as the Bird Race.

The Sarawak International Bird Race 2016 was organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC), in collaboration with Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch.

The event covered three important bird areas – Buntal, Kubah National Park and Borneo Highlands.

Sarawak alone has 22 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) recognised by Bird Life International. IBAs are places that host endangered or endemic species of birds with limited range.

Participants came from India, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Japan, Brunei, Peninsular Malaysia (Penang and Johor), as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

There were a total of 36 participants who formed 12 teams.

Team Pipit from Sarawak won first prize with 101 points. The team comprised of Delores Lim, Dominic Kelundek and Ng Jia Jae.

Second prize went to the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club, which consisted of Denis Degullacion, Ali Suffri Mohd Jaffar, and Alim Biun.

Meanwhile, third prize went to the aptly-named Team Ladybird from Sarawak, whose three lady members were Rahah Mohd Yakup, Attiqqah Fadzilah Sapuan, and Khatijah Ismail.

Also present at the ceremony was MTAC permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik.