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Daily Express
20 hours ago
- General
- Daily Express
Nabalu to be free after 6 months
Published on: Friday, June 13, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 13, 2025 Text Size: Liew (centre), flanked by Mohd Soffian (on her left) and Mariani, naming the baby gibbon (INSET) 'Nabalu'. Kota Kinabalu: The first birth of a North Bornean male gibbon in captivity on May 8 was named Nabalu by State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew. Sabah-born primatologist Mariani Ramli, who is the Founder and President of Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS), accorded Liew the honour to name the baby born to parents Candyman and Manis (rescued years ago) at the Borneo Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Borneo GReP) site at Kg Kiau Bersatu, Kota Belud. Advertisement North Bornean gibbons are also known as 'Kalawot'. Founded in 2013, GCS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and re-wilding (or release back into the wild) of Malaysia's forgotten singing apple - gibbons - who are often victims of the illegal wildlife pet trade. Borneo GReP was established in 2022. 'The birth is a historic first for this endangered species in captivity at a rehabilitation centre. I picked the name 'Nabalu' (meaning Spirit of the Mountain) for this baby gibbon by drawing names provided by Mariani when she paid a courtesy call on me recently,' Liew said, while agreeing to adopt the infant (symbolically). 'The Ministry through, the Sabah Wildlife Department (JHL), supports the Society's gibbon conservation, rehabilitation and re-wilding project.' Mariani, who is the Director of Operations at Borneo GReP, said Nabalu, together with its parents, would be released back to the wild when it is more than six months old. 'With Nabalu's birth, both Manis and Candyman have proven their readiness for 're-wilding',' she said. Successful gibbon 're-wilding' requires fulfilment of all the criteria for release based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Best Practices Guidelines For The Rehabilitation and Translocation of Gibbons. She said these include Brachiation (which means natural swinging from branch to branch), Minimal Time on the Ground (less than 5pc of time, more than 40pc in the upper canopy), Proper Socialisation (at least 3pc of time grooming and bonding with others), and Paired with a Child (that is, successful mating and co-parenting of offspring). The Minister congratulated Mariani on having gained international recognition for her gibbon conservation and rehabilitation work in Malaysia under the auspices of GCS. Notably, the primatologist was appointed as World Female Ranger Ambassador for Resilience twice - in 2024 and 2025, and the only Malaysian at that. 'You have made Sabah and Malaysia proud of your leadership in gibbon conservation through your Society,' Liew remarked. 'We also take pride in the acknowledgement that the two gibbon rehabilitation project sites in Sabah and Pahang, respectively, constitute Malaysia's only IUCN accredited gibbon rehabilitation project centres.' Not many are aware of the existence of GCS. It owns, runs, and manages the Borneo gibbon rehabilitation project site (Borneo GReP) in Kota Belud. The site in Raub (Pahang) is under the care of Operations Director Ana Jonessy, also a Sabahan. Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department (JHL) Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, who was present during the courtesy call, said gibbons rescued by the department were handed over to Borneo GReP for rehabilitation purposes. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
World's first gibbon born in captivity in Sabah to be released into the wild
Pictures courtesy of Gibbon Conservation Society KOTA KINABALU: The world's possibly first gibbon born in captivity will be released into the wild with its parents once it reaches 6 months of age. '"Nabalu' was born on May 8 to Candyman and Manis, a pair of gibbons rescued and rehabilitated at the Borneo Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Borneo GReP) in Kampung Kiau Bersatu, Kota Belud. The centre was established in 2022. Gibbon experts said a successful "rewilding" must meet all release criteria outlined in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Best Practice Guidelines for the Rehabilitation and Translocation of Gibbons. Gibbon Conservation Society founder and president Mariani Ramli, a Sabahan primatologist, said Nabalu and its parents will be released as a family once the baby is over 6 months old. "With Nabalu's birth, both Manis and Candyman have demonstrated their readiness for rewilding." She said the release site must be agreed upon by all stakeholders, including the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Sabah Wildlife Department and Gibbon Conservation Society. The honour of naming the newborn gibbon was given to Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew by the Gibbon Conservation Society. "The birth on May 8 is a historic milestone for this endangered species in captivity at the rehabilitation centre. I chose the name 'Nabalu', which means Spirit of the Mountain, for this baby gibbon," said Liew. She added that the ministry, through the Sabah Wildlife Department, supports the Gibbon Conservation Society's gibbon conservation, rehabilitation and rewilding efforts. Liew congratulated Mariani for gaining international recognition for her gibbon conservation work in Malaysia. Mariani was recently appointed the only Malaysian World Female Ranger Ambassador for Resilience for 2024 and 2025. "With your passion and relentless dedication, you (Mariani) have made Sabah and Malaysia proud through your leadership in gibbon conservation.
