Borneo Wildlife Corridor proposed to enrich gene pool

KUCHING: A proposed ‘Wildlife Corridor’ linking protected areas from Kalimantan to Sabah could help boost the rich ecosystem of Borneo.

World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) head of conservation Dr Henry Chan said the fragmented and scattered locations of biodiversity in Sarawak would limit the gene pool of animals.

“Even though we have national parks, animals cannot move out or breed among other species, therefore the gene pool will be limited, and this would even jeopardise their health.

“This proposed landscape connectivity or corridor will help with the migration of animals,” Chan said in a presentation at the ‘Youth Green X-Change Programme – Talk on Sustainable Development’ held at Azam Conference Room, Azam Complex in Jalan Crookshank here yesterday.

The transboundary corridor from Sebangau National Park to Mount Kinabalu National Park will also help the government and private sector to expand these areas.

Chan said the idea for a Wildlife Corridor was broached by the Sultan of Brunei during the ‘Heart of Borneo’ meeting last year, and that implementation would be carried out in stages.

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The Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah

The lower Kinabatangan floodplain is one of the few remaining freshwater swamp forests in Southeast Asia. It is located in the eastern part of Sabah, a Malaysian state in the north of Borneo. The huge plain is created by heavy rainfalls and floods brought by the northeastern monsoon. The area has the highest density of wildlife in the island. It is possibly one of the best places in this region for wildlife viewing, birdwatching and photography.

Sabah’s longest river, the Kinabatangan, flows along the floodplain. The river meanders for 560 kilometres from its source in the southwestern mountains of Crocker Range into the Sulu Sea in the north eastern part of Borneo. For centuries, the Kinabatangan river has been an important lifeline to the local people. Early traders from as far as China followed the river into the forest to trade for birds’ nest, elephant ivory, hornbill casque and bee wax. The river system has curved out a few oxbow lakes and have carved a beautiful river landscape.

The floodplain is a habitat to many rare and endangered species. There are 50 species of mammals in the area which the endemic ones are the Proboscis Monkey, the Orang Utan, the Bornean Gibbon and the Borneo Pygmy Elephant. The long tail and pig tail macaques, Red Leaf and Grey Leaf Monkeys are among the other interesting mammals.

200 species of birds are recorded in the floodplain. That includes Stork-billed and Blue-eared Kingfishers, White-chested Babbler, Oriental Darters, White-bellied Fish Eagles, Pied and Rhinoceros Hornbills are commonly spotted at the main river and oxbow lakes.  The floodplain is not running low on reptiles! Sometimes, the Estuarine crocodile, monitor lizards and even snakes like the Yellow Ring and Paradise Tree Snakes can be spotted during the river cruise.

The best time to spot wildlife in the Kinabatangan is at dawn and dusk on a river cruise along the main river and its tributary. Night cruise will take you to see the night time wonders. Nocturnal animals are the leopard cat, civet, flying squirrel, flying fox, buffy fish owl and wild boar. Luminous fungus and several species of frogs can be spotted during a night walk into the forest trail.  The forest offers an amazing plant life and variety of insects which makes macro photography as enticing too.

About 26,000 hectare of forested area in the lower Kinabatangan floodplain was gazetted as a wildlife sanctuary to protect the habitat of these unique flora and fauna.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah

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See the orangutans in Borneo...

The name orangutan means ‘person of the forest’. They are easily recognised by their reddish brown hair, big body, long arms and short legs. Males can weigh up to 118kg and their arm span can reach up to 6.6ft!

They are one of the most intelligent primates and can live for over 30 years. They like to spend most of their time in trees, and fruit is a staple part of their diet.

Destruction of their habitat and hunting is a major cause of this endangered species decline. Forest fires, logging and palm oil plantations are also contributing factors to their endangerment.  The plantations play a major problem due to vast amounts of jungle being destroyed to build on.

Palm oil is used in an abundance of products from cooking to cosmetics. You can do your bit to help the plight of these beautiful creatures by looking out for products that do not use palm oil.

At the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre on the edge of the Kabili-Sepilok forest reserve in Sabah, Borneo you can really get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures. Set up in 1964 to help orphaned orangutans this sanctuary is one of only four in the world.

Up to eighty rehabilitated orangutans live in the forty-three square kilometers of the reserve and around twenty-five orphans are currently at the rehab centre, with very young orphans needing round the clock care.

Rehabilitation can take up to seven years.  While at the centre orphans are given substitute mothers to help teach them vital skills such as climbing and foraging. The food given to them is bland and boring, a tactic designed to encourage them to find for food themselves.

When they are old enough and have gained all the valuable skills needed to survive by themselves they are released into the reserve. They still come back for the occasional snack though and this is the best time to visit.

Feeding times are at 10am and 3pm and can be witnessed at feeding platforms. Approached through the jungle via a wooden walkway, here you can observe the orangutans in their natural habitat. Although you are not allowed to touch them, this is for their benefit so that they do not become too familiar with human contact.

Entry into the centre is 30RM, which is about £6 and allows you to attend both of the feedings. The opening hours are 9am – 4pm so you can stick around all day. There is a short film about the centre’s work, which is well worth a watch and lots of walks around the reserve.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: See the orangutans in Borneo...
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New Primate Species Discovered in Borneo

With their beautiful soft coats and brilliant, huge brown eyes, the shy Nycticebus (the Latin name for the slow loris), is definitely one of the most adorable and captivating critters on the planet. And while they appear cute and cuddly, the bite of one of these small, shy nocturnal "night monkeys" carries quite a wallop. The Slow Loris is the only primate in the world that is venomous.

