Our Work

Hutan operates one of the longest-running wild orangutan research sites in the world. At our permanent study site, we have been conducting ground-breaking research on the socio-ecology of three generations of orangutans. Due to the orangutans solitary and cryptic nature, orangutan research is highly specialised and takes a lot of patience and effort. We also conduct phenological studies based on orangutan diets, and use our findings to guide reforestation efforts.

Monitoring wildlife population trends allows us to assess the overall health and biodiversity of specific habitats and ecosystems. We carry out population surveys both in our long-term research site, and across the Kinabatangan landscape, collecting data about diverse species including birds, frogs, bats, small and large mammals from areas such as dry forests, semi-inundated forests, riparian zones, limestone habitats, and in abandoned sections of oil palm plantations.

In the mosaic Kinabatangan landscape, the root cause of escalating human-wildlife conflicts, especially with elephants and orangutans, is the impossibility for large terrestrial mammals to move freely and safely between isolated patches of protected forest. Hutan’s trained Honorary Wildlife Wardens patrol the landscape to guide wildlife away from villages and agricultural areas, and to deter illegal activities such as poaching and logging.

In parallel, Hutan is committed to long-term solutions by expanding habitat size and restoring ecological connectivity, through the creation of permanent, safe wildlife passageways, especially along the Kinabatangan River and its tributaries.

In 2018, our teams initiated a long-term biodiversity monitoring at the 110-acre Genting Wildlife Corridor, a section of the larger Keruak Wildlife Corridor that is covered with abandoned mature oil palms. The Hutan Reforestation team has been working to restore this corridor by planting native trees in between the palms. To assess the impact of these efforts, the Wildlife Survey and Protection unit conducts biodiversity monitoring through various methods, including small mammal trapping, frog and bird surveys, bioacoustics, and camera trapping.

Hutan has started assessing and monitoring ecosystem health across various land-use types and reforested areas by assessing biomass as a proxy for carbon storage, and soil health. The findings inform restoration strategies and support climate change mitigation by identifying which land uses best support ecological recovery and sustainability.

To address species decline in the Kinabatangan, Hutan supports targeted recovery efforts. Since 2010, our Pangi Swiftlet Population Recovery Project has boosted the swiftlet population by over 1,400%, with ongoing monitoring and daily patrols to prevent illegal harvesting.

Also, Hutan has been building and erecting artificial nest boxes for large hornbill species to compensate for the absence of large emergent trees that are the natural breeding sites for these cavity-breeder species. More than 40 nests were erected in the forests of Kinabatangan and other sites resulting in the production of several chicks belonging to rhinoceros hornbills and other species of hornbills.

Hutan is integrating new technologies with traditional survey methods to better understand population dynamics in the Kinabatangan. By combining thermal drone technology, helicopter and ground-based surveys, we aim to obtain a more accurate picture of orangutan distribution and enhance the effectiveness of monitoring and conservation efforts. Since 2021, Hutan is also exploring Bioacoustic Monitoring  to document bats and other species in various types of forest environment.