Episode 4 : Ulu Muda, Peninsular Malaysia

The international team face their most difficult and dangerous journey yet. They're heading for an untouched area of Malaysian rainforest, which can only be reached by rough local canoes. Their aim is to see if they can turn this wilderness into an eco-tourist hotspot in a bid to save it from devastation by logging. The area is home to some of the most rare and impressive animals on earth - it should be an eco tourist paradise. But there's a catch. After negotiating a perilous six-hour canoe journey up river the team arrive exhausted, soaked to the skin and demoralized. How can they convince anyone that the toughest journey of their lives is the ideal start to a vacation?

Asian elephants fast facts

• The Ulu Muda area in the state of Kedah is one of the largest continuous stretches of forest remaining in northern Peninsular Malaysia.
• Surveys conducted within and around the Ulu Muda forests have revealed that the area is one of the richest in Malaysia in terms of wildlife.
• It contains at least 109 species of mammals, 174 species of birds, 54 species of reptiles and 33 species of fish.
• Large mammals in the area include the Asian elephant, tapir and tiger.
• As the area is understudied, many other plants and animals possibly new to science await to be discovered.
• The Ulu Muda forest regulates water supply to three large man-made lakes that provide drinking and irrigation water to about 2 million people – including the tourist mecca of Penang. Without the forests this water supply would be under threat.
• Proposals for the logging of Ulu Muda are regularly put on the table.
  
  
  

Surin Suksuwan - Senior Programme Officer for Protected Areas, WWF Malaysia

		Surin started his career in conservation after studying for a BSc. in Biotechnology at Leeds in the UK and then an MSc. in the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants in Edinburgh, Scotland. His work focuses on forest protected areas – trying to establish more of them and improve those that already exist. For Surin, the most rewarding aspect of his job is that it allows him to be directly involved in nature conservation, something he’s always been passionate about. He says he also gets to meet some truly outstanding and inspirational people.
The downside is that he knows there’s a limit to what he can achieve because there are so many things that need to be done and so many areas under threat, making it necessary to channel limited resources into priority areas. The isolation at Ulu Muda, where Planet Action’s fourth episode was filmed, was a concern for Surin. He says the remoteness of the location, the difficulty in getting there, the basic nature of the campsite and the fact that there was no way of communicating with the outside world except with satellite phone had him nervous, but all turned out well in the end. The weather held up and there were no major mishaps, with most of the cast and crew having nice things to say about Ulu Muda by the time they left!

Project update

Surin and his team continue to try to make sure that Ulu Muda is properly protected. And, he reports, there’s been some good news. The latest draft Structure Plan for the state of Kedah (where Ulu Muda is situated) has recommended the setting up of a State Park in the Ulu Muda area. WWF has given its comments on the draft Structure Plan and is planning to meet senior state officials soon to discuss ways in which WWF can support the government to establish the State Park.

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