Best of our wild blogs: 5 Oct 09

8 Oct (Thu): "Dugongs: Mysterious Mermaids or Meat?"
a talk by Prof Helene Marsh at Sentosa Underwater World Singapore
from teamseagrass

Wildlife photography
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Coral survey at The Sisters
from BlueWaterVolunteers

High and dry at Chek Jawa
from wild shores of singapore and slow to CJ

Plaintive Cuckoo handling caterpillars
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Mangrove Blue flycatcher
from Biodiversity Singapore

Monday Morgue: 5th October 2009
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

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Export of sand from Orissa: Singapore one of the destinations

Environmentalists expressed concern over illegal export of sand from Orissa coast in the name of Tsunami
Orissa Diary 4 Oct 09;

Report by Amarnath Parida; Paradip: Environmentalists and marine experts have expressed their serious concern for frequent export of sand from Orissa coast to foreign countries causing soil erosion and loss of state exchequer .Meanwhile, one Maldives based foreign vessel has been returned from Paradip without taking sand due to delay to get government clearance for exporting of sand to foreign countries.

After exporting of minerals from Orissa, foreign countries have now eyed on sand to export it from Orissa coast to their own countries being refused by other states Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Meanwhile, these states which have been exported sand to foreign countries have restricted not to export sand from their coast to check the sea erosion and for the safety of soil & other valuable minerals.

One Maldives based vessel were on anchorage in Paradip port about one month and obtained permission from the state government through district administration to export sand from Orissa coast bringing serious concern among the environmentalists, marine experts and the people of this district. Though, this vessel has returned back to its own country without sand due to delay of obtaining state government clearance but environmentalists have expressed their serious concern for frequent sand export to foreign countries.

After exporting of sand to Tsunami affected Andaman Nicober, foreign countries like Maldives, Marisasa, Indonesia, Singapore and other foreign countries have decided to export sand from Orissa coast. Earlier, sand is being exported to Andaman Nicober for Tsunami affected people to construct their house as per the notification of central government. Interestingly, many states have already imposed restrictions to export sand from their coast while Orissa governemant has no policy about the exporting of sand in which foreign countries have shown their eagerness to export sand from Orissa coast.

Contacted, Traffic Manger, Paradip Port Trust Mr Saroja Mishra has expressed that sand is being exported to only Andaman Nicober of our country but no sand has yet exported foreign countries from Paradip port. On the other hand, Jayant Das , manger of Synergy Shipping Private Ltd , Paradip ( exporter of sand ) has confessed that nearly 15 to 18.000 metric tones of sand has been exported to Andaman Nicober for Tsunami affected people on three occasions.

He also confessed that ‘we have sought the permission from the state government and district administration to export sand to foreign countries. He said that one Maldives based ship has been returned from Paradip port without taking sand due to delay for obtaining government clearance .

Locals have alleged that sand have been exported to foreign countries in the name of Tsunami affected people through Paradip port without the knowledge of the administration.

Frequent export of sand and dredging of sand in Paradip coast has caused sea erosion in costal villages of this district bringing sleepless night to the thousands villagers .Locals have alleged that sea has changed its course and sea & river embankments have been weakened due to shifting and dredging of sand.

But questions have arisen how the revenue Department has given permission for shifting of sand to other states. Frequent soil erosion would cause the new mouth if there are large waves there is a possibility of the hundreds of villages meeting a watery grave in the sea.-warned environmentalists.

On the other hand, president of Upkual Banchao Samiti Mr Pratap Shaoo has expressed that not only soil erosion but state has faced heavy loss to collect only Rs 10 to 15 per one cm of sand towards royalty being fixed for domestic purposes during export to other states. He has demanded to fix Rs 150 to Rs 200 towards royalty for exporting of sand.

District Collector Mr Gyanranjan Das has expressed that administration has sought permission of the state government to export sand to foreign countries. He has expressed that stern action would be taken against the exporters if they would supply sand to foreign countries without the permission from the district administration.

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Tiger rescued from poacher’s trap

Sylvia Looi, The Star 5 Oct 09;

IPOH: A 120kg male tiger, which had its forelimb ensnared by traps set by poachers, has been rescued by the Perak National Parks and Wildlife Department.

Department director Shabrina Shariff said it received information on Saturday afternoon that an animal had been found trapped in the Royal Belum Forest Reserve.

”Rescue operations got under way at 7am today (Sunday) but the cloudy weather hampered efforts by the officers to immobilise the animal,” she said, adding that her officers only managed to put the tiger to sleep 45 minutes later.

