The Tragic Love Story Of Jimmy & Faridah

The Piasau Nature Reserve, which encompasses the Piasau Camp, about 6km north of the city centre, was gazetted as a nature reserve on December 31, 2013. Piasau Camp thus became the first residential area in Sarawak to be converted into a nature reserve mainly because of the presence of hornbills. This paves way for conservation efforts and greater appreciation of the rich flora and fauna at the historical camp, which is now famous for its hornbills, a totally protected species in Sarawak.

The reserve, which is 88.5ha in size, will be a green lung for the city. The area is a refuge for 73 species of birds including hornbills, 25 species of mammals such as palm civet, prevost squirrels, rats and plantain squirrels, 10 species of butterflies, 12 species of reptiles and five species of amphibians.

It is in this reserve that a tragic love tale has captivated Mirians. There was this pair of Oriental Pied hornbills named Jimmy and Faridah. This dynamic couple produced approximately 56 offspring since 2005 till the day Faridah’s life was tragically ended by a group of poachers in September 2013.

Hornbills are meant to mate for life and they seemed to adhere to the oath “till death do us part” more seriously than most human beings. Faridah’s passing caused much distress for Jimmy who was seen roaming around the reserve calling and yelping helplessly, constantly searching for Faridah. Jimmy’s mourning lasted for a couple of months.

Faridah’s remains was preserved by the Museum Department and returned to Sarawak Forestry and is now kept safely at SFC’s Ranger Post, H58 at the reserve. With Faridah’s remains initially on display by the window of H58, Jimmy had been seen perching on the window ledge from the outside to look at Faridah and pecking at the window screen as if believing that Faridah was still alive.

Jimmy’s act of distress shows how deep and strong the bond between these lovebirds was. Faridah’s killing prompted louder calls for the camp to be gazetted as a protected area. Faridah did not die in vain for the camp was finally gazetted as a Nature Reserve on 31st December 2013.

Jimmy seems to have moved on with his life as he has since found a new mate named Juliet not too long after the gazettement of Piasau Nature Reserve. After several attempts of courtship and mating, Juliet finally produced a pair of offspring, Musa and Cecelia. The young offspring fledged their nest in March 2015.

Jimmy, Juliet, Musa and Cecelia can often be seen flying, roosting together in a family of four around the reserve. Jimmy is a very protective partner and parent and never leaves his small family out of sight. Jimmy and his family would sometimes come by H58, perching on the window momentarily before flying off to the dead Acacia tree behind H58.

I was at the reserve again today and I wish to extend my gratitude to the staff at the Sarawak Forestry Corporation’s Ranger Station at H58 in the reserve for allowing me to visit their office and taking photos of Faridah’s remains and the office.  For those of you who are not sure where H58 is, it is the house just next to the car park of Piasau Boat Club.