KOTA KINABALU: Threats against the protected pangolin, including poaching, have reduced in Sabah, but it doesn’t mean these species are safe now. Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) director Prof. Dr Benoît Goossens said that while the cases reported and recorded have reduced, poaching of pangolins was still ongoing. He said the creation of the Sabah Forestry Department’s Protect unit and the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Rapid Response Teams, funded by Yayasan Sime Darby, has also contributed to this improvement. “The setting up of an intelligence unit at Sabah Wildlife Department, with support from DGFC and funding from the United States Department of State have played important roles too,” added Goossens. The public is urged to report incidents of wildlife trade or poaching if they know or see such activities to the Sabah Wildlife Department immediately.

Source: The Star February 22, 2026 04:10 UTC