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Orangutan Appeal UK team members completing Honorary Wildlife Warden training in Sabah

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Strengthening wildlife protection

Four members of our team have become accredited Honorary Wildlife Wardens.

21 May 2026

Victor, Pamik, Jergen and Jonrey recently completed Honorary Wildlife Warden training with the Sabah Wildlife Department.

The programme gave participants a deeper understanding of Sabah’s wildlife laws, the responsibilities of Honorary Wildlife Wardens and the correct procedures for recognising, reporting and responding to suspected wildlife crime. It also covered evidence handling, offences and penalties and practical field scenarios.

The broader threats facing Sabah’s wildlife

This accreditation is an important step for our team. Orangutan Appeal UK’s work is centred on orangutans, but protecting orangutans also means understanding the wider threats facing Sabah’s wildlife. Orangutans share their forests with elephants, pangolins, sun bears, proboscis monkeys, binturongs, hornbills and many other protected species. All of these animals face pressure from habitat loss, conflict, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

Recent reports from Sabah have shown how serious these threats remain. Elephants are being killed for ivory, while pangolins, sun bears and other protected species are being exploited for their body parts and the illegal wildlife trade. For orangutans, the evidence can be especially hard to find. They are not usually traded as body parts, but infants are taken alive for the illegal wildlife pet trade, often after their mothers have been killed.

News headlines highlighting poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking in Malaysia

This means the evidence of orangutan poaching can be much harder to find. If a baby is removed and the mother’s body is never found, there may be very little visible evidence of the crime. A reduction in the number of orphaned orangutans being rescued should therefore never be taken as proof that the threat has disappeared.

A stronger front against wildlife crime

As accredited Honorary Wildlife Wardens, Victor, Pamik, Jergen and Jonrey now have a stronger understanding of Sabah’s wildlife laws, the correct procedures for reporting suspected offences and the importance of handling information and evidence properly.

Their training will support their day-to-day work, strengthen their ability to recognise potential wildlife crime in Borneo and help them work more closely with the Sabah Wildlife Department and other local authorities.

Orangutans remain at the heart of our work, but they cannot be protected in isolation. Their future is linked to the forests they live in, the other species they share those forests with and the people working on the ground to protect them.

Our newly accredited wardens are on the frontline protecting Sabah's biodiversity. You can support their vital work on the ground by adopting an orphaned orangutan today or making a donation to our conservation projects."

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