Article: Sabah’s orang utans to feature in National Geographic

By RUBEN SARIO

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's orang utan conservation efforts will be featured in a National Geographic channel documentary that is scheduled for screening to potential international audience of 260 million households in November.

The documentary is being produced by Kuala Lumpur-based Novista Sdn Bhd that was engaged by the National Development Film Corporaration (Finas) for the project.

Novista director Lina Teoh said filming of the documentary would begin in the middle of the year at various locations around the state.

"We feel there has been a lot of positive work done in Sabah to conserve the orang utan and this is among the things the documentary will focus on," said Teoh after briefing State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjum about the documentary on Saturday.

Teoh said about 10 people would be involved in the filming work following their research into Sabah's orang utan for nearly a year.

She said Novista's plan was to invite an internationally renowned Malaysian artiste to narrate the documentary.

"We are in the midst of identifying and discussing with some artistes to see could be involved in this project," said Teoh whose company had produced a documentary on the Kuala Lumpur Smart Tunnel for the Mega Structure segment on the National Geographic channel.

Masidi said the state government, through his ministry, would be supporting the filming of the documentary, which he said would create more international awareness about Sabah.

"This project is good from the perspective of our conservation efforts and tourism sector as well," he said in adding that his ministry would support the filming in terms of logistics as well as ensuring Novista obtained the necessary permits and clearances as quickly as possible.

Sabah's orang utan conservation effort is focused at Sepilok in the east coast Sandakan district where orphaned and displaced primates are sheltered and rehabilitated to prepare them for life in the wild.

Wildlife experts estimate that the orang utan population in Sabah is about 11,000 and consider it a vulnerable species.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation: 7th February 2009