Malaysia: Perak Wildlife Dept rescues lost baby elephant

Farah Suhaidah Othman New Straits Times 1 Apr 19;

IPOH: A three-year-old elephant, believed to have been separated from its herd, was rescued by the state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) at Kampung Chepor, here, last Wednesday.

Its director Yusof Shariff said the male elephant, measuring about 20 centimetres, was spotted wandering near the village more than a week ago.

He said the department then deployed a team to the village to search for the animal and started the search effort on March 24.

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Malaysia: Changes to Wildlife Act being mulled

MARTIN CARVALHO, HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM, RAHIMY RAHIM and TARRENCE TAN The Star 2 Apr 19;

AMENDMENTS to the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 are being mulled to deal with online illegal wildlife trade, says Deputy Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji.

“We are proposing changes to the law, which involves amending 78 sections under the Act and the creation of 10 new sections.

“This is to strengthen existing laws to better protect the country’s wildlife and fauna,” he said when answering a supplementary question raised by Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria (BN-Parit) during Question Time.

He noted that the amendments would also look into increasing penalties for illegal wildlife traders and poachers.

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Indonesia: BRG conducts revegetation in Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve

Antara 1 Apr 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) has taken measures to replant local species in the Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve (CG GCK BB), spanning an area of 40 hectares in Riau Province.

The initiative to conduct restoration kicked off in 2018 after a forest fire ravaged the area in that year, Sarjono Budi Subechi, head of the sub-working group of Riau Peatland Restoration, remarked here, Monday.

"The revegetation is being carried out by replanting the meranti (shorea) and jelutong (Dyera costulata) species in Giam Siak, covering an area of 40 ha, among others," he revealed.

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Australia: Lord Howe Island coral bleaching 'most severe we've ever seen', scientists say

Biologists fear they will now start to see coral mortality in world’s southern-most reef
Lisa Cox The Guardian 1 Apr 19;

Researchers have documented what they are describing as the most severe coral bleaching to hit the world’s southern-most reef at Lord Howe Island.

Scientists from Newcastle University, James Cook University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have spent the past two weeks surveying corals around the island in the far south Pacific Ocean after they were alerted to bleaching in isolated areas.

Bill Leggat, a coral biologist at Newcastle University, said the worst of the bleaching was in shallow water closer to the shoreline.

“It’s quite variable but where it’s severe it is actually quite severe,” he said.

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WWF sounds alarm after 48 lbs of plastic found in dead whale

COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press Yahoo News 2 Apr 19;

MILAN (AP) — An 8-meter (26-foot) sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia with 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) of plastic in its belly, prompting the World Wildlife Foundation to sound an alarm Monday over the dangers of plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea.

The environmental group said the garbage recovered from the sperm whale's stomach included a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing detergent package with its bar code still legible.

The female whale beached off the northern coast of Sardinia last week, within the vast Pelagos marine sanctuary that was created as a haven for dolphins, whales and other sea life.

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Best of our wild blogs: 1 Apr 19

13 Apr (Sat): Visit the 2019 Draft Master Plan exhibition with Lepak in SG
wild shores of singapore

Pesta Ubin will happen from 18 May to 30 Jun: Mark your calendar!
Pesta Ubin 2019

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New Bukit Gombak Park to be ready in early 2020

Channel NewsAsia 31 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE: Work on the new Bukit Gombak Park began on Sunday (Mar 31), the National Parks Board (NParks) announced in a media release.

The 4.8-hectare park, which is located at Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 opposite the Bukit Batok Driving Centre, is scheduled to be opened in early 2020.

Visitors will soon be able to enjoy its greenery and recreational facilities that will include a hill trek and a nature playgarden, NParks said, adding that residents' feedback on the features were gathered during the planning process.

"Feedback received were varied, and suggestions included having more biodiversity-attracting plants, tranquil areas to enjoy nature, recreational spaces for families and friends, and opportunities for the community to do gardening and be closer to nature," NParks said.

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Singapore uses insects to gobble up food waste

Today Online 1 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE — Some insects, armed with voracious appetites as larvae, are being bred in Singapore to eat discarded food, at the same time creating a rich fertilizer for plants.

Globally, a third of food produced for consumption is wasted, totaling about 1.3 billion tons. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Black soldier flies are found all across Singapore. While the adults do not eat as their sole purpose is to mate, the larvae eat almost any organic matter and can stomach up to four times their weight a day. They are capable of converting three tons of food waste into one ton of fertilizers per week.

Mr Darren Ho is the founder of the Insectta, Singapore's first urban insect farm. Since he became a farmer five years ago, he's committed to create a production system where nothing goes waste.

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Malaysia: DoE completes final draft on forming panel

remar nordin The Star 1 Apr 19;

PASIR GUDANG: The Department of Environment (DoE) has completed its final draft for the forming of the Toxic Waste Management and Scheduled Waste National Committee following the chemical spill at Sungai Kim Kim.

Its director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Kamarulnajuib Che Ibrahim said the draft would be sent to the Energy, Science, Tech­nology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry for approval.

“We have completed the draft. We will present it to the ministry as soon as possible for them to make the final decision.

“The committee will be responsible for any future toxic waste management,” he said during a visit to SMK Taman Pasir Putih here yesterday.

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Malaysia: Johor mulls cloud seeding

mohd farhaan shah The Star 1 Apr 19;

KLUANG: Johor is looking into carrying out cloud seeding to improve water levels at dams in the state, especially at Machap dam which is at a critical level if the current hot and dry conditions continue for longer.

Johor International Trade, Investment and Utility Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said the water level at Machap dam was at now 14.45mm. Its minimum level is 14.10mm.

“The water at Machap dam here flows to the Simpang Renggam water treatment plant, which is about 8.5km away, and to Sungai Ulu Benut and Sungai Machap.

“The two rivers were recently affected by ammonia pollution,” he said after a working visit to Machap dam here.

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Malaysia: Sabah records 1,671 open burning cases

SUZIANAH JIFFAR New Straits Times 31 Mar 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The state fire and rescue department recorded 1,671 open burning cases in Sabah since early this year.

Its director Kamarulzaman Malik Abdullah said 190 cases were recorded in January, followed by 537 cases in February and 994 cases this month.

“We advise the people to reduce their outdoor activity, especially open burning at farms or orchards that can lead to major fire,” he said.

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Mutilated dolphins wash up on French coast in record numbers

Activists say 1,100 dolphins found since January - but real figure may be 10 times higher
Kim Willsher The Guardian 32 Mar 19;

A record number of dolphins have washed up on France’s Atlantic coast in the last three months, many with devastating injures.

Environmental campaigners say 1,100 mutilated dolphins have been found since January, but the real figure could be 10 times higher as many bodies sink without trace. Activists warn the marine slaughter could threaten the extinction of the European dolphin population in the region.

The cause of the deaths is not known but it is thought fishing trawlers catching sea bass off the Atlantic coast may be responsible. Autopsies suggest the dolphins sustain catastrophic injuries attempting to escape nets or when trawler crew attempt to cut them free after they are caught.

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