Morning hasn’t broken. The forest is still dark and quiet. Only occasional chirps of insects echo through the darkness. The river flows calmly. The air is cool, tempting enough to pull the blanket over for an extra few minutes of morning sleep.
Philip Ulok and his field biodiversity monitoring team members have left their hammocks. They need to prepare rations for a full day’s hike. Today, the plan is to visit several places, all rather far from the camp, to check the wildlife monitoring devices installed the previous month. Specifically, they need to collect and replace the memory cards and change the batteries.
Phillip’s work is part of the biodiversity monitoring programme of the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project (KRCP). The Project is in Sabah, Malaysia and is a collaborative initiative by Yayasan Sabah, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn. Bhd., and Permian Malaysia. Key project partners include Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) and The Partners of Community Organisation Sabah(PACOS) Trust. Phillip and his team work as part of SEARRP, whilst PACOS is one of the most prominent local NGOs in Sabah, which focuses on the development of the rural communities like those in the nearby villages of Kuamut and Karamuak clusters of villages.
Forest secrets
The deep and tall forests of Borneo, including the Kuamut rainforest in Central Sabah, hold many secrets. One is the elusive Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi), a subspecies of bovines whose closest relative in Java and Bali has been domesticated for centuries and known as Bali cattle. These animals embody the spirit of the forests, a connection to the ancient life where humans and nature coexisted.
The Bornean banteng is generally more obscure than their relatives in the other parts of their native range, such as Java and mainland Southeast Asia. There is no record of domestication of the Bornean banteng. Instead, there are suspicions and concerns over the possibility that Bornean bantengs in some areas have interbred with Bali cattle brought and raised by some communities in Kalimantan and Sabah.
The fact that the Bornean banteng has never been domesticated does not mean that it lacks ecological and cultural importance. For generations, the banteng has played a vital role in the ecosystem, shaping the mosaics of forests and other natural ecosystems, facilitating interactions with other species, and helping to maintain biodiversity and ecological stability wherever they roam.
Culturally, the presence of banteng echoes in the stories and traditions of the communities with whom they share space. Traditional communities also occasionally hunt them for meat and subsistence. Now, this majestic animal, a symbol of Borneo’s wild heart, is fading like a shadow, rapidly disappearing along with the shrinking forests and the long-term pressure of hunting.
Critically Endangered
The IUCN Red List recently classified the global status of banteng as Critically Endangered [https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2888/270543638], a strong warning of their precarious situation. A steep global population decline of over 80% in the last 21 years paints a grim picture. From the once-thriving populations across Southeast Asia, including strongholds in Cambodia, to the dwindling herds in Sabah and Kalimantan, the banteng is now facing an existential crisis.
In Sabah, banteng populations are scattered in the remaining habitats across the state, including Central Sabah, where the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project is located. The project, therefore, has included banteng as one of the main target species to monitor alongside around 50 other rare, threatened and endangered/endemic species found on the project area.
For some ground-dwelling species such as banteng, camera traps are an excellent tool to document their presence and monitor their condition in the wild. That is why Philip and the team use the equipment, which automatically records still images and videos of every animal that passes in front of it. In addition to camera traps, the team has also installed acoustic recorders in systematically selected sampling stations throughout the forest.
Habitat mosaic
Understanding the banteng’s ecological requirements is crucial for their conservation. Unlike their mainland relatives who prefer open, dry deciduous forests, Bornean banteng have adapted to the more humid environment of the island. They thrive in secondary forests, a result of logging and fires, and venture into sub-humid forests when the opportunity arises.
Bantengs often have a kind of “love and hate” relationship with humans. On the one hand, traditional and indigenous communities practicing shifting agriculture allow mature forests that have little food available for banteng to be opened. This allows grass, a preferred food item for banteng, to grow, particularly when the land is abandoned the farmers move to different locations. On the other hand, bantengs are also being hunted for their meat by the people, which puts pressure on their population.
Even though banteng can inhabit a variety of mosaic habitats, they are not immune to the effects of habitat destruction. In Sabah, banteng inhabit a diverse range of habitats, from tropical lowland and upland dipterocarp forests to lower montane, seasonal freshwater swamp, and beach forests. They utilise open grasslands, mature timber plantations, and abandoned cultivated land, highlighting their ability to adapt to varying landscapes. Crucially, their habitat preference is tied to specific soil types, proximity to intact or logged forests with pioneer vegetation, and areas with higher precipitation during the dry season.
Forest edges, interior openings, abandoned logging roads, and riverbanks are vital for foraging, socialising, and movement. These areas provide the banteng with essential resources and facilitate their daily activities. Furthermore, human disturbance significantly influences their habitat use. In undisturbed mature forests, they venture into interior grassy openings or forest edges to forage during specific hours, showcasing their sensitivity to human presence.
The banteng’s diet is equally diverse. While they are primarily grazers, consuming grasses, sedges, and herbs, they also browse on leaves, fruits, flowers, bark, and young branches of woody shrubs and trees, including palms. Their preference for young shoots of Alang-alang grass highlights their specific dietary needs. Mineral licks and access to water sources are also critical for their survival, with some populations even resorting to drinking seawater to meet their mineral requirements.
Their social structure, typically female-juvenile units, with temporary larger assemblages and sexually segregated adult groups for much of the year, also plays a vital role in their ecology. Their activity patterns, peaking at dawn and dusk for foraging and social interactions, and resting during mid-day, are adapted to their environment and human disturbance.