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- General
- Borneo Post
Endangered North Bornean gibbon born in captivity in Sabah
Liew (centre), flanked by Mohd Soffian (on her left) and Mariani, naming the baby gibbon (INSET) 'Nabalu' after picking the name by drawing names at the ministry's conference room. KOTA KINABALU (June 12): The unprecedented birth of a male gibbon on May 8, 2025, the first in the world to be born in captivity for this species (scientifically known as Hylobates funereus or by its common name North Bornean Gibbon or known as 'Kalawot' in the local native language), has created history for Sabah and Malaysia, said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Christina Liew. Sabah-born primatologist Mariani Ramli, who is the founder and president of Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS), accorded Liew the honour to name the baby born to parents Candyman and Manis (rescued a couple of years ago) at the Borneo Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Borneo GReP) site at Kg Kiau Bersatu, Kota Belud. Founded in 2013, GCS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-wilding (or release back into the wild) of Malaysia's forgotten singing apple – gibbons – who are often victims of the illegal wildlife pet trade. Borneo GReP was established in 2022. Newborn Nabalu clings tightly to his mother, Manis, while his father, Candyman, keeps a lookout for potential danger (PR, Photo by courtesy of GCS). 'The birth is a historic first for this endangered species in captivity at a rehabilitation centre. I picked the name 'Nabalu' (meaning Spirit of the Mountain) for this baby gibbon by drawing names provided by Mariani when she paid a courtesy call on me recently,' Liew said, while agreeing to adopt the infant (symbolically). 'The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS) through its agency, Sabah Wildlife Department (JHL), supports the Society's gibbon conservation, rehabilitation and re-wilding project,' said Liew. In response to a question from the minister, Mariani, who is the Director of Operations at Borneo GReP, said Nabalu, together with his parents, will be released back into the wild as a family when it is more than six months old. 'With Nabalu's birth, both Manis and Candyman have proven their readiness for 're-wilding',' she added. According to the gibbon expert, successful gibbon 're-wilding' requires fulfilment of all the criteria for release based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Best Practices Guidelines For The Rehabilitation and Translocation of Gibbons. She said these include Brachiation (which means natural swinging from branch to branch), Minimal Time on the Ground (less than five per cent of time, more than 40 per cent in the upper canopy), Proper Socialisation (at least three per cent of time grooming and bonding with others), and Paired with a Child (that is, successful mating and co-parenting of offspring). 'Furthermore, the release site must be agreeable among all stakeholders,' she added. 'They comprise KePKAS, JHL, GCS, and the local community where the Society is going to release the gibbons.' Meanwhile, the minister congratulated Mariani on having gained international recognition for her gibbon conservation and rehabilitation work in Malaysia under the auspices of GCS. Notably, the primatologist was appointed as World Female Ranger Ambassador for Resilience twice – in 2024 and 2025, and the only Malaysian at that. 'With your passion and relentless effort, you (Mariani) have made Sabah and Malaysia proud of your leadership in gibbon conservation through your Society,' Liew remarked. 'We also take pride in the acknowledgement that the two gibbon rehabilitation project sites in Sabah and Pahang, respectively, constitute Malaysia's only IUCN accredited gibbon rehabilitation project centres.' Not many are aware of the existence of GCS, let alone know that it is the organisation that owns, runs and manages the Borneo gibbon rehabilitation project site (Borneo GReP) in Kota Belud. The site in Raub (Pahang) is under the care of operations director Ana Jonessy, also a Sabahan. Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, who was present during the courtesy call, said gibbons rescued by the department were handed over to Borneo GReP for rehabilitation purposes.