On the injuries suffered by the tiger, Shabrina said it was quite serious as its bone had been penetrated.

”Before being moved to the Malacca Zoo for further treatment, the tiger was given first aid treatment,’’ she added.

Reminding poachers that tigers are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, she said those found keeping it would be fined RM15,000 or sentenced to jail for not more than five years.

”It is also an offence to have traps,” she added.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia called on a stronger enforcement presence in the Belum-Temengor area following the rescue.

“If this isn’t enough of a clarion call for the Government to have more resources to form an anti-poaching task force, I don’t know what is,” its chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said in a statement yesterday.

Tiger rescue points to urgent need for more patrols
WWF 5 Oct 09;

Kuala Lumpur - The rescue of a tiger from a snare set by poachers near the Gerik-Jeli highway yesterday should set alarm bells ringing for the remaining wild tigers in the Belum-Temengor forests, one of the last strongholds for this species and other mammals in Malaysia.

The five-year-old male tiger was freed from its snare by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) officers after it was discovered late yesterday by WWF’s Wildlife Protection Unit (WPU), which conducts regular patrols together with PERHILITAN in the area. The tiger has been taken to the Malacca Zoo for treatment.


The WPU rangers on a routine patrol had earlier detected two men on motorcycles near the site who fled when they saw the WPU rangers approach. When rangers returned to check the area, they found the tiger with its front right paw caught in a snare.

The snare had been set on a ridge in a forested area near the Perak-Kelantan border, not too far from the highway.

The Belum-Temengor forest complex is one of three priority areas identified in the National Tiger Action Plan. It is also part of an area of global priority for Tiger conservation. Yet it is highly vulnerable to encroachment and poaching due to its proximity to the porous Malaysia-Thai border and among the most easily accessible because of the 80-km long Gerik-Jeli highway that cuts across the landscape, providing hundreds of easy entry points for poachers.

Apart from the PERHILITAN-WPU joint patrols, this vast and wildlife-rich forest complex and its highway are not systematically or thoroughly patrolled, making it an open target for poachers.

In the past year alone, PERHILITAN and the WPU have also recorded numerous encroachers in Perak’s jungles, particularly near the Belum-Temengor area, with the most recent incident in August, when a Thai national was caught by the police with pangolin scales and agarwood in the forest near the highway.

PERHILITAN, Police and the WPU have worked together to remove 101 snares and arrest 10 poachers in the last nine months. But there is a need for other government agencies to join in this difficult fight against wildlife crime.

Research carried out in the area by WWF and TRAFFIC has indicated that the rescued tiger is very likely just one of many that have been poached in the area. Illegal hunting in the Belum-Temengor area is rampant and the demand for tigers continues to drive criminals into the forest to kill the remaining ones.

“If the WPU rangers had not spotted the suspected poachers the story might have been very different for that tiger. We were lucky this time. Who knows how many tigers we have already lost?” said Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, CEO of WWF-Malaysia.

“This incident clearly demonstrates the need for a stronger enforcement presence in the Belum-Temengor area. If this isn’t enough of a clarion call for the government to afford more resources to form an anti-poaching Task Force, I don’t know what is,” he added.

The official estimate of the wild tigers in Peninsular Malaysia is only 500, a sharp decline from 3000 estimated in the 1950s, explained wildlife biologist Dr Kae Kawanishi.

“Snares kill indiscriminately. This illegal act of cruelty should be condemned by the whole society. Despite the harsh penalty imposed by the law, it has been a major problem to wildlife throughout the country,” said Kae a member of the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers Secretariat.

“In order for the Malaysia to realize the goal of the National Tiger Action Plan, which is to double the number of wild tigers in the country by the year 2020, poaching cannot be tolerated,” she added.

“At the rate tigers are being killed throughout their entire range, they do not stand a chance, but here in Malaysia, there is still hope of saving tigers. It will mean increasing enforcement efforts to protect crucial strongholds such as the Belum-Temengor complex and coming down hard on poachers,” said Chris R. Shepherd, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s Regional Acting Director.

“These poachers are criminals, and are robbing the world of one of the most amazing species to have ever walked the earth”, he said.

Trapped tiger saved, but more patrols needed
The New Straits Times 5 Oct 09;

KUALA LUMPUR: A 5-year-old male tiger found with its paw in a snare in the Belum-Temengor forest was rushed to the Malacca Zoo for treatment yesterday.

Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Sabrina Shariff said the tiger was given first aid when it was found late on Saturday.

