Saturday October 4, 2008
By Leong Siok Hui
The latest guidebook to hit our bookshelves showcases Malaysia’s stunning wildlife reserves and natural heritage.
Taman Negara and Kinabalu Park aside, most Malaysians and foreign tourists have never set foot on some of Malaysia’s most astounding natural treasures, like Sabah’s Maliau Basin, Perak’s Royal Belum State Park, and Sarawak’s Batang Ai National Park.
Nine out of 10 people I’ve spoken to have never even heard of the smaller but equally intriguing parks like Sarawak’s Lambir Hills National Park or Sabah’s Tabin Wildlife Reserve. But thanks to Wildlife Guide Malaysia, we now have a good overview of what the country has to offer in terms of natural heritage.
Detailed description: The latest guidebook to hit our bookshelves, Wildlife Guide Malaysia features 19 national parks scattered around the country, highlights their unique attractions and spectacular flora and fauna.
Written by Helen Oon and published by New Holland Publishers (Ltd) UK, Wildlife highlights 19 national parks and 14 state and marine parks. The book opens with an introduction to Malaysia’s forest types, the animal kingdom and bird life. You get the usual travel tips like how to get to your destination, a list of tour operators, and lodging options.
Jungle treks in Endau Rompin, for instance, are categorised under beginner, intermediate or advance levels based on the difficulty and duration of the trek.
Sidebars with tips, trivia or legends are also slotted in here and there. Educational and fun, these sidebars list, among other things, the legend behind the Buaya Sangkut Waterfall in Endau Rompin, the top sites for jungle safari and nature adventures, and insights into the Berawans, the indigenous group in Mulu National Park.
A full-page map lists the national parks at a glance, with most chapters featuring more detailed maps of the parks and trekking routes. A gallery of colourful animal illustrations give readers an idea as to the kind of birds and animals to be found.
Readers also get a glimpse into the history of the parks. It recounts, for example, the relentless efforts by World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia and Malaysian Nature Society to lobby for Belum and Temengor forests to be protected, resulting in the establishment of the Royal Belum State Park.
On the map: This map shows the locations of the 19 national parks featured in Wildlife Guide Malaysia.
Belum, it is pointed out, is the only forest in Malaysia that is home to all 10 species of Malaysian hornbills, making Perak the true “Land of Hornbills” instead of Sarawak, official proclamations aside. Maliau Basin, we learn, has hosted various expeditions whereby scientists recorded a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna in one of the last remaining virgin forests in the world.
Wildlife also highlights some conservation groups’ work in our forests, like SOS Rhino, the non-profit international organisation that protects rhinos and their habitat, and the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre .
Could be better
While the book is a good introduction to Malaysia’s parks, it waffles between being an adventure guide to Malaysia’s wilderness and a general overview of Malaysian parks.
As a guidebook for outdoor buffs, its text-heavy pages and the way the content is organised make it a tad tedious to read. Say, you’re looking for a challenging trek with few visitors, which park is the best? Or how is each park unique or different in its own way?
For example, where in Malaysia can you get up close with the gibbons, orang utan and sambar deer? Danum Valley is literally where you get “wildlife at your doorstep.”
(From top) Picturesque Pulau Tioman, mangrove forest at Bako National Park in Sarawak and Orang Asli villages in Cameron Highlands.
If you fancy a world where the trees thrust up to heavens, where wild orchids hang like beaded curtains, and raucous gibbons deliver wake-up calls every morning, then head to Maliau Basin. And the best park for self-guided treks with over 30km of well-marked trails? Bako National Park (Sarawak) wins hands down!
Perhaps a short write-up or introduction to sum up what’s best about each park at the beginning of the chapters would be great. That way, one wouldn’t need to plough through an entire chapter to find out why the park is a must-go.
Some of the statements made by the author is also contentious, like her assertion that “roughly half of the rainforest has been cleared for development, urbanisation, deforestation and agriculture. Malaysia, however, has a progressive policy of eco-tourism to conserve its national heritage.”
Why does she say so?
But as a book that finally highlights one of the most prized possessions of this country - her natural heritage - Wildlife Guide Malaysia is worth the money.
* Wildlife Guide Malaysia (RM79.90) is available at all major bookstores.
-- The Star Lifestyle
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