Act now to stop wildlife extinction
Category: conservation, poaching | Date: Oct 31 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
| Act now to stop wildlife extinction |
| SM Mohd Idris | Oct 31, 08 12:40pmhttp://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/92224 |
| Conservation groups have sounded the death knell for Malaysia’s endangered wildlife. Special emphasis is being placed on pangolins and the Malayan tapir, both of which are now cited under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2008 Red list, with many more joining the list.Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) strongly believes that our Malaysian wildlife is in jeopardy. This has been long foreseen, following the numerous and frequent reports of wildlife smuggling activities involving especially pangolins and snakes.
Seizure of pangolins, reptiles, exotic meats and tiger parts indicate widespread poaching. News of extinction certainly does not augur well for the Malaysian wildlife authorities, as it indicates failure on their part to protect the animals. The rapid rate of decline in animal species over the decade has become a reason for great concern. The cause of this decimation is almost all directly related to human activity. For example, the threat of habitat destruction being imposed upon wildlife species due to human development activities range from roads, quarrying, mining, marinas to other factors such as poaching, hunting, pet trade, consumer demands and zoos. Another serious concern is the issuing of licenses for hunting. In spite of the fact that only game animals are allowed to be taken during the open season, there is no guarantee that protected species will not be shot. Hunting, whether legally or illegally, along with other forms of poaching, inflict great damage on wildlife. Modern-day poaching is a highly-organised venture fueled by greed and profit. It is not known how long more these species can tolerate such exploitation, or how it will affect the rarer wildlife. A question which needs to be immediately addressed is can these animals be saved from extinction? Yes, if the problem is nipped in the bud by putting a halt to the carnage at wildlife habitats. The Wildlife Department must beef up efforts to catch offenders in cities and forest fringes, and to act against wildlife killings. Wildlife enforcement authorities should be assigned to duty at forests and wildlife habitats to deter poachers from continuing with their illegal activities. An inventory of animal species is an essential first step towards halting the slide of endangered animal species into extinction. A freeze on licenses permitting wildlife exploitation is also a critical measure. For example, licenses for hunting, licenses for the sale of wildlife in pet shops and ’special’ permits for endangered species at zoos should no longer be renewed or issued. State governments can help alleviate the crisis faced by wildlife by making a concerted effort to manage their land better. Ignorance on the part of zealously optimistic developers about the creatures and plants inhabiting the land they wish to develop does not excuse them from the responsibility of protecting and preserving the plant and animal species in that area. An important point to remember is that conservation efforts should not mean isolation, but rather preserving wildlife species along with their natural habitat, thus maintaining healthy ecosystems. As a whole, conservation efforts should encompass wildlife and habitat management, bolder restructuring of wildlife and environmental protection policies and effective planning. Sadly, all too often, conservation efforts are not heeded until the loss of a valued species becomes dramatic and intensely noticeable, by which time there are too few left for the particular species to recover in numbers. The writer is president, Sahabat Alam Malaysia |
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The above letter was written by SM Mohd Idris, the president of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of Nature Malaysia), further urge for better protection of wildlife in Malaysia. You can help us sign the petition to urge Malaysian government to strengthen wildlife law and the committement to protect wildlife at www.petitiononline.com/MYLaw/petition. html.
Please read more at http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/2008/10/25/we-need-your-help-to-protect-wildlife-in-malaysia/
Borneo’s Moment of Truth
Category: Borneo, habitat loss, rainforest | Date: Oct 30 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
Most people tend to have a impression of Borneo, the world third largest island, as a wild place where thick forest carpeted the entire landscape, wildlife are everywhere, little human settlements, a place that simply cannot be any wilder than that.
If you really think Borneo is really such a place, then, oops, sorry! You are so wrong!
In the latest November issue of National Geographic, Mel White with the photographs from Mattias Klum, reveals the “Borneo’s Moment of Truth”. A must read article if you care about rainforest, wildlife that live in rainforest, people’s livelihood who live close to the forest, and finally to all life forms on Earth, including you and me. As Mel terms it as “The majestic forests are vanishing in smoke and sawdust, but there’s still hope for the island’s fabled biodiversity- if the palm oil rush can be slowed”
Can we slow down the palm oil rush?? We have to, because there is no other way if we want to save the wild animals and wild plants that calls Borneon rainforest “home”.
Please read this article online at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/borneo/white-text, if you have not get your own copy.
Please do not forget that you can always see Borneo with you own eyes easily from Google Earth without physically being there! 
We need your help to protect wildlife in Malaysia!
Category: conservation, poaching, sun bear in the wild | Date: Oct 25 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
Dear friends,
If you reading this blog, you are no doubt a bear lover, an animal lover, a naturalist, a biologist, a conservationist, or just a regular people who care about our nature, wildlife, and mother Earth. You cared, concerned, and I thank you for that.
