Pangi Swiftlet Population Recovery Project Report 2010-2021
Swiftlets are found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, building their edible nests in limestone caves. These nests-principally those of the white-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus)-are an important constituent of traditional Chinese medicine and, since the 14th century, their harvest and trade have thrived in the Kinabatangan region developing into a deep-rooted tradition within the local Orang Sungai community. These caves were traditionally managed in a low-impact and sustainable manner. But since the late 1980’s, unsustainable harvesting of bird nests, combined with expansive landscape changes, caused a drastic decline in the swiftlet populations and led to numerous local extinctions.
In 2009, Hutan conducted a survey of the limestone outcrops found in the three Class VI Forest Reserves near the village of Sukau. Two of these cave systems (Keruak and Bod Tai) had already seen their swiftlet populations decline and disappear. Only the 439-hectare Pangi Forest Reserve still harboured a small swiftlet population (less than 200 nests counted).
In 2010, Hutan was mandated by the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Sabah Forestry Department to implement the Pangi Swiftlet Population Recovery Project (through an MOU and a letter of authorization respectively).
