Sandakan has emerged from roaring timber trade of the past to the present day Palm-Oil and tourism industry. With the support of governments in the development of its state parks and wildlife reserves in line with conservation of the wildlife species, Sandakan has become the gateway to Borneo’s wildlife.
Located on the east coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, it boosts the world famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre where human teaches captived Orang Utans how to live a natural life in the forest again. The nearby Sun Bear Centre does similar rehabilitation work for this species that was unable to survive in the forest due mainly to deforestation and human interventions.
The Labuk Bay Wildlife Sanctuary located just outside Sandakan provides sanctuary to Proboscis monkeys, macaques and other wildlife a place they could count on to get their daily food in the middle of a plantation.
The Kinabatangan River Wildlife Sanctuary is a gazetted state land about 130 km from Sandakan to protect wildlife along the river to ensure habitat for survival for Proboscis monkey, Orang Utan, red and silver leaf monkeys, macaques, Pygmy elephants, crocodiles, otters and many species of birds.
Conservation benefits tourism. The economic benefit of tourism justify the cost of conservation by a big margin. If carried out in a sustainable basis, it could be the new economic model for managing the forest resources.
Come to Sandakan to witness sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation at its best.