More local researchers at Danau Girang Field Centre

KOTA KINABALU: The increasing number of local researchers carrying out research at the Danau Girang Field Centre is welcome news and augurs well for Sabah.
According to Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) director, Dr. Benoit Goosens, they presently have two PhD students and four Masters students from Malaysia.
“We have also hired two Malaysian research assistants who have a Masters degree (MSc) — one from UMS (Universiti Malaysia Sabah) and one from the University of Tasmania. They could become potential PhD students in the future,” he said enthusiastically.
He added that he has high hopes that more Malaysians will conduct researchers in the future, particularly at DGFC.
“I have high hopes. I think that we will attract more and more local students to conduct research at DGFC. This is why I spend a lot of time writing press releases about our projects and posting news and pictures on our Facebook page. I have seen an increase of requests from Malaysian students,” he said.
He also said that his team at DGFC will continue with their promotional efforts to get more locals to conduct researches locally at DGFC, situated at Kinabatangan.
“We will continue spreading news about our research, filling our Facebook page with news and pictures. Giving presentations at local universities,” he said.
He added that a few students from UPM were due to arrive at the field centre in August this year as interns.
Among the researches that are being conducted at the centre are on several charismatic and endangered species. The DGFC have, in the past, been involved in various projects with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), among them was the tagging of crocodiles along the Kinabatangan river to check on the long term movements of the tagged reptiles.
The centre, together with SWD, also worked together to tag proboscis monkeys in the Kinabatangan region as part of the conservation initiative.