SIXTH LESSON: SMALL MAMMALS INVENTORY – TOUGH ONE

We prepare the live-wire cage trap and it is 150 of it to be set up in the secondary forest and the plantation. Everyone is working hard to finish set up the traps in two days because we need to have 7 trap nights for that trappings.

The traps will be set up 25m apart so at every station i will take the GPS point so it will be easy for mapping that point in the map.

This is not the small mammals that we trap using the cage traps. It is a primate, the Western Tarsier Tarsius bancanus. Actually, one of my workers caught it by hand when we check the traps. This was my first time see this animal alive in the wild and i feel very excited. When i hold it, it grab my finger tightly and it didn't bite me (i am just lucky that it doesn't bite me).

After we took photo of it, we released it back into the forest where we caught it.

This trip is my first trip of my own project. My study is to do comparison of small mammals assemblages in different types of habitat e.g plantation, conservation area (large secondary forest) and remnant forest (secondary forest that left for buffer zone). During this first trip i was struggle very hard with help from GP-CON staff, workers and actually i am working together with one student from NZ. He is doing another study where he is looking at the movements of the small mammals accross the plantation landscape. What can i say about this experienced was, it really teach me to become more serious in work out a scientific research in the field. Why i say it so? Because at some point where i get very tired and stressed, i was thinking of quit doing it. It was the craziest thing that has come into my mind during this trip. How come someone that feeling very blessed because have a chance to work on her dream job ever thinking of quiting this job? However i feel very lucky because i have so many people around me that support what i am doing and what i have been through.

The results of this trip is also very impressive andi really didn't imagine that i can make it very well. Hmm..it's not because i am the only one doing it but because our team work during the trip. I have this one boy as my worker. He is really good. He doesn't mind to help me prepare the specimen until almost 2 am in the mroning. He doesn't complaint and just be there and help me. Without his help i think i maybe get sick because of loads of works to be done.

As a conclusion, the first experienced will never forgot because it will become the trigger to move on and improving it.

FIFTH LESSON: HERPETOFAUNA INVENTORY

In April 2006, my boss asked me if I want to join the herpetofauna inventory which is led by Dato' Dr. Bob from Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. As usual I am very excited to learn something new, even though deep in my heart I was a little bit scared because I have snakes, lizards and frogs phobia. I can not stand with frogs because of its smooth and slimy skin. Meanwhile for snakes and lizards, because some of it venomous. However, I will never say NO because I need to gain this valuable experienced.

This is my first experienced stay in the camp, which I have to sleep on the hammock. I was really enjoyed that trip because I really like to stay inside the forest. Our camp was build next to the river and we take bath in that river. I still remember my first experienced caught a frog during that survey. It was Rana glandulosa and it's almost escaped from my hands because it is too slimy.

During that trip, I learn to identify frogs into species level. It was very tough at first because all names were new to me. However, I was lucky because there were two assistants from Sabah Museum join our trip and they taught me a lot on identification. Bro Pat really teaches me a lot and I admire his skills on herps identification and his work in the field is really fantastic. When we go for frogging at night, his ability on spotted the frogs or lizards or snakes were really amazing.

I also help them with lab work where we take all the frogs, lizards and snakes as a museum specimen. We prepared it as a wet specimen and take liver tissues for DNA purpose. Once, I was warned by Dato' Dr. Bob, when I lost the tag number for the tissue tube. He was really angry and warned me for always be alert and careful when handling specimen tag. He told me that, specimen or tissues tube without tag number is useless. So, be aware that every specimen has the information needed. From that moment, I always remind myself to be careful when prepared any specimens. He is so true about it.

This field trip teaches me a lot on basic things about herpetofauna study. Even though one day I will not become a herpetologist but the experienced and skills that I get is very valuable and can not be replaced.

I thank all of team members in this trip, RFI, CSY, NM, Pat and Fred for the interesting and priceless experienced and knowledge. The spirit and passion shows by Dato' Dr. Bob Inger on carried out this field work and his determination really touch me and encouraged me to keep on doing something that i have my passion on. He was 85 years old that time (year 2006). Age is really doesn't matter to him.

P.S. I don't have photos during this trip and i attach my photo with Dr. Bob during our BCTPF conference early last year.

SORRY FOR LONG SILENCE

I was a little bit busy lately and didn't have spare time to post new entry to my blog. I have problem with my blog settings where i can not publish photos in my blog entry. I keep trying to figure out what happen and will write more after this.

FOURTH LESSON: CROC’S SURVEY

An old man of Punan tribe that using their traditional accessories.
I took that photo at one of long house at Sg. Kakus.

Pity civets can not feel the freedom.

I try to play with the small-toothed palm civet but it keep moving around.

One Master student wants to do study on Tomistoma schlegelii (False Gharial) in our area. My boss asks me to assist her to carry out a three night surveys at Sg. Kakus, Sg. Sarang and Sg. Mayeng. I was very excited because it will be my adventures experience. Even though I don’t know how this lady (she is very skinny, though) will catch the crocs. Can she handle it? Hmm…all question marks come up in my head but the funny thing is I never ask my boss. Actually my boss is a crocs expert. That survey was not success because we failed to observe any False Gharial. However, we did observe about two bright eye shine of Crocodylus porosus but we didn’t catch it.

