Best of our wild blogs: 14 Jul 18

Chek Jawa is magnificent again!
wild shores of singapore

Interpretative Signage in Butterfly Gardens
Butterflies of Singapore

Read more!

Malaysia: Stricter law needed to stop wildlife poaching - Lee Lam Thye

Masriwanie Muhamading New Straits Times 13 Jul 18;

KUALA LUMPUR: Animal rights activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye has called on the government to introduce a more stringent law to better curb wildlife poaching activities in the country.

Lee, who said poachers have become more cruel in their technique to trap and capture endangered animals, stressed that there was a need for the government to amend the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

The amendment, Lee said, should include a mandatory minimum jail term not just for those who were found guilty to be involved in poaching activities, but also to those who possess the carcasses of wild animals.

“Although the Wildlife Conservation Act, which was passed in 2010 to replace the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, is tough on lawbreakers, some quarters claim that it does not serve as a strong enough deterrent.

“It is learnt that the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had proposed the amendment of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 so that poachers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“It will provide harsher punishments and a minimum period of imprisonment will be introduced. Currently, there’s no such provision in the current Act,” he said.

Lee also urged the authorities to be more proactive in their effort to curb the sale and purchase of endangered animals through more effective national and international legislation and enforcement, including the implementation of the latest technology.

“I hope the enforcement agencies can strengthen their cooperation to help cripple poaching syndicates nationwide.

“The agencies involved must also use the latest technology, including drones, remote sensing and camera trapping, to curb poaching and smuggling activities all over the country.

“Greater public awareness, better law enforcement and stronger political will are needed to not only prevent illegal wildlife trade but also to avoid over-exploitation of natural resources. We must leave no stones unturned in addressing the issue,” he said.

Lee, however, stressed that the protection of wildlife is not the responsibility of the enforcement agencies alone, but requires collaborations with various parties including non-governmental organisations, the government, corporate stakeholders and local communities.

“Animal cruelty in whatever form must never be tolerated and we need to care for all them as they also have the right to live and share this planet,” he added.

He also urged Malaysians to play an active role and report wildlife-related crimes to the Perhilitan hotline at 1-800-88-5151 (office hours) or the 24-hour Wildlife Crime Hotline at 0193564194.

The New Straits Times reported on Friday (July 13) that a group of Vietnamese poachers, who were detained in Kuala Lipis on July 4, were found to have been gaining lucrative returns on the black market by harvesting all types of wildlife.

Various wildlife parts including bear teeth and claws, python skins, serow’s tail, wild boar tooth, as well as parts of tigers and clouded leopards were seized from the premises where the poachers were found.

A Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) source said the group, which had been actively involved in illegal hunting activities for several years, utilised a premise located near a sawmill to kill and harvest the animals before selling them to the middlemen.

Read more!

Malaysia: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre welcomes three newborns

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 13 Jul 18;

SANDAKAN: Three orangutans raised at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre here delivered infants recently.

Sixteen-year-old Rosa, who lost her mother at a young age, gave birth to a female infant on May 26.

Meanwhile, 11-year-old Cinta had her young on July 3; and 14-year-old Lumiud gave birth to a male a week later.

The three infants are well – however, Lumiud is having difficulties caring for her newborn, which forced the centre to separate and closely monitor the two.

Sabah Wildlife Department spokesperson Siti Nur’Ain Ampuan Acheh said the orangutan’s low reproductive rate is affecting their survival, and the species needs decades to emerge from their endangered status.

“Orangutans are known to (reproduce late in life) compared to other mammals, a factor contributing to their threatened condition in the wild.

“Female orangutans only enter reproductive age at 8 or 9,” she said in a statement, adding that infants stay with their mothers for as long as nine years to learn survival skills.

Siti said the existence of the centre since 1964 has complemented the government’s commitment to prevent the orangutan’s extinction.

“Most of the orangutans brought to Sepilok are young orphans and are unable to survive on their own.

“The centre helps them to develop their survival skills.

“It has also allowed many to witness orangutans in their natural environment, and opened up opportunities (for research and education),” she added.

Read more!