While they are omnivorous, their venom is used to catch and kill small prey animals, such as lizards, insects and birds, and as a defensive strategy to protect themselves and their babies. The animals access their poison by rubbing their hands on glands located in their armpits and then apply the toxin on their teeth. A Slow Loris bite is extremely painful and can cause swelling, fever and an anaphylactic reaction to humans who are allergic to the toxin and may similarly affect predatory animals as well.

Slow Loris monkeys are native to South and Southeast Asia. Due to their slow movements and their nocturnal habits, the species has been greatly misunderstood. Slow Loris monkeys measure between 9 ½ to 15 inches in height, and weigh approximately 4 pounds. Females give birth to only one offspring, following a gestation period of 193 days. Their life span is approximately 20 years.

What has brought the Slow Loris most recently into sharper focus, according to the National Geographic, a group of scientists have discovered the Nycticebus Kayan; a new species of this tiny, enchanting primate making their home in Borneo. 

So precisely upon what did the scientists base their claim that the Slow Loris N.Kayan was in fact a red-hot discovery? After studying several museum specimens and photographs of the Slow Loris species Nycticebus Menagenis, and carefully examining the distinct facial markings of these animals, they were able to ascertain that the Loris N.Kayan was in truth, totally new to science.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: New Primate Species Discovered in Borneo
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Slow Loris From The Borneo Jungle Are Actually Four Distinct Species

While studying the elusive nocturnal primate the slow loris in the jungles of Borneo, an international team of scientists discovered an entirely new species. Detailed in the American Journal of Primatology, the team analyzed the distinctive facial fur markings to reveal the existence of this new species. Another two species that were previously considered sub-species are also being officially recognized as unique because of this study.

“Technological advances have improved our knowledge about the diversity of several nocturnal mammals,” said Rachel Munds from the University of Missouri. “Historically many species went unrecognized as they were falsely lumped together as one species. While the number of recognized primate species has doubled in the past 25 years some nocturnal species remain hidden to science.”

Closely related to the lemur and the bushbaby, the primate genus Nycticebus – slow loris – is found across South East Asia, from Bangladesh and China’s Yunnan province to the island of Borneo. Rare among primates for having a toxic bite, the loris is rated as Vulnerable or Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

The primate secretes the toxin from glands in its elbow, which the animal then licks and mixes with their saliva. They use the toxin when they bite and also to coat the fur of their young, as a possible defense against predators. The toxin is strong enough to cause anaphylactic shock in humans.

The slow loris is recognized for their unique body and face coloration. Such fur patterns are often used to distinguish between species, however, nocturnal species are cryptic in coloration and have less obvious external differences than diurnal species. The team focused their research on the distinctive coloration of Borneo’s slow loris. The primates’ faces appear to have a mask, with the eyes being covered by distinct patches with varying shapes of caps on the top of their heads.

Facemask differences are what led to the recognition that there were four distinct species rather than one; N menagensis, N. bancanus, N. borneanus and N. kayan. N menagensis is the original species, and N. kayan is the new, previously unrecognized, species. N. kayan is found in the central-east highland area of Borneo and takes its name from the major river of the region, the Kayan. Munds and her colleagues use museum specimens, photographs and live animals, examining significantly different body sizes, fur thickness, habitats and facial markings to parse out the four species from the original one.

“In the first study to quantify facial mask differences we have recognized three new species of slow loris, two of which were recognized as subspecies at some point in the past, but are now elevated to species status, and one previously unrecognized group.” said Ms Munds. “This finding will assist in conservation efforts for these enigmatic primates, although survey work in Borneo suggests the new species are either very difficult to locate or that their numbers may be quite small.”

The distinction of these four species strongly suggests there is more diversity to be discovered in the Borneo jungles and surrounding islands, which include the Philippines. Much of this territory is threatened by human activity, however, so the possibility of further slow loris diversity existing in small and fragile ranges raises urgent conservation effort questions.

“The pet trade is a serious threat for slow lorises in Indonesia, and recognition of these new species raises issues regarding where to release confiscated Bornean slow lorises, as recognition by non-experts can be difficult,” said Professor Anna Nekaris, from Oxford Brookes University, in a press statement by journal publisher Wiley.

A person might think that a venomous primate with two tongues would be relatively safe from the pet trade, but you would be wrong. The slow loris is a big-eyed, teddy-bear faced animal, making it a target for illegal pet poachers throughout the entire range of Southeast Asia and the surrounding islands.

Dividing the loris into four distinct species has a good side and a bad one, according to Munds. On the bad side, four species instead of one means that the risk of extinction is greater than previously thought. On the good side, four smaller, more at risk species could garner more attention in conservation circles.

“Four separate species are harder to protect than one, since each species needs to maintain its population numbers and have sufficient forest habitat,” said Munds, MU doctoral student in anthropology. “Unfortunately, in addition to habitat loss to deforestation, there is a booming black market demand for the animals. They are sold as pets, used as props for tourist photos or dismembered for use in traditional Asian medicines.”

