ECO-FEST: 8 international teams will meet in Sandakan next week
SANDAKAN: SABAH'S award-winning Rainforest Discovery Centre, here, will be part of the venue for the international Borneo Bird Race.
The 10-day event, launched in Brunei on Sunday, is a collaboration between Sabah and Brunei Tourism Boards, as well as Sandakan Borneo Bird Club.
Eight teams from seven Asian countries will compete for the Brunei and Sabah leg champion titles, while the overall winning team will be awarded the Bornean Bristlehead trophy.
They will be travelling through 1,000km of habitats, ranging from coastal regions, freshwater swamps and lowland forests to the hills and mountain ranges in both countries. Each team will spend 10 to 12 hours taking pictures and gathering information of more than 400 bird species found in Sabah.
The participants will be racing at the Rainforest Discovery Centre next Thursday for the Sabah leg. Managed by the Sabah Forestry Department, the centre has recorded 300 species of birds in the area, including the Bornean bristlehead, black and crimson pitta, blue-headed pitta, giant pitta, black hornbill and rhinoceros hornbill.
Race chairman and Sandakan Borneo Bird Club vice-president Cede Prudente said the event was integral to promoting eco-tourism in the state.
"We hope the race will encourage the local community to appreciate nature."
The race coincides with the 5th Borneo Bird Festival, which will be held from Friday to Sunday at the centre.
For information, visit www.borneobirdfestival.com.
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