Laslie Christianus Mudin, Ranger at Shangri-La Rasa Ria

Laslie Christianus Mudin

In this interview, Laslie Christianus Mudin tells what life is like as a ranger at Shangri-La Rasa Ria.

What do you do?
I am a resident forest ranger and guide at Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu.

How did you get into the industry?
I was working with a charity in Sepilok monitoring orangutan behaviour when I decided to move to Rasa Ria when they had orangutans here until a half-decade ago. So now I’d like to make people aware of wildlife and plants, especially for locals in Sabah.

Share with us a story from behind the scenes.
Me and the team here will always make sure all trails are safe and ready for guests and mark any animals sighted for the next tour experiences to make it more fun and enjoyable.

What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?
Food memory is a lot, I would say. And they are primarily unimaginable if it is referred to my background as a ranger. You wouldn’t believe it.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part was that I guided a family on a nature walk tour in the afternoon. We were lucky to see a leopard cat kitten by the canopy walkway trail. The worst part was when I couldn’t communicate with the guests as they did not speak nor understand English.

What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?
Nothing specific. Everything is yummy for me, as long as it’s paired with beer.

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
I would say this will be 3 in 1 – craziest, funniest and scariest. When I was on duty as a guide, a couple pretended to look for birds at the canopy walkway during their wedding proposal by the groom. I nearly dropped their wedding ring from the canopy walk when I handed it over to the groom behind the bride’s back!

The perfect day off would be…
I wish I could answer five days in a week, but I don’t really mind as long as the team is flexible whenever I need to have an emergency leave or day off.

A day in the life of Laslie Christianus Mudin is…
… soaked with sweat and hairs are decorated by spiderwebs.

What do you do for fun?
Now I make random videos on TikTok and chill with my friends after work.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Shangri-La Rasa Ria?
Shangri-La Rasa Ria provides guests with many activities. Our dedicated team is also ready to suggest other off-site tours or activities that you may be interesting to do while enjoying your holiday at the Land Below the Wind.

How has the pandemic changed you, your perspective, or the way you operate?
Since I spent most of my time staring at the phone screen at home, I am even more excited to meet and welcome guests back to the hotel.

What’s something you’d like people to know about being a Ranger as a profession?
I would like to encourage people in Sabah to be involved in such things that can show how unique our country is. There is plenty of activities, culture and adventure that is surrounding us here which is actually able to create a big interest and excitement to tourists.

What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement in the future to work towards social responsibility and sustainability?
Participating in trending social media to show our passion and show guests what we do at the Discovery Centre. To provide transparent information that can be easily adapted by the public from youngsters to the elderly.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
I am looking forward to introducing our local and traditional coconut sap that can be processed without the fermentation method. This very classic and traditional beverage is believed to reduce high blood pressure.

Find more interviews similar to this one with Laslie Christianus Mudin here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.