Despite the illegal pet trade, slow lorises are not domesticated and are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Munds argues that keeping the lorises as pets is cruel and that truly domesticating them is impossible.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Slow Loris From The Borneo Jungle Are Actually Four Distinct Species

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Nycticebus In Borneo: New Species Of Primate, Same Toxic Bite

The slow loris (Nycticebus) is a primate genus closely related to the lemur and found across South East Asia, from Bangladesh and China's Yunnan province to the island of Borneo.

The slow loris is rare amongst primates for having a toxic bite, and is rated as Vulnerable or Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Maybe not so endangered, since researchers have found a brand new species.

A team's analysis of the primate's distinctive facial fur markings, published in the American Journal of Primatology, reveals the existence of one entirely new species, while two possible sub-species are being officially recognized as unique.

Slow lorises are recognized by their unique fur coloration on the body and face, yet while traits such as fur patterns are often used to distinguish between species; nocturnal species are cryptic in coloration and have less obvious external differences.

The team's research focused on the distinctive colorings of Borneo's slow loris, whose faces have an appearance of a mask, with the eyes being covered by distinct patches and their heads having varying shapes of caps on the top.

"Technological advances have improved our knowledge about the diversity of several nocturnal mammals," said Rachel Munds from the University of Missouri Columbia. "Historically many species went unrecognized as they were falsely lumped together as one species. While the number of recognized primate species has doubled in the past 25 years some nocturnal species remain hidden to science."

Differences among these facemasks resulted in recognition of four species of Bornean and Philippine lorises, N menagensis, N. bancanus, N. borneanus and N. kayan. Of these Nycticebus kayan is a new group unrecognized before as distinct. This new species is found in the central-east highland area of Borneo and is named for a major river flowing in its region, the Kayan.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Nycticebus In Borneo: New Species Of Primate, Same Toxic Bite

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Borneo – A Frogger’s Dream

Borneo is a big island in South-east Asia, nestled amongst the islands of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It’s separated from Australia’s biogeographic region by the ‘Wallace line’ – reflecting a very different evolutionary history. In terms of frog assemblages, without delving into the murky waters of frog systematics, this means that while there are some frogs in Borneo that are similar to ours taxonomically, many others are quite unrelated.

For example, the microhylid family is well represented in both regions while the rhacophorid family is diverse in Asia but is not found at all Australia. So, being fairly familiar with what Australia has to offer, we were now heading into a region filled with animals completely new to us. We were looking forward to being clueless as to what we were seeing. That, and the fact that it’s a big island covered in hot, wet rainforest filled with animals and so what’s not to love?

Within hours of landing on the island we were in the rainforest after nightfall following tracks and streams and loving every minute, our dreams coming true. This was more-or-less how we would spend the next month. We rushed around in frenzy, looking at each new animal, admiring its novelty, taking some photos, pondering its identity, then rushing only a few steps further before some new fascinating subject was caught in the beam of a torch. It soon became overwhelming. Without being overwhelming myself, I’ll try to condense a few highlights of the frog fauna that we saw.

There’s the tree-hole frog (Metaphrynella sundana), a microhylid that breeds in small hollows in tree trunks that collect a little water. The tadpoles of another microhylid (Microhyla nepenthicola) live in the digestive fluids of carnivorous pitcher-plants. There’s the file-eared frog (Polypedates otilophus), with its beautiful tiger-striped legs and flanks, named for the sharp, serrated bony projections above the tympana (we discovered that this frog had a peculiar, strong stink when handled). We saw charming little Black-spotted rock frogs (Staurois guttatus) and their congeners the rock-skippers (S. latopalmatus)  – frogs that live on and around waterfalls and signal to each other with waves of the back feet.

The giant river frogs (Limnonectes leporinus) which can grow to 15 cm long, eat anything they can fit in their mouths, and in turn and can be bought at village markets as a delicacy. Tree toads (Pedostibes hosii) that, despite their ordinary appearance, climb many metres up trees to call for mates. Also adept climbers are the slender toads (Ansonia spp.) with their long graceful arms and legs. The jade frog (Rhacophorus dulitensis) – a carved jewel. The guardian frogs (Limnonectes finchi and palavanensis); the male of which carries a mass of squirming tadpoles on his back. I could go on.

If, like me, you ever pored over a book on frogs of the world as a child there’s little doubt that you’ve seen photos of two particular iconic frogs found in Borneo. The first we came across on only our second night – the Bornean Horned Frog (Megophrys nasuta). The legendary camouflage of this frog doesn’t help it stay hidden at night, when its eye-shine stands out like a beacon. Stumbling across three individuals easily was very lucky, as finding the frog by its call is frustrating in the extreme – it only makes its honking call once every few minutes. We were surprised to find that the ‘nose’ and other sharp-looking projections on this frog’s head are soft and fleshy!

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Borneo – A Frogger’s Dream

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Proboscis monkeys becoming endangered

 A proboscis monkey leaping between trees in Brunei.

 A proboscis monkey spotted in the Bengkurong area near a human settlement
trying to adapt itself to the different habitats and the environment
(the monkey is very rarely found alone; it does not come in groups as was once the case).

The mangrove forests in Lumapas with high-conservation value,
where proboscis monkeys were spotted in groups during feeding time in the morning.