Now I would like to ask you for a favor. I am not asking you to donate money this time, but I would like to ask you to sign a petition that will help improve our wildlife law in Malaysia. Please read more about this petition at the press release below and sign the petition at www.petitiononline.com/MYLaw/petition. html.
Now I have my own story to tell why this petition is important. I want to show you some photos and tell you the stories of many wildlife were killed and poached because our wildlife law need to be strengthen. By strengthening the law, we hope the awareness and enforcement of these law will be improved and benefit both wildlife and human. I apologize for showing photos but I think we all need to know that this kind brutal killing is happening in this country and it has to be stop by any mean. Although habitat destruction is by far the most important threat to the wildlife in Malaysia, poaching and illegal killing of wildlife can easily wipe out the small local population of the wildlife that are living in the fragmented landscape.
This sun bear carcass was found beside a hiking trail after being freshly slaughtered and only the gall bladder being removed by the poacher. According to the local guide, the poacher sold the gallbladder for about US$100. (Photo: Sue Chong)
This nursing female bear with a small cub was killed in an oil palm plantation. Sun bears that live adjacent to oil palm plantation frequently enter oil palm plantation to feed on oil palm seeds. Sun bears that entering these plantation were extremely vulnerable to poaching as many legal and illegal hunters hunt in the plantation for wild boars. These bears often become easy target for poachers as fewer cover available when they are at night in a plantation. Poachers are not hesitate to kill sun bears as flawed wildlife law and seriously lack of enforcement. (Photo: New Straits Times)
This freshly killed male bear was another victim of poachers that hunt for their meat, gall bladder, canine, claw, pelt, etc. (Photo: Robert Steubing)
Remmy, one of my former research assistant, found a dead Sunda clouded leopard at our study when he tracked one of our radio-collared sun bear. Poacher shot his large male clouded leopard that are so rare in close distant and discarded the body. Sometime poachers killed animals for no reason. Again, this incident shown that the wildlife law and enforcement needs to be strengthened, as well as education and conservation awareness needs to be promoted.
You have to see this to believe this. This female Bornean pygmy elephant were probably killed by “slow death”- infection that led to gangrene from the at least 13 bullet wounds I counted at her back site. Poachers simply shot this magnificent animal for no reason, or, for fun? I will never get it why in the world would people wanted to do this kind of killing! She was drop death by the road site in my study area. I wonder how many animals that were killed for no reason and poached for a reason were left unnoticed. I strongly believe that what we are seeing and hearing may represent a tip of an iceberg. There are many more animals being killed out there!
Snares are by far any wildlife and conservationists’ nightmare. Snares are easy to make and set, cheap, light to carry, and most importantly, they are effective! You will be amazed with how similar the mechanism of snares across different continents in the world and low long human have been using the same kind of design for snaring wildlife simply because they works. In order to increase the efficiency of these snares, most hunters or poachers would construct a simple fence on the forest floor for kilometers and left little “gap” or “opening” where the loop of the snares is set. When an animal traveling on the forest floor and come across the fence, they tend to follow the fence and funneled to the little gap and they try to across the fence through that little opening where poachers already set the deathly loop on the floor awaited for their kills. As you can imagine, these snares are set by hundreds as they are cheap and easy to carry into the forest interior. What make snares a true nightmare for everyone who care about wildlife is that they do not discriminate what species of wildlife can be their next victim. Willdife as small as a pheasants, mousedeer, pangolins, civets, muntjacts, wild boar, deer, bears, and all the way range to large mammals like rhinos and elephants are some of the common victims of snares.
These three photos are photos of a snared sun bear in my study area in Sabah. The bear managed to struggled and cut himself lose from the snare but suffered severe injuries: the heavy duty nylon fishing line cut through his arm, and he also suffered from a dislocated shoulder as a result of struggling to break free. The survival of this bear was probably very low. You can read more about this bear at: http://wongsiewte.blogspot.com/2008/03/plight-of-wild-sun-bears.html
A camera trap set along old logging road in my study area photographed this Bornean pygmy elephant. A closer look at the elephant trunk revealed this elephant was a victim of snares. His trunk has a snare that cut a big opening about half way of her trunk. Chances of survive for this unfortunate elephant is low with a trunk that has a hole on it. She probably cannot drink properly and take food by her trunk. (Photo: Andy Hearns and Joanna Ross)
It is always emotional when injuries involve a baby regardless of species. Here is a baby Bornean pygmy elephant fall victim to a snare at the river bank of Kinabatangan River, the longest river in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo. The injured baby elephant with its mother. Dr. Senthilvel, Chief Vet from Sabah Wildlife Department said the baby elephant was unlikely to survive. “As the severity of the wound on this elephant is so serious, this poor baby elephant would very soon succumb to gangrene and die. The sad thing is that even an attempt to rescue it and bring it in for treatment would probably mean amputation of the limb and a life in captivity. It would be all too cruel to have it live on and suffer in captivity, with a handicap like that.”These photos were taken by Inada Nobuhiro, a Japanese wildlife guide and lecturer. To learn more, please visit http://news.mongabay.com/2008/1012-elephants.htmlSad…
So, please click www.petitiononline. com/MYLaw/ petition. html to send your petition in order to help us strengthen our wildlife law and help protect out wildlife. This is the first step. This is the must do step!
