Bio-diversity
Pygmy Sperm Whale Found Washed Ashore
A beached marine animal found by a jogger on Tuesday evening has been identified as an endangered pygmy sperm whale.
State Fisheries Department director Munir Mohd Nawi said that although the 70kg female whale measuring 3.14m was common in the South China Sea, it was rarely sighted here due to it being near extinction.
He said the mammal was fighting for its life when it was found by a woman at 8.30pm at the Batu Burok beach here. It succumbed to severe injuries to its fin, body and flippers three hours later.
The woman, Che Rani Mat Yusoh, 36, said she yelled for help after finding that the animal was seriously injured.
A group of people attempted to save it by lugging it to sea but the whale was washed ashore as it was too weak due to starvation and its injuries.
Munir said the carcass had been sent to Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre for an autopsy.
Like its cousin, the sperm whale, the pygmy sperm whale has a spermaceti organ on its forehead and is among the smallest of whales, not much larger than dolphins.(The Star)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )SAM: Pandas behind bars not a good idea
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) wishes to express our stand against the proposed acquisition of giant pandas by Malaysia’s Zoo Negara.
An astronomical sum of RM30 million for this exchange programme is ridiculous and serious consideration should be given as to whether the zoo has the resources to sustain this animal in the long-term.
Not forgetting that it has to maintain the services of the staff and veterinarians and the pandas’ special diet of bamboo. After all, the zoo is only dependent on gate collections, sponsorships and donations for the running of the zoo’s large menagerie. So should the zoo spend such an enormous amount on acquiring the pandas?
The zoo is already overstocked with 5,000 odd animals from about 450 species many of which are high- profile animals.
The money should instead be channeled to manage the resident animals which are sorely in need of space. The funds could also be used for the development of naturalistic zoo exhibits and environmental enrichment.
Head swaying, pacing in circles, self-grooming and different forms of neuroses are prevalent in many of the animals presently housed in Zoo Negara.
There is a need to improve animal husbandry in the zoo where serious research is needed into the animals’ behaviour and captive requirements of all the animals exhibited in the zoo.
The claim that Zoo Negara is not attracting visitors is not because it does not have high-profile animals but is, in fact, not properly run by its committee. Defects or inadequacies affecting captive animals can be traced to single source i,. the human element.
Included in the exchange programme between Zoo Negara and the Chinese zoos are painted storks and milky storks for which there is a surplus.
The milky stork is a highly endangered bird threatened with extinction in Malaysia and as such, there should be captive breeding of them for re-stocking the wild population. SAM sees no rationale in exchanging them for China’s ringtail lemurs, white tigers, and golden monkeys.
Pandas and other new ‘recruitments’ will certainly bring in increased gate collections but like so many species in captivity, they can exhibit the same patterns of disturbed behaviour arising from boredom and stress.
The real justification for zoos has to be public education. A great majority of people are ignorant about causes and effects of habitat destruction as we continue to destroy wild habitats on a vast and frightening scale.
Conservation is served much better by habitat protection than by putting pandas behind bars in zoos.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )More Than 600 Elephants Found By New Survey Techniques
Researchers said Thursday (15 Jan) they have found a surprisingly large elephant population in Malaysia’s biggest national park after new survey techniques revealed a community of more than 600 animals.
The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society and Malaysia Department of Wildlife and National Parks estimated that there are 631 Asian elephants living in Taman Negara National Park in the center of peninsular Malaysia.
The survey showed Taman Negara to be “one of the great strongholds for Asian elephants in Southeast Asia,” said Melvin Gumal, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s conservation programs in Malaysia.
“People were unsure of how many elephants lived in the park before our survey, although there were good reasons to think that the population was substantial,” he said.
Asian elephants are endangered due to habitat loss and poaching; between 30,000 and 50,000 may remain in 13 Asian countries, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The Taman Negara protected rainforest jungle, known simply as the “Green Heart” by Malaysians, spans about 4,343 square kilometers (1,676 square miles) _ roughly the size of Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
“The surveys reveal the importance of Taman Negara in protecting wildlife especially those species that need large home ranges,” Abdul Rasid Samsudin, the director general of Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks, said in a statement. He said the size of the population was larger than expected.
Prior to the survey, there was no figure for the park’s elephant population because researchers lacked an accurate method to count animals spread throughout the dense jungle forest that are frequently on the move.
That changed with the development of a new survey method. Elephant dung piles were counted in 2006 and 2007 to estimate population size rather than trying to visually count every elephant.
Counting dung piles has become an internationally recognized technique and has been endorsed by U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Gumal said.
