BUKIT PITON WILDLIFE SAFARI
Eco-Tour of a lifetime in Lahad Datu
Bukit Piton Forest Reserve or previously known as Ulu Segama Malua (USM) forest is a living example that hope and the desire to conserve can lead ruin to the road of transformation.
Bukit Piton Forest Reserve - a once badly damaged forest that was robbed by illegal/poor logging practices and 2 sets of natural fire which consequently pushed the endangered species such orangutan and other wildlife dangerously to the brink of extinction. The continuous effort of reforestation by WWF – Malaysia, Yayasan Sime Darby, Sabah Forestry Department , Brothers Cycling and groups of passionate naturalists, this once degraded forest is being restored and nurtured with love – hence providing food source and a new found habitat for the orangutans and other wildlife.
In late 2016, Bike and Tours decided to check out Bukit Piton on a recce tour. True enough after an hour drive from Lahad Datu to Bukit Piton, just within minutes we encountered our very first Orang Utan. It was an amazing experience to see the orang utan in the wild. This beautiful creature noticed our presence and continued eating before gracefully swinging its way back in the depth of the jungle. We were lucky that over the next few hours to encounter another 2 orang utan in the wild. And that to us was the ultimate! Other visitors have seen more orang utans than us but of course when you are in the wild, lady luck plays a role. The wild is the wild and not a zoo where it is a guaranteed that you get to see the animals caged.
As we ventured further in into this Class 1 Forest Reserve, we learnt that even though forest restoration efforts are taking place, the badly damaged jungle is still falling short on food source for the Orang Utan and other wildlife. Support from visitors to contribute to tree planting and maintenance activities are highly encouraged. Find out more on how you could contribute to growth and maintenance of the jungle.