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JOINT PRESS RELEASE
28th September 2008
Malaysian Nature Society
TRAFFIC Southeast Asia
Wildlife Conservation Society
WWF-Malaysia
Better Law for Wildlife in Malaysia:
Petition to amend the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972
Petaling Jaya, Selangor (28th September 2008)-Today, the world celebrates International Tiger Day, a celebration of the tiger in its wilderness. While we celebrate its strength, beauty and perseverance, today also presents the ideal opportunity to mark our commitment to save the Malayan tiger
Currently, tigers and other wild animals in Peninsular Malaysia are protected by the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972. This 35-year-old law is severely outdated and riddled with loopholes. There is a serious need for the Malaysian government to remedy the loopholes and beef up the law, as many species continue to be poached and illegally traded at alarming rates. Wildlife offenders often escape arrest, prosecution and punishment. We understand that the government is in the process of revising this law. However, we urge the government to seek public input in this process. Examples of amendments needed;
i)That all products containing or claiming it contains parts of totally protected species to be made illegal;
ii) That mandatory jail sentences and stiffer fines are imposed for serious wildlife offences. Help us reach the target of 100,000 signatures for our Malayan tigers. Your voice to this petition will make a difference, for tigers and other wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.
Sign this petition at www.petitiononline.com/MYLaw/petition.html
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Dear Supporters, Colleagues, and Friends:
The lack of urgency has become a norm. I am asking you personally to take two small actions today towards creating a better world for the wildlife in Malaysia by signing the petition below. That’s the first step. www.petitiononline. com/MYLaw/ petition. html
Once again, four prominent wildlife and nature NGOs* in Malaysia came together to call for better law for wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia. Please support these NGOs and forward the Press Release sent to you earlier today to your friends and colleagues who may or should support this cause- at least ten of them and ask them to do the same. That’s the second step. There were less than 100 signatures last week. The goal of 100,000 signatures seem impossible. Using our networks effectively is the only way. There are about 200 members on this list. If each one of them forward the PR to at least 10 people and these people forward to further 10 people, we can reach out to at least 20,000 people worldwide. Possibilities are endless. Some may put it up on a personal blog site or webpage for a greater impact. Others can raise the awareness over this issue and call for action by hosting a company lunch, school project, media campaign, public awareness event,etc. etc….even over a family dinner tonight! All depends on how much you care. The chain of actions starts with us today and our wildlife deserves our caring effort. Their situations are becoming desperate. PLEASE HELP.
Kae
* The NGOs behind this petition are: Malaysian Nature Society, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia , WCS Malaysia Programme, and WWF-Malaysia.
Sun Bears still need your helps!
Category: BSBCC, conservation | Date: Oct 25 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
Our innovative fund raising for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre- “Bear Necessities” is less then three weeks away. We still have tables available during that event. Please help us spread the words about this event and help us fund raise for the bears!
Thanks to every team members to put a lot of hard work into this event so far. We can do this together to help the bears!
Sanctuary for sun bears in Sabah soon
Category: captivity, conservation | Date: Oct 24 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/19/nation/2320080&sec=nation
Sunday October 19, 2008
Sanctuary for sun bears in Sabah soon
By RUBEN SARIO
KOTA KINABALU: There is hope for a bright future for sun bears in Sabah that are facing extinction. A sanctuary is being set up in Sandakan for the bears.
The state Wildlife Department together with the state Forestry Department and non-governmental organisation Land Empowerment Animals People (Leap) will jointly set up the conservation centre next to the orang utan rehabilitation centre.
Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said the sun bear facility would be the first of its kind in Asia and was aimed at rehabilitation, research and education efforts concerning the animal.
Protective custody: Researcher Wong Siew Te looking at a sun bear at Sepilok, near Sandakan.
There are already 11 sun bears which the department had seized from various individuals now being kept at Sepilok, he said.
Ambu said that although there were no figures to ascertain the number of sun bears now, wildlife experts were convinced that the mammals would be classified as “endangered” very soon.
“What we do know is that there is a small population of sun bears scattered around the state but their forest habitat is shrinking and they are threatened by poaching,” he told The Star.
Ambu added that the sun bear population worldwide was estimated at about 10,000. A fraction of them are in Sabah.
Leap executive director Cynthia Ong said the organisation and the two departments hoped to get construction of the RM1.2mil sun bear centre going by early next year.