Indonesia: East Aceh police investigates case of dead elephant

Antara 14 Jul 18;

Idi Rayeuk, Aceh (ANTARA News) - An estimated 15-year-old wild elephant was found dead in an inland forest area in Banda Alam Sub-district, East Aceh District, Aceh Province, on Thursday (July 12).

"The dead male elephant still has a pair of ivory tusks, and its carcass has also not rotted," Banda Alam Sector Police Zainir stated here on Friday.

The elephant is believed to have died the day before it was found. The cause of death of the protected animal is yet to be known, and no signs of violence were apparent on the body of the elephant, he revealed.

He added that the case of the dead Sumatran elephant had been reported to the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) of Aceh. The Animal Health Medical Team is also reported to be traveling from Banda Aceh to East Aceh to handle this case.

"We are still waiting for the BKSDA of the Aceh team to conduct a necropsy, so that the results of laboratory tests will be able to ascertain the cause of the elephant`s death," he explained.

The police will continue to investigate the death of the Sumatran elephant in East Aceh.

"If the investigation indicated the cause of death to be deliberate, then in this case, we will process it in accordance with the provisions," he revealed.

Reported by Mukhlis
(T.KR-TQA/INE)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/C/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto

Read more!

Indonesia: Ahead of Asian Games, Air Quality in Jakarta below WHO Standards

TEMPO.CO 13 Jul 18;

Jakarta - Ahead of the 2018 Asian Games, the director general of pollution and environmental damage at the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Karliansyah, said the ministry was currently striving to reduce particulate matter (PM) 2.5 of air quality in Jakarta and Palembang. He explained multiple measures had been underway.

“[Air quality] in Jakarta is influenced by infrastructure development. On average it is measured at 38 micrograms per meter,” said Karliansyah at the ministry building, Friday, July 13.

Meanwhile, Karliansyah added, Palembang had good air quality. Its PM 2.5 was measured at 8 micrograms per cubic.

Karliansyah explained the air quality and pollutants would affect the athletes’ health during matches. Thus, the government strived to reduce PM 2.5 in Jakarta.

PM 2.5 in Jakarta was recorded at 40 micrograms per cubic meter on average, while based on WHO standards, the particulates limit should be less than 25 micrograms per cubic meter.

The director of pollution and environmental damage at the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Dasrul Chaniago, explained particulates matter 2.5 were referred to as fine dust, which could enter the human respiratory system and might cause lung diseases as well as lung cancer.

Read more!

One in three fish caught never makes it to the plate – UN report

Global fish production is at record levels thanks to fish farming, says the UN FAO, but much is wasted and many species are worryingly overfished

Damian Carrington The Guardian 9 Jul 18;

One in three fish caught around the world never makes it to the plate, either being thrown back overboard or rotting before it can be eaten, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Its biannual report on the state of the world’s fisheries, released on Monday, also shows that total fish production has reached a record high thanks to more fish farming, particularly in China, with over half the fish eaten in the world now coming from aquaculture.

In contrast, the amount of wild caught fish has barely changed since the late 1980s and a third of commercial fish species are overfished, the FAO says. Fish farms will continue to expand and the FAO projects that almost 20% more fish will be eaten by 2030, helping sustain the growing global population. However, farmed fish can harm wild populations because often their feed, made from wild fish such as sardines and anchovies, is caught at sea and they can cause pollution.

Fish are a crucial source of nutrition for billions of people around the globe, but overfishing is rife in some regions, with two-thirds of species overexploited in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Southeast Pacific. Previous analyses that include estimates for illegal fishing indicate that wild fish stocks are declining faster than FAO data suggest and that half the world’s oceans are now industrially fished.

“Since 1961 the annual global growth in fish consumption has been twice as high as population growth, demonstrating that the fisheries sector is crucial in meeting the FAO’s goal of a world without hunger and malnutrition,” said José Graziano da Silva, FAO director general. Many challenges remain, he said, but recent initiatives to crack down on illegal fishing will mark “a turning point” in favour of long-term conservation.

The FAO reports that 35% of global catches are wasted. About a quarter of these losses are bycatch or discards, mostly from trawlers, where unwanted fish are thrown back dead because they are too small or an unwanted species. But most of the losses are due to a lack of knowledge or equipment, such as refrigeration or ice-makers, needed to keep fish fresh.

