I received an email from Patrick again this morning. He sent me one before, asking about some issues on Kinabalu climbing with his children. This time he was asking us a favor - to donate to his fund raising climb - for survivors of Cyclone Nargis which hit Burma few months back.

I received an email from our friend, Wai Yong today. This is what she wrote:

As I know, SSL will include packed lunch for all Mt. Kinabalu climbers in 2008, as compulsory. I just want to concern about the ‘litter bugs’ will throw the polystyrene boxes into Mt Kinabalu ravine or just anywhere and everywhere.

I received another email from Cikgu Ismail yesterday. He was asking me about the “World Heritage” title that was given by UNESCO (United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to Kinabalu Park in 2000.

What is World Heritage?

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LAHAD DATU: WWF-Malaysia captured another Borneo pygmy elephant in Ulu Segama-Malua on Tuesday after having tracked the path of the mammal for two days.

The captured elephant, a female believed to be few months pregnant, was fitted with a collar that can send GPS signals to WWF daily via satellite, enabling researchers to keep track of its movements.

After the disastrous 2004 Boxing Day Asian tsunami that wiped out 300,000 in a blink of an eye, is Sabah at risk of any similar disaster in the future?

As Sabah is lapped by three different seas, French geophysicist and seismologist Jean-Paul Boeldieu thinks the potential risk may apply differently to the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea.

For the second time in 72 hours, marine turtles have been seized from Chinese fishing boats in Sabah’s waters carrying a cargo of 220 Green and Hawksbill turtles on 28 March 2007. The first boat was apprehended on 26 March with 72 marine turtles of the same two species and six people were arrested.

WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia applaud the success of the Sabah Marine Police and encourage them and other enforcement agencies to continue these efforts. Chris R. Shepherd, the Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia says, “We urge the authorities to prosecute these poachers to the full extent of the law. If there is no deterrent, killing of these endangered species will continue”.

Do you know that El Nino drought that happened in 1997-1998 in Sabah gave a very big impact on the vegetation of Mount Kinabalu? I came across this news from New Sabah Times, mentioning about the possibility of the drought recur again in the next future.

According to the officials, during the 1998 El Nino event only 31 milimeters (1.25 inches) of rain were recorded at Park HQ between January and April, in comparison to around 850 milimeters (33 inches) during normal year. El Nino events affected the mountain in 1973, 1983, 1992 and 1998.

Just remember to wear your life jacket when you go on a tourist boat to any island in Sabah. You don’t want to end up dead while spending your holiday here. It’s what hapenned in Sandakan, Sabah, when a tourist boat capsized in Padas River mouth on the 9th of January.

BTW, it’s not the same Padas River where you go for white water rafting.

Read the full story here

I came across this article about new animal and plant species that they found in Borneo. Wildlife experts says they have discovered at least 52 new species of animals and plants between July 2005 and September 2006 on th island of Borneo.

Newly discovered Borneo tree frog (Rhacophorus gadingensis).
© Alexander Haas