Introduction and history

Danum Valley is about 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of Lahad Datu, Sabah.  It spans 438 square kilometers (170 square miles) making it the largest remaining area of virgin undisturbed lowland rainforest in Malaysia. Danum is recognized as one of the world's most complex ecosystems; lying within the upper reaches of Sabah's second largest river, the Segama, and its tributaries. The eastern and southern borders of Danum Valley are demarcated by the Segama River. Danum Valley is generally hilly but not mountainous. Its highest point is Mount Danum, at 1090 meters (3585 feet). Danum Valley is bordered all around by a vast timber concession area. Research in Danum has revealed a tremendous variety of plants and a full range of Sabah’s lowland fauna including rare and endangered species like the Sumatran rhino, Asian elephant, Clouded leopard and Orang utan.

As recent as the early 1960s, this nature sanctuary located in the southeastern corners of Sabah was virtually inaccessible. This is because the entire valley is cut off from civilization by the vast surrounding primary forests. In the early 1960s, between the waning years of the British rule and the nascent years of Sabah's independence through a merger with the independent Malaya, soil surveyors first carried out soil studies in Danum Valley. They observed that there was an abundance of wildlife and different forest types and then suggested setting up a wildlife sanctuary within the Danum Valley.

In 1976, the Sabah Natural Parks Board sponsored a scientific expedition into Danum Valley, which was funded by the World Wildlife Fund (as it was then known). The report recommended that Danum Valley should be converted into a natural park. A few years later, a state-wide fauna survey was carried out and its report concluded that Danum Valley was one of the most important conservation areas for mammals and birds. At around the same time, the Sabah state government allocated a vast area measuring 10,000 square kilometers (3,865 square miles) of virgin forests to the Sabah Foundation, a state-owned organization responsible for improving the welfare and education of the Sabahans.

The Sabah Foundation fulfils its objectives through generating revenue from logging, saw-milling and other timber processing activities. Fortunately, in 1980 the Sabah Foundation voluntarily retained the Danum Valley as a conservation area where natural vegetation and the wildlife will be preserved for the purposes of conservation, research and education. In 1986, the Sabah Foundation formally opened a scientific field study center, Danum Valley Conservation Area, in the eastern part of Danum Valley. To date, many scientific projects have been undertaken at the research centre. In 1996, the protective status of Danum Valley was further enhanced when it was announced as a Protection Forest Reserve. As a result, logging and other commercial exploitative activities have been banned.

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