“There were lots of problems before with surveying elephants in rain forests,” Gumal said. “It is hard to estimate the number of elephants by just looking at them because the rain forest is very lush. The elephants will find you faster than you see them.” (By MICHAEL CASEY/ AP)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Bad start for Malaysia’s tigers – Freshly slaughtered tigers seized
Thai highway police unexpectedly underlined the seriousness of the tiger trafficking problem in Southeast Asia when they seized the contents of a truck containing four freshly slaughtered tigers, believed to be on their way from Malaysia to China last week.
At the same time as the seizure, and only four hours’ drive north, police from China, the US and Southeast Asian states concluded a meeting in Bangkok on how better to coordinate anti-wildlife trafficking efforts, with tigers a leading item on the agenda.
The result of the meeting was the beginning of a strategy on how to dismantle the organized crime syndicates that are believed to be behind the illegal killing and trade of endangered species such as tigers.
The seizure was particularly shocking for Malaysian wildlife authorities, who just last month launched an ambitious new National Tiger Action Plan which seeks to double the number of wild tigers in Malaysia by 2020.
Poaching is the biggest threat to tigers in Malaysia and the population of tigers there has gone from 3,000 to 500 in the last 50 years. Tigers are poached for their parts, which are used in traditional medicine and eaten as an exotic dish in countries such as China.
“Illegal trade is the most urgent and immediate threat to wild tigers, having the greatest potential to do maximum harm in the shortest span of time,” said Azrina Abdullah, Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, based in Malaysia.
“With a thriving international market for tiger products, there appears to be a large and very well-connected organized network of hunters and traders that target tigers in the region.”
Two men were reportedly arrested in connection with smuggling the dead tigers but according to Dr Loh Chi Leong, Malaysian Nature Society’s Executive Director: “Wildlife crime is not considered a priority within Malaysia’s judicial system and penalties for such crimes are often extremely low and therefore do not serve as a deterrent. Time and again wildlife offenders often escape arrest, prosecution and punishment.”
Conservationists in Malaysia hope that Protection of Wild Life Act 1972 will be updated as it is severely outdated and riddled with loopholes, often enabling wildlife offenders to escape arrest, prosecution and punishment.
The National Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia outlines actions that are specifically focused on the importance of improved intelligence-driven anti-poaching patrols in key tiger habitat and better enforcement of wildlife and wildlife trade laws.
WWF and its partners including the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society (Malaysia Programme) are helping to implement the plan by working on securing key forest areas that are connected so tigers can migrate safely from place to place and providing anti-poaching protection for tigers and their prey.
“This was a bad start to the year for Malaysia’s tigers,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman Director of WWF International’s Species Programme. “There is no time to waste – we must all work together to ensure enhanced enforcement in Malaysia and beyond, and efforts to stop illegal trade into China, so that one of Earth’s most iconic species will thrive and indeed recover in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.” (WWF News Centre)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Malaysia is ranked among the top 10 illegal wildlife smuggling hubs
Malaysia is ranked among the top 10 illegal wildlife smuggling hubs in the world, specialising in transporting pangolins, birds and clouded monitor lizards.
The wildlife is smuggled out of the country via air through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Penang International Airport, and via sea through Johor, said South-East Asia regional director of wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, Azrina Abdullah.
She said Malaysia is a transit and harvest hub for the illegal wildlife trade.
“We are among the top 10 smuggling hubs together with Manila (the Philippines), Medan (Indonesia), Singapore and the United States.
“Hanoi (Vietnam) is also catching up,” she said after attending a lecture by Bryan Christy, the author of The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passion of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia on Tuesday.
During the talk, Christy touched on a chapter in his book which chronicles the dealings of a Penangite who was regarded as the “top reptile smuggler in the world.” Azrina said smuggled wildlife would end up in cooking pots in China, and pet shops in Europe and the United States.
“It is especially easy to smuggle reptiles because they are small and cold-blooded,” she said.
She explained that one could smuggle a snake by “balling it up” and tying it for long flights as it can withstand cold temperatures and survive on minimal food.
“Smugglers are also known to export dangerous wildlife species with valid papers as a front. The illegal wildlife would be placed below the legal wildlife.
“Few Customs officers would make the effort to unload the dangerous species to check what is at the bottom,” she said.
She added that some smugglers even dispensed tips to buyers on how to smuggle their new “pets” home on a long haul flight.
Azrina said Malaysia is the preferred hub because of its strategic location and low risk.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )“We are right in South-East Asia and in the centre of things. The risk is also very low. If you get caught smuggling drugs, you would be hanged. But if you are caught smuggling a tiger, you are fined,” she said.
“The Act is outdated and there is a need for heavier penalties. We are trying to push for a minimum penalty instead of the original maximum penalty. We are also trying to increase the penalty to include a jail term as well,” she said.
