Sabah’s bearded pigs under threat as African swine flu decimates population

SANDAKAN – The bearded pigs in Sabah are under threat as their number dwindled significantly as the African swine flu (ASF) decimates the pig population in the state since December 2020.  

Environmental group 1Stopborneo Wildlife founder Shavez Cheema told The Vibes that the team’s camera traps set around Sabah east coast last year only captured footage of a single bearded pig in April.  

He said the same is happening in Sarawak where the communities claimed that they have not spotted one in recent months.  

Danau Girang Field Centre director Benoit Goossens also confirmed that the population of bearded pigs in Sabah has been seriously affected.  

“Almost all areas in Sabah are affected (by ASF), but I can only talk about Kinabatangan where sightings are extremely rare and the bearded pig population has yet to recover.”

He estimated that the bearded pig population in Kinabatangan may have depleted by 90%.  

He said it is important for the bearded pig population to recover to maintain the forest ecosystem as they are often referred to as “gardeners of the forest”.  

“When bearded pigs forage for food, they reshape the soil surface and accelerate the decomposition of organic matter. It also cleans the undergrowth, improving root access to nutrients in the soil.  

“The bearded pig is also a migratory species and can disperse seeds over long distances.”  

ASF was first discovered in Sabah after more than 30 bearded pig carcasses were discovered in the state’s east coast between January and February last year.  

ASF is fatal to pigs but harmless to humans.

The state declared its first ASF outbreak on February 20 last year after domestic pigs in Pitas were found to carry the disease.  

The following month, the Sabah government urged the people to stop consuming wild boars in fear of the disease.  

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, the Bornean bearded pig is categorised as “vulnerable”, which means that in Sabah, licenced hunters are still allowed to capture the animal.

Meanwhile, a sinalau bakas (smoked wild boar) seller in Kota Kinabalu who wants to be known as Sean said he has stopped his business since the first movement control order (MCO) in 2020 as restrictions forbid hunting, thus, affecting his supplies.  

“There is no supply of wild boar meat to date, so I have not been operating since MCO. I believe people who are still selling sinalau bakas right now are not using wild boar meat, (but using) domestic pork.”

Villagers in Beaufort claimed that the number of bearded pigs had decreased tremendously, but Menumbok residents said the animals still roam their villages.  

Hope for bearded pigs to recover  

Executive director of non-governmental organisation Bringing Back Our Rare Animals Datuk John Payne said there is still hope for the bearded pig population to recover, but it will be a slow process.  

“A very large percentage of bearded pigs in Sabah died of ASF last year. This is demonstrated by a combination of finding carcasses in the forest and an almost complete lack of bearded pigs in trap camera images.  

“However, a small number of bearded pigs are now seen in the recent trap images this year, showing that a few pigs survived last year.  

“As such, we can expect breeding to occur later this year and a slow build-up of the population over the next few years.”

He, however, said there may be a need to control the hunting of bearded pigs.  

“For any wild species where numbers have been depleted far below their carrying capacity, it’s appropriate to minimise mortality and allow numbers to build up.  

“Usually, the maximum ‘offtake’ that a mammal species can withstand (that is by disease or hunting or any other reason) will be 30%. Bearded pig numbers decline by well over 30% in 2021.”

The state’s Wildlife Department and Veterinary Services Department have established the Babi Hutan Project Borneo, tasked with monitoring the ASF outbreak to ensure that the virus is no longer killing Sabah’s bearded pigs.  

State Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga has confirmed that the department has yet to resume the issuance of hunting licences in the state.  

“It is not only because of MCO but also because of ASF that can infect domestic pigs, especially in big farms. If we allow people to enter the forest to hunt, they may carry the virus from the forest.  

“We will not be issuing hunting licences until we are really sure that there is no more ASF in Sabah.” – The Vibes, March 6, 2022