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Shavez Cheema and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By Sarah Booley & Shavez Cheema

The proboscis monkey - or Bangkatan as it is locally known as - is only found in Borneo and risks extinction due to the continued destruction of its fragile mangrove and forest habitats.

The male species are most known for their large noses and big bellies.

The large, reddish brown monkeys are only found in the mangroves, swamps and the nearby forests of Borneo.

The males use their large noses to amplify their calls over long distances, as well as to attract females that not only have much smaller noses, but are only about half the males' size, too.

Groups of proboscis monkeys can contain up to 28 monkeys.

However, there are often only around 12, either made up of only one adult male or all adult males.

These monkeys feed only on leaves, seeds and unripe fruits they find in the mangroves and forests, and spend a large portion of their time resting, as digestion of these types of food takes a long time.

The easiest way to spot these spectacular monkeys is either early in the morning just as they wake up or as they prepare to go to sleep in trees along the banks of rivers.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists these monkeys as endangered, as numbers are falling due to hunting and destruction of their mangrove and forest habitats.

However, groups of these monkeys can be found in mangroves and forests not far from Bandar along Brunei's rivers in areas that are not currently under government protection.

Here in Brunei, proboscis monkeys can be found living in the Bengkurong, Brunei Bay and Lumapas areas. In fact, a recent survey carried out in Lumapas found that at least 15 groups of monkeys were residents in the area. These mangroves also provide homes for many other animals, including otters, crocodiles and eagles.

Even though this area is so close to the Bandar Seri Begawan and other areas of human activities, it is a large enough area of intact mangroves to provide a safe haven for the proboscis monkeys. Protecting it from destruction could be a large step forward in the fight to save a rare species.

One option for implementing such protection would be to include the Lumapas, Bengkurong and Brunei Bay Mangrove areas in the Heart of Borneo initiative.

The Heart of Borneo initiative is a collaboration between the governments of Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia that aims to conserve the extraordinary bio-diversity found on Borneo.

To do this, a network of protected areas and sustainably managed forests has been put in place that covers approximately 220,000km², a vast area that allows wildlife to move between different habitats and groups of animals to interact.

The inclusion of the Lumapas mangrove area in the Heart of Borneo would provide protection to these monkeys and other resident animals by preventing the destruction of their habitats for development purposes and by stopping illegal hunting.

Sadly, such destruction has already occurred in Bengkurong, where the resident proboscis monkeys are trapped on one side by a bridge and the remaining mangrove trees are dying as a result of pollution.

In addition, the Heart of Borneo protection could be extended to other areas of suitable habitat along the river banks and further inland.

By doing this, a network of mangrove and forest 'corridors' can be maintained, allowing groups of proboscis monkeys and other inhabitants to interact.

This would ensure the monkeys have enough available area to forage and for the population to grow as well as being beneficial in reducing the risk of inbreeding and diseases within an area.

Protecting their sensitive mangrove habitats would not only help save proboscis monkeys but would also pro-vide an accessible area, so that people, locals and visitors alike can share in the excitement of seeing one of Borneo's endemic monkeys in the wild.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Wild encounters at Kota Kinabalu Wetlands

By NYL

 Kota Kinabalu Wetlands is a model wetland centre for the purpose
of conservation, education, recreation and research

 One of the residential birds, the starling,
 has glossy black plumage and bright red eyes

 A pristine patch of mangrove in Kota Kinabalu Wetlands

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to NYL and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

Between the high and low tide marks lies a unique ecosystem that is regularly covered and uncovered by the ebb and flow of the tides. This meeting ground between land and sea is called the intertidal zone. It is rich in nutrients and oxygen and is home to a wide variety of organisms.

During my recent visit to Sabah, I went to Kota Kinabalu Wetlands situated just two kilometres north-east of Kota Kinabalu in Likas. Formerly known as Likas Mangrove and later Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary, this site is the only remains of 24 hectares of mangrove forest that once existed extensively along the coastal region of Kota Kinabalu. Today, it is used primarily as a model wetland centre for the purpose of conservation, education, recreation and research.

The visitor centre at the park headquarters is where tourists can enquire about information on attractions and activities available to them inside the park.

A 1.5-kilometre-long boardwalk adjacent to the information centre sheds light on mangrove forest and its brackish environment. Signs along the trail with drawings, photos and the history of the plants, birds and aquatic life that reside there, educating visitors on the economic and ecological importance of maintaining mangrove forests.

In addition, an observation tower allows visitors to view the tree canopy and observe birdlife.

During the cold months from the end of October to early February, migratory birds flee harsh winter in China and Siberia to find shelter in this resource-rich area, making the site a haven for birdwatchers.

To date, almost 80 species of bird have been identified at the sanctuary. Commonly sighted birds include migratory species like the Chinese egrets and herons as well as canopy birds such as collared kingfisher and stork-billed kingfisher. Other species available on view include plovers, magpies, starlings, painted storks, grey herons, cormorants, waterfowls and eagles.

Apart from providing food and shelter for both resident and migratory species of wildlife, the centre also prevents salt build-up in surrounding freshwater supplies, stabilising sedimentation, storing nutrients and removing toxins.

In the past, wetlands were mostly considered to be wastelands - uninhabited areas useless for cultivation. This understanding has since changed, with the value of wetlands gaining increasing recognition.