The tiger was spotted by the World Wide Fund for Nature - Malaysia's Wildlife Protection Unit (WPU), which conducts regular patrols together with Perhilitan in the area.

The WPU rangers on a routine patrol had earlier seen two men on motorcycles near the site and they fled when they saw the rangers approaching.

When the rangers returned to check the area, they found the tiger with its front right paw caught in a snare.

The snare had been set on a ridge in a forested area near the Perak-Kelantan border, close to the highway.

"It was already dark when we found the tiger. The area where the snare was set was quite slippery.

"We managed to take the tiger out to be transfered to the zoo about 7.45am today," she said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Sabrina was worried about the tiger's paw because the snare had hit the bone.

At the same time, she said the department officers would continue sweeping the area to get rid of other snares.

"We also found other animal prints near the snare. Apparently, there were two other snares near where the tiger was.

"The footprints belong to a deer and a "kijang (bucking deer)," she added.

Perhilitan, the police and the WPU have removed 101 snares and arrested 10 poachers in the last nine months.


The WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer, Datuk Dr. Dionysius Sharma, called for a stronger enforcement presence in the Belum-Temengor area.

"This incident clearly demonstrates the need. If this isn't enough of a clarion call for the government to afford more resources to form an anti-poaching task force, I don't know what is," he added.

Wildlife biologist Dr Kae Kawanishi was reported as saying that the official estimated population of tigers in Peninsular Malaysia was only 500, a sharp decline from 3,000 in the 1950s.

Malaysian officials save endangered Malayan tiger
Yahoo News 5 Oct 09;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian wildlife authorities rescued a five-year old Malayan tiger, badly injured in a snare set up by poachers near the country's jungle border with Thailand, officials said Monday.

"We received a tip-off on Saturday and a joint patrol with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature-Malaysia's wildlife protection unit found the injured animal," northern Perak state wildlife and National Parks director Sabrina Shariff told AFP.

"The tiger's paw was very badly damaged as the snare had cut it to the bone, so we administered first aid and transferred the animal on Sunday to the Malacca Zoo for further treatment," she added.

"We face a major problem from Thai and Malaysian poachers who set up numerous snares in the Belum-Temengor forest reserve area between the two countries, with such traps normally located close to roads as the animals are attracted by sound and food smells."

Sabrina said authorities were also concerned that poachers were targeting other wildlife in the area including Bucking deers, whose footprints were found around other snares near the tiger.

"We normally find the snares and remove them but they are usually empty so this is the first time we have found one with an animal still intact," she said.

"This incident clearly demonstrates the need for a stronger enforcement presence in the Belum-Temengor area," WWF-Malaysia chief Dionysius Sharma said in a statement.

"If this isn't enough of a clarion call for the government to afford more resources to form an anti-poaching Task Force, I don't know what is," he added.

Wildlife biologist Dr Kae Kawanishi says there are only 500 wild tigers in peninsular Malaysia, a sharp decline from an estimated 3,000 in the 1950s.

The government said in July it had sought the help of the military to battle poaching, adding that Malaysia was committed to an ambitious plan to double the tiger population to 1,000 by 2020.

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Saving the mangroves in Selangor, Malaysia

Salina Khalid, The Star 5 Oct 09;

YEARS ago, the coastal areas of Selangor were covered by mangroves.

The roots of the trees there clustered together to form a natural barrier to break strong waves before they hit the shore.

They were also home to various species of marine life, making the mangroves a favourite hunting ground for both fishermen and shore birds.

Yet, over the years, the mangrove forests have been depleted due to human greed and illegal logging.

According to the Malaysian Nature Society, at present, only 1.8% of Malaysia’s land is covered in mangrove forests, with over 50% of the mangrove forests lost between 1950 and 1985.

Forestry Department statistics show that Peninsular Malaysia had 85,000ha of mangroves in 2003, down from 86,497ha in 2002.

The Selangor Forestry Department statistics show that in 2008, a total of 18,088ha of the coastal land in the state was covered by mangrove forests.

In realising the importance of preserving the mangrove swamp forests, the federal government and the various state governments have worked with various agencies and NGOs to replant the mangroves along the coastal areas nationwide.

In Selangor alone, the State Forestry Department had planted more than 150,000 mangrove saplings throughout the coastal areas between 2005 to 2007.

“We have required the concessionaires who were given the permit to harvest the mangroves in approved areas to replace the trees themselves.

“At the same time, we are also carrying out our own restoration activities,” the department’s enforcement and operations assistant director Mohd Yussainy Md Yusop said.

