Kuching, Monday, January 18, 2010 – SARAWAK FORESTRY today hosted delegates from The Department of Forests and Park Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan at its wildlife centres in  Matang and Semenggoh.

The delegates comprised the Director of Department of Forests Bhutan, Krama Sukpa and 3 other officers – Dasho Sangay Thinley, Kinga Wangli and Lhendup Tharchen. They are in town from January 17-20 to study effective management and best practices in Totally Protected Area (TPA) management and biodiversity conservation in Sarawak.

The delegates paid a courtesy visit to Director of Forests, who is also the Managing Director and CEO of SARAWAK FORESTRY, Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh this morning.

Len Talif, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Resource Management said ‘we are proud to share our experience in the management of our TPAs and wildlife with our guests and at the same time to learn from them as well.  The exchange of knowledge is an area which we always look forward to in creating a tight knit conservation network which may not necessarily be localised, but rather mobile and far reaching”.

“Hopefully the relationship created today would have a lasting impact and lessons learned will be able to provide the delegates with the right perspectives to their wildlife and TPA management.” Len Talif added.
 
The delegates were also given a briefing on orangutan rehabilitation in Matang Wildlife Centre by the Park Manager and a brief tour of its orangutan enclosures.

‘We are impressed with what SARAWAK FORESTRY has achieved in the orangutan rehabilitation work especially in getting volunteers to be part of their rehabilitation and conservation works. It is indeed an excellent idea in co-managing the wildlife with their stakeholders and at the same time inculcating awareness on wildlife management and conservation. We wish to implement a similar concept of a volunteerism scheme in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation back in our country.’  said Karma, the director of Department of Forests and Park Services, Bhutan.