Lush habitats like the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands continue to provide a haven and nursery for many species, some of which contribute to the food chain, increasing the population of fish for human consumption.

Acting as a reserve, these spots also allow previously barren sites to be re-populated again. Newly-found chemicals produced by some species like the horseshoe crabs, are proving to be invaluable in the search for new medicines and drugs.

Although efforts have started to allow for the regeneration of wetlands in Sabah, either through natural growth or active reforestation efforts, areas are still being cleared for various purposes, such as development of commercial and residential areas. Now, Kota Kinabalu Wetlands and a few other isolated spots of marine shelter are all that remain against a modernised and sterile coastline.

There are many reasons for protecting Kota Kinabalu Wetlands. For most visitors, stepping out on dry land in the middle of the open sea with the beauty of a thriving, teeming world beneath and uncluttered skies above, such an experience speaks volumes of its value.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Sunday
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More mammals in Brunei than whole of Borneo

By Azlan Othman

Brunei Darussalam is known for its pristine environment, rich natural resources and a high percentage of forest cover. A recent study conducted by Universiti Brunei Darussalam 'The Faunal Biodiversity Survey of Sg Ingei Protection Forest' has confirmed that mammals found in the forest are high in number compared to the rest of Borneo. This shows that the wildlife protection in Brunei Darussalam is still comparatively intact.

Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar said this at the National Planning Workshop on Wildlife Management in Brunei Darussalam yesterday.

"I believe that if the wildlife management in Brunei Darussalam is improved, the total number of wildlife could be sustained and our forest can be a safe sanctuary for the wildlife.

"Our management capabilities, as far as natural resources management is concerned, continue to develop at par with our regional and international counterparts. Our long-term development plan, Brunei Vision 2035, clearly provides for continuous efforts to conserve our country's remarkable biodiversity, rainforests and natural habitat.

"Thus, the formulation and development of an effective wildlife strategic framework would consolidate all wildlife management initiatives in the country giving specific focus on policy, institutional, research and development, and socio-economic concerns of wildlife resources management," Pehin Yahya said.

The minister also said, towards that end, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to the transfer of wildlife matters to the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources in order to strengthen wildlife management and law enforcement considering that the natural habitats of this wildlife are already under the purview of the ministry.

"In view of this new development, it is very important to start with the right steps by inviting participation of our wildlife stakeholders in laying down constructive actions and initiatives needed.

"This workshop needs your constructive input, because the expected output of this workshop is expected to provide cross-cutting initiatives and concerns among development sectors of the country. Your technical and institutional knowledge will certainly guide us in the formulation of effective approaches at the national level and complement our own sectoral initiatives in attaining common objectives and admiration.

"Let us ensure that the output of this workshop would provide us more collaboration to further our research and development activities, economic opportunities and at the same time strengthen our wildlife law enforcement in view of the increasing wildlife crime in the region."

The minister also said that this workshop is very important to realise another milestone in the sustainable management of the natural resources of Brunei Darussalam. The Sultanate represents less than one per cent of the whole island of Borneo and yet its forests are among the richest in the world. This smallness at the same time exceptionally exposes us to environmental and ecological changes. Therefore we need careful and considered policy on wildlife.

Also present at the workshop was YAM Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History; Hjh Normah Suria Hayati bte Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja Dato Seri Utama (Dr) Hj Awg Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri, Permanent Secretary at the MIPR; Dyg Hjh Hasnah bte Ibrahim, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MIPR; Hj Saidin Salleh, Director of Forestry; and other senior officials.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants are expected to come up with recommendations for an integrated and holistic management approach for the conservation and protection of the country's wildlife resources that address legal and policy concerns, administration and enforcement, research and development, human resource development needs and socio economic opportunities.

The MIPR through the Forestry Department, Agriculture & Agrifood Department, Museums Department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports with the support of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia is organising the national planning workshop.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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RM470,000 facelift project for Matang Wildlife Centre

KUCHING: Upgrading project amounting to RM470,000 is in progress at Matang Wildlife Centre as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade the facilities there.

According to conservation manager Abg Abdul Mutalib Abg Tajudin, the main scopes of works for this project are upgrading of the customer service centre, which include the park shop, interpretation centre, audio visual room and meeting room, upgrading of the camping sites and picnic spots and also external works on the trails and walkways.

“Proposed scope of works under the 9th Malaysia Plan in ‘Package A’ for 2011 include the maintenance and upgrade of one unit of hornbill cage, two units of deer enclosure, one unit of mixed bird cage, one unit of stork, owl and eagle cage and also one unit of pig-tailed macaque enclosure,” he explained.

He shared this information during a product visit and briefing organised by Tourism and Heritage Ministry at the Centre here yesterday.

A total of 40 members of Sarawak Tourism Federation and representatives of various travel agencies were in attendance.

They were joined by permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik for a tour of the jungle trail there.

Mutalib also informed in the briefing that there is more to come for proposed scope of works for Package B (2012) under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: RM470,000 facelift project for Matang Wildlife Centre

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Capturing carnivores in Kinabatangan on camera

KINABATANGAN: Sabah Wildlife Department, Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), the NGO HUTAN and WildCRU recently launched the “Kinabatangan Carnivore Programme” with funding from four American zoos, Houston, Columbus, Cincinnati and Phoenix, and private donors in New York.

