About Hutan

Hutan is a grassroots wildlife research and conservation organisation developing community-driven solutions for a peaceful coexistence between wildlife and people.  We preserve threatened habitats and species, support the sustainable management of natural ecosystems, empower local communities, and build innovative cross-sectoral partnerships.

Founded by two French biologists, Dr Isabelle Lackman and Dr Marc Ancrenaz, Hutan began its journey in 1998 as a small orangutan research project in the remote village of Sukau, located on the Kinabatangan floodplain in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Today, Hutan has grown into a dedicated team of over a hundred staff members from the local Orang Sungai community, working with exceptional commitment and expertise to safeguard their natural heritage. Operating under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sabah Wildlife Department, Hutan now comprises seven specialised units that holistically address the diverse and complex challenges of biodiversity conservation.

Meet the Team

  • Orangutan Research Unit (OURs)

    The team follows and studies wild habituated orangutans at our intensive study site located in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary documenting how orangutans can survive in degraded and fragmented forests and mosaic landscapes heavily transformed by human activities.

  • Wildlife Survey and Protection Unit (WSP)

    In charge of biodiversity monitoring, wildlife protection and mitigating conflicts between people and animals. In 2002, Hutan initiated an “Elephant Conservation Unit” that was merged subsequently with the Hutan Honorary Wildlife Wardens and finally became the WSP in 2016. This team is also in charge of hornbill conservation activities at Hutan.

  • Reforestation Unit

    This all-female reforestation team is committed to rehabilitating critical wildlife habitats in the Kinabatangan region, with a special focus on restoring a continuous forest corridor along the Kinabatangan River.

  • Pangi Swiftlet Population Recovery Unit

    Since 2010, the team has been working to restore cave-dwelling swiftlet populations in the Pangi Forest Reserve, a unique limestone habitat in the Kinabatangan floodplain. The project has successfully increased the swiftlet population from 317 breeding pairs in 2010 to more than 5,000 in 2024.

  • Hutan Environmental Awareness Programme (HEAP)

    The Hutan Environmental Awareness Programme team (HEAP) conducts environmental programs for schools and communities across Sabah and Malaysia. The team is using the results of our field activities to disseminate messages about conservation and the sustainable use of our environment.

  • Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve Project Development Unit (KBR)

    In August 2022, the Sabah Government launched the Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve (KBR) initiative, seeking to secure designation under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. Hutan was honoured to be mandated, through the Sabah Biodiversity Centre, to implement the project. The team is implementing pilot projects in villages around Kinabatangan to lay the groundwork for the future Biosphere Reserve.

  • Operations and Logistics

    This team works diligently behind the scenes to provide essential logistical support to our field units in Sukau. The team is responsible for maintaining infrastructure and equipment, managing vehicles, procuring supplies and ensuring reliable utilities and basic services at Hutan sites.