“We are having a fund-raising on Nov 14 at the ShangriLa Tanjung Aru Resort here,” she said.
Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman will be among the guests at the event.
For further details about the sun bear conservation centre, call 088-270 705 or e-mail to info@leapspiral.org.
SAVING BORNEO’S SUN BEARS
Category: captivity, conservation | Date: Oct 24 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/22582
SAVING BORNEO’S SUN BEARS |
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| 18th October, 2008 KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife conservation in Sabah gets a boost with the setting up of Asia’s first Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Construction work begins early next year at Sepilok in Sandakan and according to the centre director, Cynthia Ong, if all goes according to plan, it will be completed by the end of 2009.
However, it will require some RM1.2 million to realise the mission and the centre is therefore organising a fundraising dinner event on November 14 to be held at the Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort. Dubbed “Bear Necessities” it will bring together heads of government, non-government organisations and corporate leaders with some of Malaysia’s best-known personalities to provide the entertainment. The celebreties include Daphne Iking, Jit Murad, Lina Teoh, Rafique Rashid, Roger Wang, Elaine Daly, Amir Yussof, Albert Sirimal and Badar. Cynthia said the centre is crucial for the survival of the bears as there is no facility in Sabah to shelter the growing number of bears rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department from captivity or after they have been left orphaned. “In fact, many people in Sabah don’t know that Borneo is actually home to the world’s smallest bear, the little known Malayan Sun Bear,” she said. She added that the distribution of the Malayan Sun Bear was originally widespread throughout Southeast Asia, but now Sabah remained as one of the few places in the world where it can still be found. Sadly, deforestation is pushing this bear to the brink of extinction. At the same time, the bears are also under threat from illegal hunters either for food or medicinal purposes, at times shot to prevent damage to crops and villages and worse, taken by poachers for the pet trade. “This innovative project aims to provide a holistic approach to the conservation of the Sun Bear, combining improved facilities for captive bears with increased public awareness both at the local and international levels. “Perhaps most importantly, they can be released back into the wild after being rehabilitated,” she said. State Wildlife Department director, Laurentius Ambu said that without the centre, the Bornean Sun Bear would probably be extinct in 30 years’ time. He said that the worldwide sun bear population is estimated to be around 10,000 and that it was in danger because of forest fragmentation and loss of habitat. It is also widely sought for its gallbladder thought to have medicinal value and can even be found sold at markets such as the Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu, he said. He warned that the Bornean sun bear is a protected species and those found in possession with one could face imprisonment. Meanwhile, tables for the event are priced at RM50,000 (10 tables); RM30,000 (10 tables); RM20,000 (10 tables) and RM10,000 (20 tables). For more information on the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre or the Bear Necessities Event, please contact: 088-270705 info@leapspiral.org via email. |
Thank you WCN!
Category: conservation, sanctuary | Date: Oct 19 2008 | By: Siew Te Wong
It has been two weeks after I attended the WCN Wildlife Expo and the Garden Party on the first week of October. I would like to thank WCN, especially Charles Knowles and his staff, for doing a wonderful job for conservation and giving me the opportunity to talk to the public and the generous donors who attend the events on the plights of the sun bear.
The weeklong event started with 3 days of workshop covering various topics on the contemporary wildlife conservation issues and management, follow by a day long of WCN Wildlife Expo where the conservationist presented their marvelous conservation works, and then rapped up with another day long garden party where conservationists met with generous donors in person to talk about their works and catching up with life. I have learn a lot from the various topics during the workshop, and also meeting many great conservationists and learned about their great works to conserve endangered wildlife. It was truly an eye opening event for me to meet up with conservation heroes like Rodney Jackson, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Laurie Markers, Jim Sanderson, Dale Miguelle, and many others, who have spend almost their entire life and career on saving the magnificent endangered species that they love so much. It is here I learned that because of the great conservation works from these people, many wildlife and wild land are protected and survived.
This event inspired me on the conservation works these conservationists have done and still continue doing. Their persistence, enthusiasm, believes, plus a lot of hard works made them success on saving the species that they are working with. The very common questions I always encounter are what are sun bears? What did they look like? People simply do not know any thing about sun bear. Period.
This year is 2008. For the past several decades, sun bears being hunted down, and their habitat being cleared as human population expends.
This year is 2008. The poaching of sun bears and forest clearing still on going in Southeast Asia where sun bears are found.
The year is 2008. There are still so many people do not know this bear exist or know anything about this bear species.
This year is 2008. Sun bears remain the least known bears and being forgotten.
Sun bear are so far behind. We have a lot of thing to do to help this bears. We need helps to help sun bears!
For all of you who has help us and the sun bears, I thank you all over and over again.
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Table at the expo with Chris Morgan, the producer and feature charactor of Beartrek, who help me on the table that day. Thanks Chris!
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