The FAO has worked with developing nations to cut losses, including the use of raised racks for fish drying, which resulted in a 50% cut in losses of fish from Lake Tanganyika in Africa. Around the Indian Ocean, better facilities for handling the crab harvest cut losses by 40%.

Aquaculture now dominates the fish people eat, providing 53% of the total recorded by the FAO in 2016, the latest data available (excluding fish not used as human food). Farming also dominates the fishing economy, providing two-thirds of the $362bn (£274bn) earned from sales at the dockside.

The FAO report sets out the huge scale of global fishing: it employs 60 million people and there are 4.6m fishing vessels on the planet. This huge effort is worrying in many places, the FAO says, with too many boats chasing too few fish.

As a result, the number of species being overfished has trebled in the last 40 years. The report also states that climate change will drive fish away from warm tropical waters, where nations are often especially reliant on seafood, towards more temperate regions.

Lasse Gustavsson, executive director of Oceana in Europe, said huge improvements were needed across the fishing industry. “Food waste on a hungry planet is outrageous,” he said. “The fact that one-third of all fish caught goes to waste is a huge cause for concern for global food security.”

On overfishing, particularly in the Mediterranean, he said: “We know the situation, we have the solutions: setting fish catch limits to scientific advice and stopping illegal and destructive fishing. All we’re missing is political action.”

Gustavsson added: “Aquaculture is far from being the magic bullet, as it is often unsustainable. Using 20m tonnes of fish like mackerel, sardines and anchovies to feed farmed fish instead of people is a blatant waste of food.”

Prof Daniel Pauly, at the Sea Around Us research initiative at the University of British Columbia, Canada, has been very critical of previous FAO reports, which he says significantly underestimated the total catch by failing to account for illegal fishing.

But he welcomed the new report for considering a much wider range of information: “The crisis of [overfishing] will be hard to solve. However, collaborations between different stakeholders may help turn around some of the negative trends. This is the best issue of [the FAO fisheries report] that I have ever read.”

Read more!

Heatwave sees record high temperatures around world this week

From Europe to Africa, extreme and widespread heat raises climate concerns in hottest La Niña year to date on record
Jonathan Watts The Guardian 13 Jul 18;

Record high temperatures have been set across much of the world this week as an unusually prolonged and broad heatwave intensifies concerns about climate change.

The past month has seen power shortages in California as record heat forced a surge of demand for air conditioners. Algeria has experienced the hottest temperature ever reliably registered in Africa. Britain, meanwhile, has experienced its third longest heatwave, melting the roof of a science building in Glasgow and exposing ancient hill forts in Wales.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the rising temperatures were at odds with a global cyclical climate phenomena known as La Niña, which is usually associated with cooling.

“The first six months of the year have made it the hottest La Niña year to date on record,” said Clare Nullis of the WMO.

Taiwan is the most recent place to report a new high with a temperature of 40.3C in Tianxiang on Monday. This followed a flurry of other anomalies.

Last week, a weather station at Ouargla in Algeria’s Sahara Desert, reported a maximum temperature of 51.3C on 5 July, the highest temperature reliably recorded in Africa.

Even when the sun goes down, night is not providing the cooling relief it once did in many parts of the world. At Quriyat, on the coast of Oman, overnight temperatures remained above 42.6C, which is believed to be the highest “low” temperature ever recorded in the world. Downtown Los Angeles also saw a new monthly July minimum overnight record of 26.1C on 7 July.

Globally, the warmest year on record was in 2016, boosted by the natural climate cycle El Niño. Last year, temperatures hit the highest level without that amplifying phenomenon. This year, at the other cooling end of the cycle, is continuing the overall upward trend.

Swathes of the northern hemisphere have seen unusually persistent warmth due to strong, persistent high pressure systems that have created a “heat dome” over much of Eurasia.

“What’s unusual is the hemispheric scale of the heatwave,” said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. “It’s not just the magnitude in any one location but that high temperatures are being seen over such a large area.”

