 Reference Base  A survey to assess the status of the Sumatran rhinoceros ... |
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| Location: |
Asia - South East Asia - Malaysia - Sabah |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Sumatran Rhino |
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Danum Valley was long considered one of the most pristine lowland forest areas left in Borneo. Free of human habitation and known to contain a rich diversity of wildlife, the area was assumed to be relatively undisturbed because of its ruggedness and inaccessibility. When the presence of rhinos was first suspected in this area in 1976, the Danum Valley was proposed as a national park; it was later recommended for protection as a game sanctuary. However, the state-run Sabah Foundation, which maintained a long-term timber concession in the area, did not want to relinquish its rights to the land. Instead, in 1982 a 438-km? area was designated as `Danum Valley Conservation Area,' in which logging would be prohibited but control would remain under the Sabah Foundation. Soon thereafter, buildings for research and visitor accommodations were constructed at the site. Research conducted at the site in the late 1980s verified that at least one population of rhinos was declining in numbers. By 1989 a traverse through the area recorded only a single set of rhino footprints.
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