Making tracks: how linking patches of wilderness is saving Borneo’s wildlife

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece here in The Guardian or enjoy below

🗞️ Driving the news: The Rhino and Forest Fund (RFF), a German conservationist group, has successfully bought and repurposed a patch of land in the Malaysian forest
• Once dominated by palm oil plantations and electric fences, this land now serves as a crucial wildlife corridor, providing safe passage for elephants and other endangered species

🔭 The context: The RFF was founded in 2009 by Robert Risch with a vision to reconnect the Tabin and Kulamba reserves and create a 200,000-hectare wilderness

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: RFF's work to enhance reserve connectivity aids in sustaining regional biodiversity and fighting global species extinction
• The establishment of these green corridors is crucial for the survival of endangered species like Bornean pygmy elephants, orangutans, and the extremely rare Storm's stork

⏭️ What's next: The RFF is now raising funds to buy another 540 hectares of land for approximately $5m to further widen the corridor
• However, acquiring plantation land in the region is challenging due to its high value for the lucrative palm oil industry

💬 One quote: "The major threat for these species in this landscape is not deforestation or poaching, but fragmentation" (Marc Ancrenaz, head of the local community-based conservation organization Hutan)

📈 One stat: The state of Sabah has committed to protecting 30% of its undeveloped land area by 2025, in a bid to balance its booming palm oil industry with the need for biodiversity conservation

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