Northern Russia’s exceptionally sunny weather – seen on TV by billions thanks to the World Cup – has caused wildfires that affected 80,000 hectares of forest near the Krasnoyarsk region, which reported daily anomalies of 7C above average. The Western Siberian Hydromet Center has issued storm warnings after temperatures of more than 30C for five days. Climate watchers fear this will accelerate the melting of permafrost, releasing methane – a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.

In California, daytime records were also set last week at Chino (48.9C), Burbank airport (45.6C) and Van Nuys airport (47.2C). In Canada, at least 54 deaths have been attributed to the prolonged heatwave and high humidity in Quebec. Montreal saw a new record high temperature of 36.6C on 2 July.

In Europe, the WMO has warned of droughts, wildfires and harvest losses after the second hottest June on record. Over the past two weeks, records have been set in Tbilisi (40.5C), Shannon (32C), and Belfast (29.5C)

Britain has cooled slightly in the past two days, after 17 days of temperatures over 28C. This was the third longest heatwave on record, following the record 19-day run in 2013 and the famous summer of 1976, when there were two prolonged spells of 18 days and 15 days. Dean Hall of the UK’s Met Office said Britain’s temperatures were forecast to rise again over the coming week.

The concern is that weather fronts – hot and cold – are being blocked more frequently due to climate change. This causes droughts and storms to linger, amplifying the damage they cause. This was a factor in the recent devastating floods in Japan, where at least 150 people died after rainfall up to four times the normal level.

Paolo Ruti of the WMO said it was difficult to ascribe any one weather event to climate change, but that recent high temperatures, intense rains and slow-moving fronts were in line with forecasts of how rising emissions will affect the climate.

“Recent analysis suggests that anthropogenic forcing might indeed affect the characteristics of summer blocking events in the Euro-Asia sector, in particular leading to longer blocking episodes,” he said.

Extreme weather events have buffeted much of the world over the past 12months, from the “Day Zero” drought in Cape Town to the abnormally powerful hurricanes Harvey and Irma that buffeted the east coast of the US and Caribbean.

Underscoring the link, a new report from scientists at the World Weather Attribution group indicates that manmade climate change and its effect on rainfall made the recent Cape Town drought three times more likely.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 13 Jul 18

Sliver of Changi still lively
wild shores of singapore

Feeding “Fluffy” the Juvenile Albino Collared Kingfisher
Singapore Bird Group

Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island (青蛙岛)
Offshore Singapore

Job: Part-time Entomological Curation Assistant @ Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (Deadline: 15 August 2018)
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Local NGOs push Singapore banks on coal: Stop using our money to fuel climate change
eco-business

Meeting the rare China Clam
Mei Lin NEO

Read more!

MPA: Queen of the Netherlands complied with Singapore requirements

Malay Mail 11 Jul 18;

SINGAPORE, July 11 — Queen of the Netherlands, a sand dredger, complied with Singapore’s port entry and departure requirements, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said today.

The vessel also complied with the reporting procedures when navigating in the Singapore Strait during the period in question, an MPA spokesperson said in an email reply to Bernama.

MPA was asked whether it was aware of the existence of the dredger as a news report claimed that it “has been spotted sailing back and forth between Johor and southern Singapore along a sea route well known for its smuggling activity”.

A check by a Malaysian daily on June 28 on the marine traffic website showed that the ship was in Singapore waters and had been there since June 18.

“The movement of the Queen of the Netherlands showed that it exited Malaysian waters on or before June 18 and was travelling between the Changi southern tip and also parts of Jurong Island in Singapore.

“The vessel seems to be making several back-and-forth stops in between its journey last week as Singapore’s southern area has several small islands south of Sentosa Island and also Jurong Island,” a source was quoted as saying by the daily.

The source said the southern part of Singapore waters was known to be undergoing land reclamation works involving the merger of smaller islands to form a bigger island for commercial usage.

“If indeed the vessel was carrying sand for Malaysian domestic usage, its passage will bypass the islands and proceed to Johor’s west coast near Iskandar Puteri, Kukup or Pontian instead,” said the source, adding that the many stops and travel in Singapore waters were an indicator that something was not right.

Queen of the Netherlands was dubbed the largest and most powerful dredger in the world after lengthening in 2009.

