It was a sunny morning in Day 4 and everyone in the base camp woke up really early to prepare themselves for the day. The smell of breakfast filled the main hall and a handful of participants were seen gathering outside the toilet area and brushing their teeth like a group of kindergarten kids. Most of them still had droopy eyes.
Others decided to hang their laundry as the amount of sunlight was plenty. The weather for the past few days and nights had been wet. At the far end of the base camp, our Iban boatmen were seen taking their morning dip in the beautiful river. The water level of Sungai Ingei had become moderately low as the water had subsided.
Day 4 marked the day in which all research participants set out to the field to conduct their relevant projects. Keep in mind that 5 research projects were conducted as led by 5 scientists:
Dr Joseph Charles
The small mammal group was consisted of BB, Salwa, Catherine and Pei Fen. These girls have been well-trained for this particular project and I must say that it's not as easy as it sounds. This project required them to set cage traps and pitfall traps at strategic areas in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve so as to study the small mammal diversity in the area. Traps were checked in the morning, afternoon and late noon for any caught animals. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
The fish group was consisted of Dr. Zohrah (freshwater fish expert) and Amalul. In addition to that, the Iban boatmen were crucial for this project. Dr. Zohrah had actually started her project on Day 2 and thereby had collected some preliminary results. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Small Mammal and Fish Group
L-R: Hj. Roslan (paramedic), Stephen Hogg (photographer), Dr. Zohrah, Amalul,
Yatty, Salwa, Dr. Charles, Catherine, Pei Fen and Cikgu Haji (boatman)
The camera trap group was divided into two teams namely Team Samhan and Team Angus. Team Samhan is composed of Metis, Ishlah, Moon, Haji Bakhtiar (Iban senior guide) and led by Samhan himself. On the other hand, Team Angus is composed of Jeffery, Bon, Faisal, Arpin and led by Angus himself.
Both teams were led by their respective leaders to set camera traps in various, unexplored places in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve. Trails explored by either teams (whereby camera traps were set) can be as far as 6km-10km in length and forest types covered consist of riverine forest, kerangas forest, kerapah forest, peat swamp forest and freshwater swamp forest.
The camera trap teams would leave the base camp in the morning and would normally finish their work by late noon. Therefore, the camera trap project would require very fit people in order to be conducted. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Camera Trap Group (Both Team Samhan and Team Angus)
L-R: Faisal, jeff, Bon, Moon, Metis, Haji Bakhtiar, Samhan, Ishlah and Arpin
Resting in the deep forest
Crossing rivers via fallen trees is never easy!
Moon taking some time off to pose for the camera
The amphibian group is mainly composed of Dr. Ulmar and Rosli. Dr. Ulmar is an expert in frogs and he covered wide areas in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve in search for frogs and other amphibians. The frog group travelled as far as to Batu Melintang (a waterfall) and climbed a steep hill to reach the Hot Springs area, which is approximately an hour's boat ride from the base camp.
They set up a sub camp there and did their project intensively for a few nights. Note that the frog project was done during the night only. Other areas in which frog surveys were done by Dr. Ulmar and Rosli were in the vicinity of the base camp itself. Frogs caught were kept as specimen for further analysis and any frogs which were caught as duplicates were also released. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Others decided to hang their laundry as the amount of sunlight was plenty. The weather for the past few days and nights had been wet. At the far end of the base camp, our Iban boatmen were seen taking their morning dip in the beautiful river. The water level of Sungai Ingei had become moderately low as the water had subsided.