“The Kinabatangan Carnivore Programme, initiated by our Department, will intend to advance understanding, and the conservation, of the diverse carnivores of the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain,” explained Dr Laurentius Ambu, Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department.

“For this, we are collaborating with Andrew Hearn from WildCRU (University of Oxford, UK) who spent the last four years studying clouded leopards and other carnivores in Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. His experience with camera trapping is primordial for the success of this project,” added Ambu.

“It will be a long-term programme which aims to provide insights into Bornean carnivore ecology and density and develop Bornean carnivore species distribution and habitat suitability models,” said Dr Benoit Goossens, Director of the Danau Girang Field Centre.

“It is crucial for us, wildlife conservationists and managers, to find out about what dispersal opportunities exist for these carnivores and other mammals within the fragmented landscape of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, and how might dispersal corridors be protected, enhanced and restored,” added Goossens.

“Last November, we were extremely pleased to find a sequence of 12 pictures showing a clouded leopard female and her cub walking along a trail. These two individuals were also recorded in December on most of our cameras along a thin corridor of forest between the river and a plantation,” explained Rob Colgan and Rodi Tenquist, two undergraduates from Cardiff University, who are spending a year at DGFC during their professional training year and are providing field assistance to the project.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Capturing carnivores in Kinabatangan on camera
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Tiny Borneo bats use carnivorous pitcher plants as living toilets

Birds may bomb cars with airborne droppings, but bats apparently use living toilets made of carnivorous plants, gracing them with their fecal matter, scientists find.

Pitcher plants get their name from the long juglike structures they form from rolled-up leaves. These pitchers serve as pitfall traps, with digestive fluids to liquefy any hapless victims (typically insects) that fall in.

Scientists recently discovered that small mammals known as tree shrews on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo don't end up as doomed victims of the carnivorous plant — instead, they sit on the rims of one such pitcher plant, Nepenthes lowii, and then poop inside.

As ignoble as this might seem, this is a win-win situation for both the pitchers and tree shrews. The plants cover the pitcher lids with nectar that the critters readily lick for nourishment, while the excrement serves as much-needed fertilizer. (This is why carnivorous plantsnormally trap insects — to get valuable nutrients.)

Now it turns out pitcher plantsare not exclusive bathrooms. Scientists have discovered the small woolly bat Kerivoula hardwickii uses a different type of pitcher in Borneo, Nepenthes rafflesiana elongata, as a lavatory and home as well.

Bat roosts

Tropical ecologist Ulmar Grafe at the University of Brunei Darussalam in Brunei first started working on the island of Borneo investigating how tadpoles can survive within the fluid of pitcher plants.

"It was a hot and humid day in the peat swamp forest and a student calls out, 'Ulmar, have a look at this — there's a bat in this pitcher,'" Grafe recalled. "We squeezed it out the top, and it was alive and well, obviously using the pitcher as a daytime roost."

Other people had seen bats roostingin the pitchers but they put it off as coincidental. "We were seeing it too often, however," Grafe said.

The pitchers of N. rafflesiana elongata are actually poor insect traps, capturing up to seven times fewer insects than typical varieties and possessing relatively little in the way of insect-attracting scents and digestive fluid. As such, "maybe the pitchers are modified in a way that attracts bats," Grafe said. "Bat roosting may not be coincidental."

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Semenggoh Wildlife Centre expects 190,000 visitors this year

THE number of visitors to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre (SWC) in Jalan Puncak Borneo near Kuching is increasing rapidly and is expected to reach more than 190,000 this year.

SWC manager Jen Sangel said: "In 2008, there were 77,220 visitors and last year we recorded 89,226."

The increase may be due to air fares that were affordable for travel to Sarawak, he said.

Local visitors comprised 60%, including those from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia, while foreigners made up the remaining 40%.

The foreigners were mainly from Europe, Britain, Australia and the Middle East.

Entry to the centre costs RM3 for adults and RM1.50 for schoolchildren, Jen told StarMetro after briefing Danish Ambassador to Malaysia Svend Waever and his wife Karin Gunilla Waever who visited the centre on Wednesday.

Most of the visitors want to catch a glimpse of orang utans, which are found in the rainforests of Borneo.

Jen said there were 27 orang utans at SWC and two other centres in the state.

The orang utans had names like Aman, Manap, Saddam, Selina, Annuar, Nora, Ritchie, Doris, Delima, Murray, Angku, Sedudu, Baka, Mamu and Ting San, he added.

He said that Aman was blind, but regained her sight after successfully undergoing an operation last year.

Other activities at SWC include jungle trekking (three trails) and bird watching.

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Close encounters with orang utan

Mother and child feeding on the platform

Visitors watching the antics of orang utans from the viewing platform

Visitors being briefed on the rules and regulations by forest ranger Abdul Rahman

A male orang utan on top of a tree

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to NYL and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By NYL

The orang utan was once a common forest dweller in Sumatra and Borneo, but wildlife preservation authorities estimate that only a few thousand survive in the wild today. An adult orang utan requires at least 1,000 acres of virgin forest to subsist; as the habitat dwindles, the orang utan population declines.

Semenggoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC), about 30km south of Kuching, was set up to rescue and rehabilitate orang utan. They were orphaned at a young age or caught by local villagers as pets. Rangers from SORC search areas about to be developed, and respond to tip-offs by locals to rescue endangered or captured orang utan. These orang utan are then brought back to the centre to be rehabilitated.