Yussainy said, previously, the department had purchased the mangrove propagules (seed) from private nurseries at the rate of RM2.50 to RM3 each.

“Usually, when we have a replanting exercise, we have to purchase thousands of these propagules.

“It cost us about RM10,000 to RM15,000 every time when we conduct such programmes.

“Now, we have decided to have our own nursery for such activities,” he said.

Located in the Port Klang Forest Ranger Office, the 0.2ha plot began operations as a mangrove nursery in the middle of the year.

He said the site was chosen since all the mangrove forests are located in the Klang forest district (forestry in Selangor is divided into three forest districts — Hulu Selangor, Central Selangor and Klang. All of the coastal stretch in the state falls under the Klang forestry district jurisdiction).

Yussainy added that with an initial cost of RM50,000 the plot has already produced about 11,000 saplings.

Employees at the nursery will collect the seeds that drop off into the mud.

“It is something that they can do while doing their rounds.

“They will then bring the seeds to our nursery to be planted,” he said. He added that manual planting would allow them to control the type of species they wanted to have at the specific areas. Although allowing natural degeneration will enable the area to have a variety of species, it is difficult to control the more valuable types such as the bakau kurap (Rhizophora mucronata) and bakau minyak (Rizhophora apiculata).

“These two species of mangrove are hardier and have a higher market value as they are commonly used for construction and to make charcoal.

“The species is used for piling when setting a foundation in construction sites,” he said.

Other mangrove species like the pokok api-api (Avicennia spp), berembang (Sonneratia caseolaris) and tumu merah (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) are much less valuable.

At the same time, having their own nursery would also help the staff to get hands-on experience and knowledge about the process involved from planting the seed to caring for the trees, as well as carrying out enforcement duties.

Mangroves have one of the most unique reproductive strategies in the plant world. The trees disperse cigar-shaped propagules via water with varying degrees of embryonic development.

The propagules are often found hanging from the tree until mature. Sometimes, the seed will germinate and start growing while attached to their parent tree.

When it falls, the propagule can bore itself deeply into the muddy fround, thus preventing it from being washed away during the high tide. It has to remain in the water to allow it to develop before it starts to shoot.

In some species of mangrove plants, the seedling grows inside the fruits, then the seeds are dispersed when the fruit bursts.

Yussainy said the mangrove saplings were kept at the nursery for about four months before being replanted to replace the lost trees.

The mangrove replanting programme is part of efforts to restore the rich bio-diversity of the forests to provide an ecosystem for fish, crabs, birds and other creatures and plants.

Destroying the mangrove forests will significantly reduce marine life such as prawns and mud crabs and would affect the livelihood of mangrove fisherman.

Studies have also shown that the mangroves could protect coastal areas from rising tides, monsoon storms and natural erosion.

The trees have a high storage capacity for carbon, which helps to regulate the balance and quantity of carbon dioxide in the environment.

They function like carbon factories by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and converting them into organic material.

The organic materials are then absorbed into trees, mudflats and nearby waterways, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases.

Harvesting mangroves is allowed in the country, with the logging permit issued by the relevant state Forestry Department.

The permit for harvesting the trees is granted to the concessionaires under the selective management system to ensure the sustainability of the forest.

It advocates the selection of a cutting regime based on diameter limits and species composition of the standing trees. It means the logging is permitted in zones that have met the maturity criteria.

In Selangor, felling a mangrove tree is only allowed when it has reached a minimum of 30cm in diameter.

With the average growth of about 0.6 to 0.8cm per annum, it takes about about 10 years for a mangrove tree to reach the minimum diameter for it to be harvested. Those who fell trees that are smaller will be fined if caught.

“Logically, they will not chop the trees that are less than 30cm in diameter because they know that it does not have any value compared to those that have reached the minimum diameter.

“And, if they are caught in possession of or felling an immature tree, they can be fined up to RM50,000,” Yussainy said.

At the same time, those carrying out illegal logging in the state have to pay a heavier fines. Under Section 15 of the National Forestry Act, 1984 (Amendment 1993) those who conduct illegal logging can be fined up to a maximum of RM500,000 and mandatory imprisonment of 1 year minimum to a maximum of 20 years.

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Sabah to enforce laws on riparian reserves

The Star 5 Oct 09;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will ensure the continued existence of its iconic orang utan by strictly enforcing laws that forbid the clearing of forests along riparian reserves for planting crops like oil palm.

