| Tabin Wildlife Reserve is one of the most important areas for the protection of endangered and protected mammals in Sabah. Large and small mammals are plentiful in Tabin and they are a major focus of the Reserve’s conservation and management policies. Several of the mammal species represented in Tabin have been hunted for their meat, medicinal value or use as décor items so protection from poachers is a major focus of Sabah Wildlife Department staff. Tabin also serves as a refuge for fauna sensitive to the forest clearance that has taken place extensively in areas adjacent to Tabin. In Tabin more than 70 mammal species, representing 27 families, have been identified. Several more probably remain to be discovered. Of the species identified thus far 6 are totally protected, 29 are protected (limited collection with special licenses) and 8 can be hunted only with special licenses (Schedules 1,2 & 3 under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment, 1997). Fifteen species of bats have been identified in Tabin out of 99 discovered for the whole of Borneo. Nine species of squirrel have been identified out of 31 recorded for Borneo. The rodent population also includes five species of jungle rat and the unusual large, white moonrat also occurs in Tabin. The three largest mammals of Sabah have breeding populations in Tabin. These are the Sumatran rhinoceros, the Asian elephant and the tembadau (wild buffalo). There is a healthy population of orangutan among the total of nine species of primate that are present. The carnivores of Tabin include the clouded leopard and a variety of smaller cats, civet cats and mustelids. Substantial populations of otters and sun bear are also found in Tabin. Other rare species include the flying lemur, the slow loris the the pangolin, the masked palm civet and the red muntjac deer. Payne, Francis & Phillips’ Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo (1998) is a comprehensive reference for this subject. This and other sources of information about Tabin’s and Borneo’s mammals are cited in the Bibliography and Links sections below. |