Rehabilitation is a long and arduous process. At the centre, the orang utans undergo a medical check-up before being quarantined for 90 days to undergo observation.

They are then introduced to the rest of the troupe in large outdoor socialising cages. Swings and ropes are placed in cages for the orang utans to build up their strength and stamina in preparation for their return to the forest. Once they are about five to six years old, they will slowly be weaned off human care and contact, and brought back into the forest in stages.

The orang utans are gradually led to different feeding platforms, where they are fed less and less as they go deeper into the forest. This is to encourage them to learn how to search for their own food, until they can be completely independent of human care.

Being 97 per cent genetically similar to humans, these men of the forest are mischievous creatures and highly intelligent to boot.

Visitors to SORC get to observe orang utan at the feeding stations twice a day.

A 20-minute walk into the centre goes past some excellent landscaped gardens with wildlife in their natural habitat.

Visitors are briefed on the rules and regulations at the reserve by forest ranger Abdul Rahman, who also cautioned them against getting too near the orang utan.

"They look tame and adorable, but orang utan can be mischievous and sometimes aggressive. Hide your food and drinks, and anything that might attract their attention because they will grab things from you," he said.

The ranger also warned visitors from having any physical contact with the apes, and using flash when taking their photographs because it can damage their eyesight.

We walked a short distance through the jungle before we got our first glimpse of them. Orang utan are good timekeepers and as feeding time approaches they start to make an appearance.

Ever so gracefully and without making a sound, a female orang utan slowly started making her way towards us, swinging along the vines about 10 metres above the ground. Soon it became apparent that she had a baby orang utan with her.

She was joined by another female with a baby, descending from a different direction. Both the babies had fuzzy hair and looked very young.

They quietly made their way to the platform where a ranger had left some bananas.

Orang utan are omnivores. They eat both plants and animals like birds and small mammals as well as insects.

At one point the first female walked passed us on the viewing platform and I was within five metres of her. It was a sight I will never forget.

Orang utan are a worldwide endangered species, and SORC plays a crucial role in helping these tree-dwellers survive and return to their natural habitat. However, this cannot be just a one-sided effort, and everyone should take an active interest in this important task.

In addition to the orang utan, visitors will be able to see other endangered species at SORC. The centre has housed a wide range of wildlife, including rescued gibbons, porcupines, crocodiles and river terrapins.

In the surrounding forest, cries of rehabilitated gibbons, as well as the songs of a host of wild bird species can be heard. Brightly coloured lizards and various species of squirrel are also frequently encountered.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Corridor Of Life For Sabah's Endangered Wildlife

KOTA KINABALU -- The protected wildlife in Sabah is set to see better chances of survival, thanks to the `corridor of life' introduced by the Sabah state government.

The corridor of life is not only aimed at creating more forest for the wild animals to move about but also to complement the state government's goal of ensuring that 55 per cent of Sabah's total area has green cover.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the program would involve rehabilitation of the riparian reserve to create a passage for the wild animals to move about.

"Many people, especially owners of oil palm estates, plant crop right up to the river bank, thus blocking the passage for the wild animals," he told Bernama.

Riparian forest is a forested area adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary or canal that allows fragmented forest to be connected.

CORRIDOR OF LIFE

"We will be rehabilitating this area (riparian reserve) and we have given alternatives to all land owners to stop farming on riparian reserve because when they farm right at the river's edge, wild animals, especially elephants are unable to cross the river," he said.

The corridor of life is currently the focus in the Kinabatangan district, in the interiors of Sabah, which will involve the acquisition of a vast area to create the riparian reserve.

"We are buying up the land little by little and as far as possible we try to encourage Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to raise fund themselves because we want the ownership to be shared by everyone.

Masidi noted that the implementation of the programme would be done in collaboration with the state Wildlife Department and the Land and Survey Department, the two department with enforcement powers.

EXTINCTION

"Enforcement means if for any reason a farmer or plantation company encroaches into the riparian reserve, they have actually committed an offence under the Land Ordinance.

"So that enforcement will be done by the Land and Survey Department," he said.

The whole idea of the corridor of life is to allow wild animals to move from one place to another to search for food and also to give them the opportunity to propagate.

"Animals are increasingly losing their habitat and are being pushed further into the jungle and worse still, the opening up of land leads to the fragmentation of forests.

"Therefore, it becomes a problem for the animals to move from one place to another to look for food and when they encroach into plantations they become the target of planters and poachers," he said adding that sun bear is one of the most endangered species in the state.

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World's most endangered Otter 'rediscovered' in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: The world’s most endangered otter species known as the hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) has been “rediscovered” in Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sabah by a collaboration of German and Malaysian researchers.

“This is great news for Sabah and shows once again how unique and fortunate we are in terms of wildlife and nature. In addition, these findings also boost the conservation of this endangered otter internationally as historically this otter was distributed throughout large parts of Southeast Asia,” said an elated Sabah Wildlife Department Director, Dr. Laurentius Ambu.

The last confirmed record of the hairy-nosed otter in Sabah is a museum specimen collected over a hundred years ago.