Constructed in 1998, the Dutch Trailing suction hopper dredger is now a 230.71-metre long vessel with a 33,423 gross tonnage. — Bernama


Giant dredger sailing between Johor and Singapore on sand smuggling route
Malay Mail 28 Jun 18;

JOHOR BARU, June 28 — For the past one month, a titanic Dutch sand dredger dubbed the “world’s largest floating vacuum cleaner” has been spotted sailing back-and-forth between Johor and southern Singapore along a sea route well known for its smuggling activity.

The 230.71-metre long vessel with 33,423-gross tonnage has been identified as the “Queen of the Netherlands” and was recently seen in the waters off Teluk Ramunia in Kota Tinggi, raising suspicions that it may have been used in the illegal sale of sand outside the country.

Malaysia has banned sand export since 1997. It is still listed as a prohibited export item in the Customs Department’s list.

A check on the marine traffic website yesterday showed the ship was in Singapore waters and has been there since June 18.

At present, the appearance of the Queen of the Netherlands in Malaysian waters has not triggered alarms among the authorities due to ongoing land reclamation works in Teluk Ramunia on Benalec Holdings Berhad’s 677.2-hectare Pengerang Maritime Industrial Park.

The Kota Tinggi area is also known for having several sand quarries in its district.

However, satellite tracking of the vessel showed that it has been sailing on a sea route that was said to be popular with sand smugglers in 2010.

A maritime source familiar with the routes said the Queen of the Netherlands movement is peculiar, based on satellite tracking data from Inmarsat-C, which is used by sea vessels as part of their Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

“The movement of the Queen of the Netherlands showed that it exited Malaysian waters on or before June 18 and was travelling between the Changi southern tip and also parts of Jurong Island in Singapore.

“The vessel seems to be making several back-and-forth stops in between its journey last week as Singapore’s southern area has several small islands south of Sentosa Island and also Jurong Island,” the source told Malay Mail today on condition of anonymity.

According to the source, the southern parts of Singapore’s waters are known to be undergoing land reclamation works involving the merger of smaller islands to form a bigger island for commercial usage.

“If indeed the vessel was carrying sand for Malaysian domestic usage, its passage will bypass the islands and proceed to Johor’s west coast near Iskandar Puteri, Kukup or Pontian instead,” said the source, adding that the many stops and travelling in Singapore’s waters was an indicator that something was not right.

Another source familiar with sand dredgers said the Queen of the Netherlands is used mainly for island creations and land reclamation works.

“The massive sand dredger is capable enough to not only dredge and expel sand and stones, but can also to be used as a sand storage vessel,” said the source.

Checks showed that the Queen of the Netherlands is a Dutch Trailing suction hopper dredger ship constructed in 1998.

A trailing suction hopper dredger, in layman terms, is basically ship that has a full sailing capacity used to maintain navigable waterways, deepening the maritime canals that are threatened to become silted, to construct new land elsewhere or to replace sand eroded by storms or wave action on the beaches.

This is made possible by large powerful pumps and engines able to suck sand, clay, silt and gravel. It is also used mainly for constant delivery of sand for land reclamation works.


A tracking route of the Dutch sand dredger Queen of the Netherlands that shows its movement in the south part of Singapore shuttling between the waters off Jurong Island and also the south-east part of the island republic. — Picture courtesy of source

In 2009, the Queen of the Netherlands was lengthened. It was touted the largest and most powerful dredger in the world then.

The vessel, currently flying a Cyprus flag, has been used in high-profile salvage and dredging operations including the investigation into the Swissair Flight 111 crash and in the controversial Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project in Australia.

Those familiar with dredging vessels have dubbed the Queen of the Netherlands as “the world's largest floating vacuum cleaner”.

Malay Mail understands that maritime authorities are able to track and verify the vessel’s movement easily via their maritime radar as well as via its automatic identification system (AIS).

“The AIS tracking system is used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS). At the same time Malaysia has several maritime enforcement agencies such as the marine police, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Marine Department to investigate the allegations of illegal sand smuggling,” a source said.

In open waters, the AIS functions as an automated tracking system that displays other vessels in the vicinity. It works as a broadcast transponder system which operates in the VHF mobile maritime band.

