MIRI: Piasau Nature Reserve (PNR) had gained huge boost to its popularity with the test run of the new Visitor Information Centre (VIC) carried out on 1st July – 16th July 2018, said a press release yesterday.
But to some it might have given a realisation of sort that it is wrong to keep wildlife as pet in this particular incident.
On Sunday afternoon, PNR staff on routine patrolling work stumbled upon a hornbill along the community trail. It appears that the hornbill, a juvenile Black Hornbill, had been abandoned by some individual, judging by the traces of fruits left behind.
The hornbill was very weak and unable to fly when found. For now, the hornbill is being kept at the PNR’s facility and under close watch by the management team pending next course of action.
On that note, the management wishes to urge members of the public to handover any wild animal found or kept in their possession to the management of PNR instead of releasing them directly to PNR forest, for instance.
Hornbills are classified as totally protected animal under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 and Section 29 (1)(c) of the ordinance clearly spelt out that even possession of such animal shall be guilty of an offence, which carries out a penalty of two years imprisonment and a fine of twenty-thousand Malaysian Ringgit.
Back on the story of the test run for the Interpretation Centre, as part of the overall Visitor Center of PNR, focus were particularly targeted on the audio visual system and lighting system workability particularly when catering for capacity crowd patronising the centre at any given time.
In mimicking an actual scenario, the management team experiences on how to deal with ad-hoc possibilities and eventualities when handled visitors arrival on weekdays, weekends and also public holidays.
With sophisticated safety features added into the buildings, risk managements are to be in place to reduce possible risks faced by the visitors and to ensure their safety.
In short, it has been a fruitful and valuable exercise made possible by the active participation from regular users of the reserve and the general public at large throughout the period.
The Centre is now closed for further preparations until the official launching day, the press release concluded.