Day 4 marked the day in which all research participants set out to the field to conduct their relevant projects. Keep in mind that 5 research projects were conducted as led by 5 scientists:
Dr Joseph Charles
The status and distribution of mammals, primates and hornbills in the Sungai Ingei Protection Forest Reserve
- Small mammal diversity in Sungai Ingei (by cage traps and pitfall trapping)
- Surveys of endangered cats & larger mammals in Sungai Ingei by camera trapping
- Primate diversity in Sungai Ingei
- Hornbill diversity in Sungai Ingei
- Overall avian diversity in Sungei Ingei
AP. Dr Zohrah Hj Sulaiman
Biodiversity of Freshwater Fishes of Sungai Ingei, Brunei Darussalam
The small mammal group was consisted of BB, Salwa, Catherine and Pei Fen. These girls have been well-trained for this particular project and I must say that it's not as easy as it sounds. This project required them to set cage traps and pitfall traps at strategic areas in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve so as to study the small mammal diversity in the area. Traps were checked in the morning, afternoon and late noon for any caught animals. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
The fish group was consisted of Dr. Zohrah (freshwater fish expert) and Amalul. In addition to that, the Iban boatmen were crucial for this project. Dr. Zohrah had actually started her project on Day 2 and thereby had collected some preliminary results. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Small Mammal and Fish GroupL-R: Hj. Roslan (paramedic), Stephen Hogg (photographer), Dr. Zohrah, Amalul,
Yatty, Salwa, Dr. Charles, Catherine, Pei Fen and Cikgu Haji (boatman)
The camera trap group was divided into two teams namely Team Samhan and Team Angus. Team Samhan is composed of Metis, Ishlah, Moon, Haji Bakhtiar (Iban senior guide) and led by Samhan himself. On the other hand, Team Angus is composed of Jeffery, Bon, Faisal, Arpin and led by Angus himself.
Both teams were led by their respective leaders to set camera traps in various, unexplored places in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve. Trails explored by either teams (whereby camera traps were set) can be as far as 6km-10km in length and forest types covered consist of riverine forest, kerangas forest, kerapah forest, peat swamp forest and freshwater swamp forest.
The camera trap teams would leave the base camp in the morning and would normally finish their work by late noon. Therefore, the camera trap project would require very fit people in order to be conducted. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Camera Trap Group (Both Team Samhan and Team Angus)L-R: Faisal, jeff, Bon, Moon, Metis, Haji Bakhtiar, Samhan, Ishlah and Arpin
Resting in the deep forest
Crossing rivers via fallen trees is never easy!
Moon taking some time off to pose for the cameraAP. Dr Ulmar Grafe
Survey of Amphibians and Insect Biodiversity in Brunei Darussalam
- Survey of Amphibians in Brunei Darussalam
- Survey of Insect Biodiversity in Brunei Darussalam
They set up a sub camp there and did their project intensively for a few nights. Note that the frog project was done during the night only. Other areas in which frog surveys were done by Dr. Ulmar and Rosli were in the vicinity of the base camp itself. Frogs caught were kept as specimen for further analysis and any frogs which were caught as duplicates were also released. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Dr. Ulmar (white) and Rosli (green) all packed and
ready to leave the base camp for a few nights
They took a boat to Batu Melintang (1 hour boat ride)
AP. Dr David Lane
Biodiversity survey of forest-dependant bats and Heteroptera (water bugs) in Sungei Ingei Forest Reserve
- Studies of Forest-dependent bats and their diversity in dipterocarp forests of the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve
- Investigation of Heteroptera (water bug) diversity in the head water streams of the Sungai Belait catchment at Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve
The bat group was led by Dr. Lane and his assistants were Zaedi and Mayyer. This project required the use of harp traps in trapping the bats in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve. These harp traps had to be strategically set up and they are heavy to bring around in the forest too.
The harp traps were checked in the morning and late noon to see if any bats had been caught. Bats that were caught were analyzed in the base camp and were either released or kept as specimen. In addition to that, survey of waterbugs in the river was also done by Mayyer. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
The harp traps were checked in the morning and late noon to see if any bats had been caught. Bats that were caught were analyzed in the base camp and were either released or kept as specimen. In addition to that, survey of waterbugs in the river was also done by Mayyer. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Mayyer (white) and Zaedi (blue) checking the harp trap in the base
Dr. Indra Yustian
Survey of Tarsiers (Tarsius bancanus) in Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve
The tarsier group is mainly composed of our Indonesian friends namely Dr. Yustian and his assistant Andrios. Dr. Yustian is an expert in tarsiers and has been working on these elusive mammals for years in the Indonesian forests. His methodolody for catching the tarsiers (Bornean tarsier: Tarsius bancanus) is by using mist nets, which are also used for catching birds.
Tarsiers are so difficult to track and the only feasible way to find them is to sniff their urine traces on the branches and stems of small trees. The mist nets were set up in various places in the Sungai Ingei Forest Reserve and the tarsier people had also set up sub camps near these mist nets. Since tarsiers are nocturnal animals, Dr. Yustian and Andrios only went out to do their work at night. Final results will be discussed during the Sungai Ingei Faunal Expedition seminar in 2011.
Tarsier group with Stephen HoggL-R: Dr. Yustian, Stephen and Andrios
To be continued...
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