A vessel fitted with a AIS system will also show on the screens of other vessels in the vicinity, provided the vessel is fitted with the system.

In 2010, The Star reported that sand worth millions of ringgit had been illegally “floated” out of the country daily via Sungai Johor in Johor Baru since 2007.

The report found that the sand ended up in Singapore, despite a ban on sand export imposed by the Malaysian government.

The culprits were suspected to be part of a syndicate and had used barges to pass through the international waters from Kota Tinggi and Ulu Tiram where they load up sand for shipment to Pulau Punggol Timur in Singapore.

However, there have been some exceptions to the sand export ban.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry under the Najib administration had granted approved permits to two companies to export sand to India late last year.

However, the approval was only for sand sources from dredging the Sungai Pahang and Sungai Kelantan river estuaries in those states under a special arrangement on a case-by-case basis.

Read more!

Malaysia: Awareness campaign, research helps overcome fireflies extinction

Nik Sukry Ramli New Straits Times 12 Jul 18;

KUANTAN: More awareness and research campaigns need to be undertaken to ensure firefly colonies along Sungai Cherating do not go extinct.

National University of Singapore (NUS) Research Fellow, Dr Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh said the insects were very sensitive to their environment and vulnerable to the threat faced by mangroves and pollution of river water which could affect their breeding.

"Their habitat should be properly maintained and, if possible, there should be no mangrove forest exploration activities or development purposes in the immediate vicinity.

"Perhaps we can increase awareness campaigns as well as provide research grants to researchers to conduct a more in-depth study on this incredible insect’s life-cycle," she said at the launch of the World Fireflies Celebration Day 2018 here.

The event jointly organised by Firefly Pals and the Turtles Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) is to mark the World Fireflies celebration which takes place in the first week of July each year.

Present were TCS Executive Director, Dr Chen Pelf Nyok as well as some 50 participants at the event which saw them being briefed on the importance of fireflies. They also took part in fireflies activities along the river.

On the species found in the Cherating river, Wan Faridah said their scientific name is ‘Pteroptyx bearni' and the first evidence of the insect in the Cherating river was recorded in 1993.

Wan Faridah said a similar species of fireflies which was found in Singapore in 1909 had likely become extinct.

She said there is a possibility that the fireflies in the Cherating river may face a similar threat if no proactive action is taken to manage their ecosystem.

"We should not only be focusing on the process of conservation of these firefly areas ... usually, we just replant Berembang trees as an example of where they (fireflies) live.

"By right we should conduct research on the fireflies ecosystems, how they live, from the larval stage to their food types. This is to ensure continuity of breeding of the fireflies on a regular basis," she said.

Read more!

Malaysiam Sabah: Orang utan, elephant deaths

Busy week for Sabah Wildlife
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 12 Jul 18;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Wildlife department is facing a busy week having to deal with two dead animals and a lost baby elephant in the east coast of Sabah.

An adult male elephant named Sapa, who was injured by a snare trap in Lahad Datu and rescued on June 1, died at the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary in Kinabatangan yesterday although he had been active and showed healing symptoms.

On the same day, the department was alerted that an Orangutan carcass was found lying near the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sandakan.

The department spokesperson Siti Nur’Ain Ampuan Acheh said Sapa died despite of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory treatment.

“(Sapa’s) death is due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome due to septicemia which might be due to bacterial infection (from deep wound on its right forelimb).

“(As for the Orang Utan), personnel from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre rushed to the scene upon receiving the report and found the carcass on the ground without any sign of infliction or physical injury,” she said in a statement.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday in Tawau, a weak baby elephant was found wandering alone at the Brumas Plantation in the district.

Siti said district wildlife personnel had secured and provided medical assistance to the three-week-old male calf.

“The baby elephant was taken to Tawau and given milk formula and fluids intravenously and transported to Sepilok this morning.

“It is bright and alert and receptive to drinking milk. Some small wounds were found in different parts of the body and are now being treated.”

As for the sighting of a turtle carcass at Jesselton Point terminal here yesterday, the department could not find the body which probably drifted elsewhere due to strong currents.


