Good view of a Borneo Bristlehead spotted in the forest
Staff members going home
BBooks has been back in KK from Sandakan for two days now, and looks back on the occasion with fond memories. It was great to have our stall within 20m of the forest, it must be a record. Even better, to get back from the Canopy Building to the main Rainforest Discovery Centre we had to walk through a rather nice little bit of forest, so we were surrounded. It was a revelation to see how many Malaysian birders have got going in the last 5 years, and the number of expert bird tour guides. The Forest Department’s organization and facilities were excellent, with a very good spirit among the staff (see photo). There were a few glitches but everything was dealt with. There is plenty for the general public to see and do. The needs of birders are of course very different and some skilful dovetailing will be needed to prevent these two interest groups from tripping over each other. But birders like to be on the canopy walkway at dawn, which is hardly favourite with the general public. The Festival ended quietly as the birders took flight to far away. There was a little ceremony for the staff, the highlight of which was a presentation by Mr Kai, Vice President of Cymao Plywood (a major Sandakan company and a generous sponsor of the Festival). With a flourish he unveiled…..a specially made flying squirrel roosting box! This looked remarkably like a litter bin camouflaged as a tree trunk, with a big hole in the side, but if its 20m up a tree it should find the right niche. Rumoured to contain all creature comforts – soft furnishings, TV, water cooler, flight simulator, the collected works of Bram Stoker…..flying squirrels have certainly been awarded Most Favoured Animal status. So its all over. We now look forward to next year and the chance to unearth….more Tall Tales from the Rainforest.