“Even over the whole island of Borneo the last record – a road-kill from Brunei – was 1997, over ten years ago. Therefore it was unknown to scientists if this species can be still found on Borneo,” stated Andreas Wilting, the project leader of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW).

In 2008, IZW initiated the Conservation of Carnivores in Sabah (ConCaSa) project with the collaboration of SWD and Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) to study carnivores such as the Sunda clouded leopard, civets and otters in the State.

The ConCaSa project used automated camera traps that were set up in Deramakot and the surrounding forest reserves during the last two years. As the different otter species look very similar the hairy-nosed otter pictures had first to be verified by a number of experts before they were published recently by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission journal.

In addition to capturing camera trap pictures of the endangered hairy-nosed otter, the study also confirmed the presence of all five Bornean cat species, 13 other small carnivores such as the Banded civet and the sun bear.

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Rhinoceros hornbill at Matang Wildlife Centre

IT IS DIFFICULT to say how long Jerry has to be in rehab. How do you wean a rhinoceros hornbill of the affection and care that human beings have shown it for half its life?

For 15 years, Jerry was a pet of Beliang Mandang who bought it for RM35 in Tebedu. Home for Jerry was a longhouse in Sri Aman. When the time came for Beliang to part from Jerry, Beliang was heartbroken.

It seems tragic that the love of Beliang and his wife for Jerry had poisoned Jerry to the extent that it had to be rehabilitated.

When Jerry’s story and photo appeared on the front page of The Star last month, it caused quite a buzz. Not many people have seen a rhinoceros hornbill or burung kenyalang, much less one that is breathing.

You usually have a better chance of seeing one after a taxidermist has done his job, rather than in the wild. Not surprisingly, our reporter who wrote the story received several emails enquiring about Jerry and where it was now.

Jerry is at the Matang Wildlife Centre. It will be released into the wild when it can fend for itself, but the jungles today are not the same as when it was caught more than a decade ago.

Of the 12.4 million hectares in Sarawak, there is only 512,390ha where Jerry can be safe. Even then, the land is distributed over 18 national parks, four wildlife sanctuaries and five nature reserves, and not all the habitats are suitable for a rhinoceros hornbill, the largest species of hornbill.

Whether that tree with the hollow in which Jerry was hatched from an egg, and where its parents had cared for it, is still standing, nobody knows. What’s for sure is that Jerry and others like it are rare in Sarawak and desperately need human intervention to ensure their survival.

There are some who argue about whether Beliang was right in handing Jerry over to Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC). After all, he had cared for the bird for more than a decade and done a good job.

Beliang, however, did not have a choice. If he had not surrendered Jerry. a protected animal, he could have been fine RM25,000 or spent two years behind bars under the state’s Wild Life Protection Ordinance.

Let’s hope then, for Jerry’s sake, that the people at SFC will do a better job than Beliang.

The affinity of Sarawakians for the rhinoceros hornbill is expected.

We live in the Land of the Hornbill and the bird is in our state emblem. It is revered by ethnic groups in the state, particularly the Iban and Kayan.

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Book Review: Wild Sabah

WILD Sabah provides brilliant insight into the natural world of Malaysian Borneo – from magnificent rainforests to the beautiful and wondrous creatures living in them.

The book opens with some history about Sabah, such as how it got its name, the land and climate, and landscapes which range from tropical rainforests to beaches and marshes. The book continues with some geology, telling you about rock types and formations in Sabah, Further on, you will learn about the trees and forests of Sabah and the logging industry; its local wildlife which includes orang utans, Borneo elephants and Sumatran rhinos; the local people and their culture and traditions; and the many regions in Sabah.

The author Junaidi Payne has lived in Sabah since 1979 and is considered one of the foremost authorities on the natural history and ecology of Sabah. Payne worked with the Sabah Forestry Department from 1979 to 1987, during which time he helped establish the Tabin and Kulamba Wildlife Reserves and was involved in the first state-wide survey of orang utans. From 1988 to 1998, he worked with the Tourism Ministry and Environment Development to establish more conservation areas, notably the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. He has written numerous books and scientific papers detailing the natural world.

The photographs in the book were taken by Cede Prudente. Born in Lahad Datu in Sabah, he has been involved in nature conservation since 1990, when he managed Sabah’s first wildlife lodge at Sukau on the Kinabatangan River. From 1998 until 2001, he managed the Partners for Wetlands project for World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia. His photographs have appeared in numerous books about nature.

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Sabah’s exotic wildlife will remain in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun yesterday assured that Sabah’s exotic wildlife will remain at its natural habitat in the state.

He described it as irresponsible to shift the state’s iconic wildlife such as the proboscis monkeys, orang utan and rhinos elsewhere as the animals’ survival rate would be compromised if they were taken away of their ‘home’.

Masidi was commenting on Malaysian Zoological Association president Datuk Ismail Hutson’s statement recently that efforts were being made to get animals from Sabah to be relocated to Zoo Negara in Hulu Kelang, Kuala Lumpur.

“We may consider some animals, but to ask for iconic animals from Sabah is really out of the question.

“We are talking about orang utan or probably proboscis monkeys, or even rhinos which we also do not have enough (in Sabah).

“It is not because we do not want to give, but we want to, as far as possible, retain them at their natural habitat. Sabah understands the special needs of these animals so it will be irresponsible for us to send them outside the state knowing that the chances of survival could be very much compromised,” he said.

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