Bacterial infection likely cause of death of elephant in Sabah
stephanie lee The Star 13 Jul 18;

KOTA KINABALU: The elephant which died at the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary on Wednesday (July 11) might have died due to a bacterial infection.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said from the post mortem conducted on Thursday (July 12), it was found that the bull elephant named Sapa had multiple organ dysfunction.

"Sapa was rescued in June and he was found to have deep cut wounds on his legs due to snare traps," he said.

He said though Sapa had seemed to be recovering, the post-mortem findings did not support the theory.

Sapa had collapsed in the morning and was given treatment with fluids, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory medicine.

The 20-year-old elephant did not respond to the treatment and died at 4pm.


Bull elephant rescued from rope traps dies at Kinabatangan sanctuary in Sabah
stephanie lee The Star 12 Jul 18;

KOTA KINABALU: A rescued bull elephant has died at the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary in Kinabatangan on Wednesday (July 11).

The elephant named "Sapu" was a victim of snare traps when it was rescued from the Sapagaya Waterfall near the Danum Valley forest reserve on June 1.

Sapu was found with two rope snares bound tightly around its front legs with deep wounds. However, it had been recuperating and responding well to treatments.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said Sapu however collapsed in the morning and died at about 4pm without regaining consciousness.

“We will reveal the cause of death once we know,” Tuuga said when contacted.

Meanwhile, a wildlife conservationist based in Sabah said snare traps for wildlife are deadlier than bullets, as they are cheap, easy to get and silent.

“Almost anyone can get or make the traps,” said the conservationist who did not want to be named.

Though the poacher who set the traps may aim for other animals such as wild boars, larger creatures including elephants can still be victims and die a long, agonising death.


Orangutan found dead near forest reserve in Sandakan
stephanie lee The Star 13 Jul 18;

Carcass of an orang utan near the Sepilok Forest Reserve.

KOTA KINABALU: An Orangutan was found dead in an orchard near the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sandakan on Wednesday (July 11).

Workers at a nearby resort found the carcass of the adolescent male primate and later informed wildlife officials.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said a team was sent to the scene.

"Our rangers found the carcass on the ground without any signs of injury," he said.

"A full post-mortem will be conducted to find out its cause of death," he said.

Read more!

Indonesia: Plastic waste poses threat to Indonesian seas - Minister

Azis Kurmala Antara 12 Jul 18;

A number of residents as members of the Earth Hour Community wearing plastic-made clothing appealed to residents to reduce the use of bags made of plastic that cause climate change. (ANTARA FOTO/Rony Muharrman).

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti believes that plastic waste had become a threat to Indonesian seas.

"Hence, various parties must work together to overcome the problem," Pudjiastuti noted here on Thursday.

All parties have a responsibility to ensure that plastic waste should not end up in the sea.

The existence of illegal fishing vessels is not the only threat to Indonesia`s marine resources.

Plastic waste has become one of the main threats in recent days, the minister remarked.

The Indonesian government had earlier committed to reducing plastic waste in its maritime areas, Expert Staff for Marine Ecology and Marine Resources of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Aryo Hanggono stated.

"The government will reduce plastic waste up to 70 percent by 2025," he remarked.

Currently, he noted that a draft of the presidential regulation on the management of plastic waste at sea was being formulated to ensure coordination between the central and local governments.

He noted that banana peels took two weeks to decompose, while plastic bags took 10-20 years to decompose, and plastic bottles took hundreds of years to decompose.

In addition, he remarked that several studies also indicated that if no significant changes are brought about, the ratio of plastic to fish in the oceans is expected to reach three is to one by 2025, and the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

The fisheries and maritime sector has now become Indonesia`s prime source of economic income.

However, sustainability will not be achieved unless the sector is really preserved.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of Kehati Foundation M. S. Sembiring pointed out that Indonesia has the world`s largest biodiversity.

President Jokowi Widodo earlier remarked that Indonesia had to take serious measures to exploit its maritime resources, which he believes were the future of the country`s economy.

He said only a small part of the maritime resources worth Rp17 quadrillion (US$1.28 trillion) annually could be exploited.

"Maritime resources are the key to improving the people`s welfare and ensuring social justice in the country," the president added.


Editor: Bustanuddin

Read more!