Ulu Muda Kedah's Neglected Eden

Ulu Muda Kedah’s Neglected Eden

- Fariman Salahshour

Our journey begins from the jetty near Muda dam. The view is magnificent, the peaceful Tasik Muda lake rimmed by verdant forests on all sides. We have barely left the dock, when to our left a Crested Serpent-eagle soars above the line where lake and forest meet. For the next half hour, the boatman navigates between islands and dead trees, victims of the dam, which now serve as excellent perches for ospreys, Lesser Fish-eagles, Grey-headed Fish-eagles, White-bellied Sea-eagles, and an assortment of birds such as egrets, swifts, and kingfishers. The shoreline reveals that the water level rises much higher during the rainy season. Tasik Muda provides good fishing judging by the number of fishing boats on the lake. The fishermen are locals who make a living off the bounty of the lake.

We are in the north-eastern corner of Kedah state in the northern peninsular Malaysia in an amazing forest known as Ulu Muda, the name derived from the Muda river, which originates in the heart of this vast forest.

What makes this forest particularly important? The absence of the Orang Asli, the aboriginal people of Malaya, which means that wildlife has escaped hunting pressure for over half a century. Further more, its inaccessibility has kept a lid on rampant poaching so prevalent in other parts of Southeast Asia. Another great feature of Ulu Muda are several areas of high-mineral soil, known as saltlicks or locally as siras… plus several interesting cave systems.

MAKING OUR WAY DOWN THE RIVER