The Undiscovered World Of Sungai Ingei, Brunei Published: Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Tuesday 20 July 2010 ,Belait – Located at the interior part of Belait District, the largest district in Brunei Darussalam after the Temburong District, Sungai Ingei is covered with a lush green biological landscape consisting of tropical rainforests well preserved in pristine state. Thus, the undisturbed conditions of the nature at the Sungai Ingei, a mercy and blessing from Allah the Almighty is believed to have a great potential to house a variety of new species of flora and fauna yet to be discovered that are of significant importance to the world of biodiversity. It lies within the designated wildlife haven of Brunei Heart of Borneo initiative in connecting the ecological corridor from the Mulu area in Sarawak down to the coastal forest area in Belait District.
Our journey using a traditional Iban's longboat powered by 40hp engine led by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources started from Bukit Sawat's jetty took us four to five hours to reach the temporary camp site situated within the heart of the rich forests at Sungai Ingei. The duration of the journey was very much dependent on the level of the tide. Travelling during the rainy season is much faster than the dry season that will take up to nine hours on the longboat due to the obstacles along the river during the low tide. The falling trees and emerging logs are the major obstacles and travelling at night might be dangerous and therefore, not advisable.
The fallen trees and exposed root system, very often crossing the rivers is part of the natural process in stabilising the architectural structure of the forest especially along the river bank. This natural phenomenon of removing the dominant trees will allow the subdominant and suppressed trees to take over dominant layers of mosaic structure of the growth pattern.
One can find a very interesting experience and unique scenery when travelling along the river to Sungai Ingei's campsite. Along the river, we saw houses and longhouses belong to the native people especially the Iban community. For so long they have been living in harmony with the forests. These longhouses are well-equipped with modern and basic facilities such as basic roads as an alternative means of land commuting, generators for electricity supply, telephone service and tanks for clean water. Healthcare services, primary schools, mosques, barracks and offices are also found to cater the social needs of the people there.
Along the river heading to Sungai Ingei, there are two major long houses located respectively at Kampong Sukang and Melilas. The distance between these two longhouses is roughly half an hour's drive by a longboat and from Kampong Melilas to Sungai Ingei's campsite will take another hour.
Unfortunately, during our journey along the river we managed to sight two hornbills flying within the canopy layer of the riparian forest. According to our local tour guide, due to the scarcity of wild fruits in the forest during this season, the wildlife especially birds are rarely sighted during the day time. However, we could hear an orchestra of birds' song breaking the silence of the dawn.
Not far from our campsite, we found hot spring wells believed to be from the deep underground water. Due to the rainy season at that time, the water temperature was not as hot as during the drought season. According to our guide, there are a few more hot spring spots within the vicinity and some of them are believed to be buried due to erosion. In order to reach the hot spring wells, we had to use a longboat to reach "Batu Melintang". It took us about half an hour to travel from our campsite to "Batu Melintang". From there we walked 15-20 minutes to reach the first hot spring well and an additional 40 minutes to the second one.
We spent 30 minutes experiencing the tranquility and beauty of the proximity forests dominated by the lowland dipterocarps. There are also patches of Heath (Kerangas) forest especially along the riverbank from the campsite to the "Batu Melintang" area.
The native people there call this "Batu Melintang" because the structure of the rock looks like a gabion lying across the river and it separates the upper and lower river where we parked our longboats. Along the river bank, we found pebbles and gravel similar to the environmental configurations in Ulu Temburong National Park. The rocks were overgrown by strong-hold root system of "Petagar Batu" which was explained by the native there as having health value for men.
On the next day of the trip, we walked deeper to the forest behind our campsite and found a fascinating transitional forest formation - from riparian to seasonal wetland forest, non-commercial Heath. The inclusion of these forest types is of some importance as the richest bird fauna is likely to be found in the low-lying alluvial valleys (Anderson and Marsden, 1984).
Within an hour of cruising for the presence of wildlife along the forest trails, we experienced a little slice of heaven on earth comprising a beautiful biological infrastructure of Sungai Ingei forests. Although it is difficult to find wildlife during that time, evidently their presence is very substantive as we managed to trace some of the animal highways such as rodents and honey bear. Automatic cameras are located at strategic locations installed by UBD to monitor animal trails, feeding and resting sites.
Unlike the national park at Ulu Temburong, Sungai Ingei is not frequently visited by the native people for fishing and hunting. Therefore, this is one of the major contributing factors for its pristine forest environment and ecosystem. However this might be the advantage for the "Gaharu" tree (Aquilaria) poachers. There are two species of "Gaharu" species found growing in the wild and yet the exact species has to be botanically researched. "Tolong" (Agathis species) is also found growing very near to the camp site.
The forest floor is so rich in biomass consisting of wildlings of both woody and non-woody plants and forest debris. Evidently, the night life is so active in the forests. During our night cruising within the fringe of our camp site, we spotted small mammals such as mice and a few spiders actively hunting for their prey in the middle of the darkness. The typical physical structure of the "Kerapa" forest is that the stand looks like an even-aged forest mainly consisting pole-size trees. The soil is seasonally wet and in water-logged conditions throughout the wet season.
Based on the experience of the trip, the Sungai Ingei has a great potential of being the second national park of the country and joining it with Mulu National Park in Sarawak would be a significant advantage and considered to be more viable. The findings and ocular notes lay out the foundation for the next ecotourism site of the country. The high-level trip has put a strategic thrust in making conservation forest within the Heart of Borneo Initiative more on commercial perspective so as to support the national economic diversification agenda.~ Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, IT CENTRE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND PRIMARY RESOURCES
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
