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Economic Valuation Of Endangered Species (Borneo Orangutan)
Muhammad Iqbal Bin Mohd Hashim
Supervisor: Dr. Mahirah Binti Kamaludin
Bachelor of Economics (Natural Resources)
School of Social and Economic Development
The orangutan is a famous and unique species of big ape living in arboreal forests and
could be found only in Borneo and Sumatra Islands. The orangutans are divided into
two subspecies, namely Borneo orangutan and Sumatra orangutan. However, these
two subspecies have been classified as critically endangered species as a result of
rapid development activities. In Malaysia, an estimated of 12,300 Borneo orangutans
that are undergoing rehabilitation are kept in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, Sabah,
Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak, among others. These parks are opened
to the public and also have other attractions such as exotic plants and wildlife, and
interesting activities like elephant riding. The introduction of entrance fees to these
areas with natural attraction can help overcome the inadequacy of public funds for
the conservation and preservation of natural resources. This study aims to determine
the economic value of Borneo orangutans by obtaining an estimated value of
Willingness To Pay (WTP) among visitors to enjoy ecotourism and identify factors
affecting the ability to pay for the preservation and conservation of one of the
threatened species, namely Borneo orangutans at Mini Zoo Kemaman, Terengganu.
The method used is Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) which is by asking visitors’
WTP using questionnaire. Results show that the average value of pay for the visitor's
WTP is RM13.26 and visitors’ WTP is heavily influenced by the following factors,
namely bid price, income, and age.
Keywords: Orangutans, Economic Value, Willingness To Pay (WTP), Contingent
Valuation.
1412 | UMT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY 2018