The Multiple Threats
The reasons for the banteng’s global decline are a complex web of interconnected threats. Illegal hunting, driven by the growing demand for wild meat, is the most pressing danger. As well as guns, the use of snares in particular have had a devastating impact, indiscriminately trapping and killing these animals. Forest clearance and fragmentation, fueled by agricultural expansion (especially oil palm, rubber, and timber plantations), logging, and mining, are further shrinking their already limited habitat.
In Borneo, the situation is particularly critical. Only a small fraction of suitable banteng habitat remains, much of it is fragmented and outside protected areas. The loss of habitat connectivity subsequently prevents gene flow between populations, threatening their genetic diversity. Furthermore, illegal hunting, which often targets even small or remnant herds, is pushing them closer to the brink.
Disease and genetic threats also loom large. Potential disease transmission from livestock, hybridisation with domestic cattle, and the loss of genetic diversity due to isolation and inbreeding are all potential dangers. The removal of mature breeding individuals by poachers further disrupts their social structure and genetic integrity.
The scale of the threat is immense across the distribution range of banteng. In mainland southeast Asia, tens of thousands of snares are removed from protected areas annually. In Cambodia, mining concessions are encroaching on critical banteng habitat. In Java, invasive plant species are degrading grazing lands. In Sabah, the continuing expansion of agro-industries are also replacing the banteng’s habitats.
Efforts to Conserve Banteng
Amidst this reality, there are glimmers of hope. In Sabah, government and key stakeholders are working hard to ensure the recovery of banteng across the state. Following extensive surveys across the habitat range within the state, the Banteng Conservation Strategy was developed in 2018.
Implementation of the strategy includes intensive research, awareness raising, habitat enrichment, protection, and captive breeding programmes. These involved collaboration among key stakeholders including Sabah Wildlife Department and other government agencies, NGOs such as WWF and BORA, land managers, education and research institutions such as the University of Malaysia Sabah. Programmes took place in various places especially where banteng are found. One of the most actively managed areas for banteng has been Tabin Wildlife Reserve where habitat improvements for banteng have been implemented. Results are being monitored closely as part of adaptive management practices.
Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project
Other notable initiatives to conserve banteng are conducted by the private sector, where organisations happen to manage areas that contain banteng populations. One such case is the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project, which manages the Kuamut Forest Reserve. Within our project biodiversity strategy, we are working to safeguard the banteng’s habitat and ensure that their populations are conserved into the future, by addressing the multiple threats they face.
The project recognises that saving the banteng is not just about protecting a single species; it’s about preserving an entire ecosystem. The dense rainforests, the meandering rivers, the rich biodiversity they support and the local communities are all interconnected. By protecting these habitats, the project is also addressing illegal hunting through a combination of integrated protection strategies and meaningful community engagement.
Banteng recovery requires robust conservation strategies. While legal protection exists in all range states, its enforcement remains a challenge. The most significant populations in Java, Cambodia, Thailand, and Sabah require focused conservation efforts. Lessons learned from successful conservation initiatives offer valuable insights. In Thailand, the recovery of banteng populations is attributed to decades of conservation outreach, improved law enforcement, effective logging bans, and habitat management targeted at ungulates. The successful reintroduction of banteng in Salakphra WS highlights the potential of translocation programs and careful genetic management.
In Java, the establishment of national parks including Ujung Kulon, Baluran, Alas Purwo and Meru Betiri and structured conservation planning, though hampered by socio-political changes, have played a crucial role in protecting banteng populations. The ongoing metapopulation management approach, focusing on genetic diversity and consistent monitoring, offers a promising model for other regions going forwards.
The Path Forward
Saving the Bornean banteng is not an impossible task, but it requires a unified front. It demands the full engagement and commitment of local communities, who are the guardians of these forests and its animals. It necessitates the dedication of wildlife and forest managers, who work tirelessly on the frontlines. It also requires the expertise of scientists, who help unravel the mysteries of banteng ecology and genetics. Finally, it demands the decisive action of lawmakers and enforcers, who must implement and uphold conservation policies.
We must remember that the banteng is more than just an animal; it is a thread in the intricate tapestry of life, a vital part of the Bornean forest ecosystem. Their disappearance would leave a gaping hole, a silence in the once-vibrant forests, a disruption in the ecological balance. We must act now, to keep the spirits of Borneo alive. Let us amplify the banteng’s silent cry, let’s make sure that these magnificent creatures flourish and continue to roam free in the forests of Borneo.
Philip’s team has just reached the second sampling station by mid afternoon. They smiled with excitement when the camera trap they checked actually contained banteng images and video! Not just one, but three individuals including a female, a juvenile and a bull. Their hard work in planning the camera trap collection and deployment in such remote and difficult to reach terrain had paid off. They walked back to camp, tired but happy.
The initial results of the project biodiversity monitoring suggest that the protection of the area has helped these animals persist in the landscape. However, there is still much more to be done to ensure a robust recovery of the banteng in Borneo. Let us ensure that the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project and other initiatives push forward so that humans and banteng, along with the magnificent forest and other wildlife, can coexist in both ecological and economic harmony.
Sunarto, PhD | Wildlife & Landscape Ecologist, Permian Global | Email: sunarto@permianglobal.com
Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP)
The Partners of Community Organisation Sabah(PACOS) Trust
Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project LinkedIn Showcase
Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project Instagram
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