This lady is a little bit stubborn and not listens to our advice during the survey. At some point we come back very late in the morning. We start the survey at 9.30pm and come back at 4am. On the first night I had a stomachache and it was around 1.30am. But we didn’t go back because she still wants to continue the survey and I have to find the nearest place to do the business. Lucky I am not that choosy…hahahahaha.. Actually I don’t have any choice.

From that trip I learn to become a leader or person in-charge of the trip. I deal with the local people (Punan people) that we hire as our workers and also log pond camp staff for our accommodations. Then I realize that I have to be the one that make decisions and not to let the visitors doing things as they like if it is not follow the rules. Especially when it comes to safety of the team members. Safety comes first then work can be done smoothly.

This visits also my first visit to the Punan longhouse. It was amazing long house with the big belian tree in the “ruai” area. It is really unique and it is different from Iban longhouse. I was very excited and keep talking with Tuai Rumah. The oldest man in the long house shows me their traditional costume. He wears the ear-rings that made from the Clouded Leopard canine and the traditional jacket made from the Clouded Leopard skin. Tuai Rumah shares with us about the traditional funeral ceremony as well.

At the log pond camp we saw the local people (Bekatan people) stop and they bring along their “pet”. It was an Arctogalidia trivirgata Small-toothed Palm Civet. As usual I am the one that really excited and I get the civet and play with it. It was very tame and it’s about two years old. According to the owner, they get it when it is still a juvenile. They rescue if from the tree that has been cut down for timber purpose.

Even though it was only a short trip but I see lots of things in this survey. Seeing more people and get interesting stories.

THIRD LESSON: SUSTAINABLE USE OF FISH AND WILDLIFE WORKSHOP (SUFW)

Tumbina staff hand over to us the ostrich egss as a souvenier.

This is the first event that we organized which is related to the community awareness. During this workshop, I get to know more people since I was a new staff join the Conservation team. It was held on the second month after I join the team (I love to call this department TEAM because it was a great team). The feed back from the longhouses is very impressive and we have the chance to get to know them better. It was a success event that our team organized. I was appointing as a photographer and I know I am not good in it. I just take a shot of any occasion that I think worth to take but sometimes I took very bad photos. However, making mistakes is one way of learning (that is what people say) but until today I can’t took any good photos. Maybe I have to accept that I don’t have talent in taking photos even though my friends teach me on set up the mode of the camera. It is just because I can not tell which one is sharp and other things like contrast etc.

During the event, I learn how to communicate with the local people. Even though my Iban language is very bad but I can understand them. It is just I don’t know how to speak Iban fluently. Not only that, I was learn to work in a team with other conservation staff. I can’t remember much but it was a great experienced in order to make me more confident to meet and get to know new people.

After the workshop we had a tour to Taman TUMBINA and it was my first time went to TUMBINA. When I saw how interested these local people saw the animals in TUMBINA, what about their young generations in future? Do they will have a chance to see it in the wild or captivity? This is a challenge for us to make sure that we will play our part in this challenging world.

SECOND LESSON: CAMERA TRAPPING

Photo: I set the lures for the camera trap

When first time I met this guy, he was not that friendly. I call him Bel and he is local Sarawakian that runs the camera trapping project. Even though he looks very serious at first but when get to know him and work with him, he really put every single sweats on his works. I learn a lot from him and almost in all mammals project we are doing it together.

My first experienced working with him was joined his trip set up camera traps in Tubau. It was a funny experienced because I didn’t know what we are going to do. My first thought about camera trap was, we sit behind the tree inside the forest and waiting for animals to pass by and we snap that camera. What a simple thinking was that and when I saw how they set up camera traps inside the forest then I start to think how science is really advanced and techniques keep changing over time. After trip to Tubau, he brings me to collect camera traps at Samarakan. It was really challenging when we have to walk almost three hours to get to that camera. Moreover, it’s only one camera and really feels not worth to walk that far just for one camera. Actually it’s really worth it at the end because the photo that we got from that camera is really precious and interesting. It was the first record of Marbled Cat in the plantation area.

After that I did joined camera trap field trip and it was really interesting. It is the best methods for doing survey for secretive and nocturnal mammals. The tricky part in setting camera trap is to choose the best site to set it. If we set it at the wrong site, we will end up with zero photos. However, the lures bait is really effective.

The most unforgettable experienced when I join camera trapping trip was when my first time join them to do inspection on the camera in the field. It was my first time and Bel did take my video. It was really funny. Can’t describe it well here but I almost ruin the camera. Hahahah…

Skills that I gain from the trip were:
1. Handling camera trap unit
2. Choose camera trap site
3. Set up camera trap
4. Inspection of camera trap
5. Using GPS unit to navigate camera trap site

I am lack in doing analysis of camera trap data. For sure I will learn about it soon. Thank you so much to my dearest friend Bel for teaches me a lot about camera trapping project. This is a very priceless experienced and knowledge that he shared with me.