initiative in the lower Kinabatangan is to integrate wildlife and habitat conservation and tourism for sustainable socio-economic development.
This is a pilot project of the Sabah Wildlife Department in collaboration with the villagers of Sukau.
The project under the name of Red Ape Encounters is managed by a core team of villagers. They were intensively trained as research assistants and nature guides by HUTAN, a French NGO conducting Orang-utan research and conservation project in the Kinabatangan.
Tourism benefits are directly channeled to the communities through employment of local guides, rental of boats and cars, and provision of accommodation in the form of homestay.
Community funds for tourism and conservation were created to support education and the protection of wildlife and habitat. Hence, there is a positive and ongoing relationship between tourism, conservation and community.
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