Wildlife Corridor Success: Sungai Pin Orang Utan Bridge Strengthens Conservation and Community Economy

SANDAKAN — The Orang Utan Bridge in the Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) has emerged as a critical conservation infrastructure, ensuring that wildlife — especially orang utans — can move safely between divided forest areas while supporting sustainable development efforts in Kinabatangan.

Developed by Sawit Kinabalu’s Conservation and Biodiversity Unit, the bridge provides an essential crossing path across Sungai Pin within a 2,632-hectare protected zone. It is currently the only safe route enabling wildlife to travel between habitats separated by plantation land.

According to Senior Conservation Executive Rashidah Maqbool Rehman, three bridges have now been built, with camera trap recordings showing significant wildlife usage. This has helped reduce potential conflict between animals and plantation workers while sustaining natural movement patterns.

Initial monitoring suggests around 50 orang utans have been recorded using the bridge. However, detailed analysis will be conducted to determine a more accurate representation of the population movement.

The initiative complements long-standing conservation programmes including riverbank tree replanting along 27 kilometres of Sungai Pin, carried out in partnership with WWF and the Sabah Forestry Department. These riparian buffers play a vital role in protecting ecosystems and stabilising habitats.

The bridge also benefits other species such as proboscis monkeys and long-tailed macaques, reinforcing its role as a shared wildlife corridor.

Beyond conservation, SPnCA has become a research site for both local and international universities. Simultaneously, it serves as a platform for eco-tourism growth. Sawit Kinabalu is currently expanding sustainable tourism initiatives along Sungai Pin to allow visitors to explore the river environment and observe wildlife including Borneo elephants at the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary.

Partnership with Batu Puteh Kinabatangan Tourism Cooperative (Kopel) ensures local community involvement and direct benefit through job opportunities and economic participation.

Rashidah said the bridge stands as proof that responsible plantation management and biodiversity protection can move forward together, creating a balanced and sustainable future for both nature and communities.