She said non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are lobbying for stricter laws under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 (PWA). (The Star)
Fishermen who caught whale shark may be fined
The four fishermen who caught a juvenile whale shark by accident on New Year’s Day may be fined – the fish is an endangered and protected species.
Penang Fisheries Department director Mohd Najib Ramli said statements had taken from the four and forwarded to the department’s legal unit in Putrajaya for further action.
“It is up to the unit. They may be compounded for catching the fish,” he said.
Mohd Najib said deep-sea fishermen should immediately release endangered or protected marine wildlife that got entangled in their nets.
He said fishermen should be alert and ready to act quickly to release such wildlife.
Final resting place: The carcass of the whale shark being buried at the Fisheries Research Institute grounds in Batu Maung, Penang yesterday.“They should not leave it in the net.
“If the fish or animal had died while in the net, the Fisheries Department must be notified,” he said in an interview.
On Friday, the shark was caught in fishermen’s trawl nets 10 nautical miles off Teluk Ba- hang.
The 7m-long fish got entangled in the nets at 3am. The four fishermen later returned to shore in Teluk Bahang, with the fish, at 5.30am.
The two-tonne whale shark was surrendered to the state Fisheries Department and hauled to the tuna landing port in Batu Maung by fishing boats on Friday eve- ning.
It was transported to the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), where it was buried at 3.20pm yesterday – minus its fins and part of its tail.
Najib said the parts cut off would be sent to the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) in Terengganu for research.
“In about one month, we will take out the whale shark’s bones and send them to Tumec where they will be put on exhibition,” he said.
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a filter-feeding shark known for its playful character.
It is the largest living fish that poses no harm to humans.(The Star)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )SAM: Stop all activities in mangrove forests
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has urged the Government to stop all activities in mangrove forests and pay serious attention to the threat posed by the aquaculture industry which has resulted in the deterioration of the mangrove forest ecosystem.
SAM president S.M. Mohamed Idris said there was a need to reconsider the industrial aquaculture zones and prohibit aquaculture activities in mangrove forests.
“The Government should also develop a strong policy and law to control the aquaculture industry as well as to rehabilitate damaged mangrove forests to ensure protection for our coastlines,” he told reporters here Friday.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Scientists predict coral destruction
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Northern parts of the Great Barrier Reef is likely to suffer severe coral bleaching this summer, the conservation group WWF Australia warns.
A report from the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea, the Coral Triangle and the reef, WWF said.
The Coral Triangle is home to 75 per cent of all known coral species and covers waters from the Philippines to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.
WWF’s climate change expert Richard Leck said the bleaching would impact on tourism, food supply and livelihoods in northern Queensland and South East Asia.
“The bleaching, predicted to occur between now and February, could have a devastating impact on coral reef ecosystems, killing coral and destroying food chains,” Mr Leck said.
“There would be severe impacts for communities in Queensland, Australia and the region, who depend on the oceans for their livelihoods.
“More than 120 million people rely on its marine resources.”
He said there would be significant impacts on Cairns and Port Douglas where the reef’s tourism was centred.
Large scale coral bleaching was expected to happen regularly if average global temperatures rose at least two degrees Celsius.
Mr Leck said the latest data showed how important it was for Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
The WWF and many other environmental groups have condemned the Rudd government’s carbon pollution reduction scheme as weak.
The government this week announced a 2020 carbon reduction target of at least five per cent, but was open to a higher target if a global consensus could be reached.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Palm oil offers no green solution
A major international study says palm oil plantations reduce plant and animal diversity, and do little to reduce carbon emissions.
Researchers say tropical forests are increasingly cleared to make way for palm oil crops, leading to a reduction in habitats for many rare species.
The problem is most acute in Malaysia and Indonesia which produce around 85% of the world’s palm oil.
The report is published in the journal Conservation Biology.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Coastal Reclamation Disturbs Hawksbill turtles
Disturbed Home (25 Nov, 2008)
Nesting sites of hawksbill turtles in Malacca are under threat by coastal reclamation work.
Seaside eateries such as this are a source of light, noise and pollution.
For time immemorial, the disconnected beaches from Padang Kemunting to Kuala Linggi, near the border with Negri Sembilan, has been the nesting haven of this endangered species and it is the largest known population in Peninsular Malaysia and second most important in the country after the cluster of islands called Turtle Islands in Sabah.
The Malacca turtle population averages 200 to 300 nests a year while in Sabah the number is 500 to 600 nests. DNA research has shown that they are genetically a different stock from the Sabah and Terengganu populations.
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Environmental Development in Malaysia 