The Quest for the Pygmy Elephant

  Janet told us that the pygmy elephants come to Tungog Lake on their migration path; this is one of the last stops they make before turning around and heading back to the mountains. The ecocamp sits between the Tungog Lake and the Kinabatanga River. The whole class was excited with the anticipation of the … Read more

Palm Oil – It’s Complicated!

Palm oil, or oil palm as the locals refer to it, is a pretty contentious issue whether you live in Sabah or residence in the United States.  Over the past few days we’ve had a crash course into the history and contemporary growing and manufacturing of palm oil in Sabah region of Borneo, Malaysia. When taking … Read more

A Walk with Sun Bears

“Look! Eyes in tree!” our guide pointed to the bank of the Kinabatangan River. All of us on the boat peered into the gloom, aiming our headlamps. Two large, orange ovals shone back at us. “What is it?” someone asked. “Sun bear,” the guide replied. I grinned in anticipation of observing more of these bears … Read more

A Look Into Malaysian Conservation

As a wildlife conservation enthusiast who has worked for a rehabilitation project in Africa, I was ecstatic about being able to see how Malaysia handled their animals. There were mixed emotions within the group, about whether animals should be kept in enclosures or not, but we popped over to the sun bear and orangutan centres to see … Read more