The commitment was made in a resolution from the two-day Orang Utan Conservation Colloquium that called for a minimum of 100m for wildlife corridors along riverbanks to be acquired by the Sabah Wildlife Department.

Riparian, or riverbank, reserves are vital to link isolated patches of forests that are home to the orang utan, Borneo pygmy elephants and the sunbear, among others.

“We are here together to do one thing: to make sure future generations can see wildlife in their natural habitat and savour what we are able to enjoy now,” said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun when accepting the resolution.

The resolution was formulated by orang utan and wildlife experts, state government officials, local and international non-governmental organisations and local communities.

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Creating naturally pest-free rice

Charles Sturt University, Science Alert 5 Oct 09;
istock_ricefield.jpg

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) expert in pest management is using helpful plants and 'good' insects to naturally protect rice in South East Asia.

CSU Professor of Applied Ecology, Geoff Gurr, is working with an international team to develop new methods for insect control that minimise the use of insecticides.

“Various pests that attack rice, such as planthoppers, are now difficult to control because they have developed a resistance to chemicals due to the overuse of pesticides,” Professor Gurr said.

“As these resistant insects can migrate hundreds of kilometres between countries, the threat to rice is extremely widespread. It is now so serious that the Asia Development Bank (ADB) has made a multi-million dollar investment in finding solutions to this problem for rice farmers in the region.”

In response to the threat, a new research project led by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that includes Professor Gurr now is looking into developing new methods to increase biodiversity and natural biological control in eastern and southern China, Vietnam and Thailand. The research areas cover many hectares involving multiple farm families.

“We are developing a new approach for pest control called ‘ecological engineering’,” Gurr said.

“Unlike genetic engineering which many consumers are uneasy about, ecological engineering involves introducing carefully-chosen plant diversity onto farms.

“For example, we have introduced sesame to be planted around rice fields and sesame flowers provide nectar that is fed upon by beneficial insects. This has multiple benefits: farmers have an additional crop in sesame seeds, and during the growing season the sesame acts as a ‘nursery’ for predators and parasites of the pests. Rice farms can then harbour large numbers of ‘good’ insects so when pests arrive they are more likely to be eaten before they breed and damage crops.”

Professor Gurr has been researching ‘clean and green’ pest control methods for over 15 years, working with crops as diverse as rice, grapevines, potatoes and lucerne.

An important part of IRRI-ADB project is the emphasis on high farmer participation in the research.

“Dozens of farm families are involved and we aim to make a real impact on their economic viability and health by providing better pest control with fewer sprays,” Gurr concluded.

Professor Gurr is also a member of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation.

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Top 100 species: Earthworms come out above humans and dinosaurs

The humble earthworm has been ranked above dinosaurs, bacteria and even mankind in a new league table of the most successful 100 species on Earth.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 3 Oct 09;

Traditionally those animals and plants that have most benefited humans have been considered the most important to science.

However, a new book looks at the whole history of the Earth and all its life forms to judge which are most successful.

The top 100 includes sea squirts, the honey bee, black pepper and dung beetles. It also includes unpleasant but powerful life forms such as the HIV virus, mosquitoes, slime mould and herpes.

Christopher Lloyd, the author of the book, said he wanted to show the evolution of life in a "jargon free way" from loose strands of amoeba billions of years ago right up to elephants and the latest strain of influenza.

To rank species he judged each life form on longevity, the impact it has had on the planet, evolutionary success and geographical spread.

The earthworm, which has been around for 600 million years, is spread across the earth and provides a basic biological model for many other species including humans came out top.

Human beings lose points for our relatively recent arrival to the evolutionary story, coming in at number six. Algae, which is responsible for providing the oxygen upon which other species rely, comes in second followed by three forms of bacteria that also make it possible for other life forms to thrive

Mr Lloyd pointed out that earthworms have survived five extinction events and make human civilisation possible by ploughing and fertilising the soil.

"There is no reason that humans should be top of the list just because we think we are the most powerful. We have only been here for about 160,000 years compared to 600 million years for the direct ancestor of earthworms and our impact on the environment is relatively recent," he said.

"It is a vital message to get across – to see the history of life in the context of science and biology as well as human culture – because we depend on earthworms and all other species on the list for our own lives and need to work with nature in future."

What on Earth Evolved? has been published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species.

The great biologist also admired the earthworm writing: "It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organised creatures."

The top 10 species are:

1. Earthworms

2. Algae

3. Cyanobacteria

4. Rhizobia

5. Lactobacillus

6. Homo sapiens

7. Stony corals

8. Yeast

9. Influenza

10. Penicillium

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