Awesome year end 2017 at the Marine Park
Sisters' Island Marine Park
Lessons from IYOR outreach workshop
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
Singapore's wild shores in WWF kids' magazine
wild shores of singapore
The varied diet of the Brown-throated Sunbird
Singapore Bird Group
Straits Times 20 Dec 17;
Dengue infections here reached a 16-year low, with no deaths reported in the first nine months this year, compared with nine last year.
Some 2,629 people had dengue in the first 50 weeks this year. With two weeks left, the total number is likely to be lower than in any year since the 2,372 cases in 2001.
The dip in infections stems from the dominant viral strain this year being DENV-2, which was also the case last year as well as between 2007 and 2012.
As a result, many people previously infected with this strain are immune to it.
The Star 20 Dec 17;
THE Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) launched the Malaysian implementation of MY forest’s project titled “Strengthening Non-State Actor Involvement in Forest Governance in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.”
MY forest is a high-impact partnership, as it looks at Malaysia’s natural heritage, its forests, and how non-state actors – non-governmental organisations, civil societies, local communities, the private and public sectors – can inform and change policies towards better forest governance.
The project’s target forest areas are the peninsula’s Central Forest Spine, heart of Borneo and selected Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs).
Under the five-year project (2017-2021) funded by the European Union, MNS is tasked with building the capacity of non-state actors nationwide to engage more effectively with the government in protecting Malaysia’s forests.
He said Malaysians have always looked to the governing authorities to protect the country’s resources, but the project sought to change this mindset by delivering non-governmental participation in protecting the forests.
“One of MNS’ tenets is the promotion of responsible environmental stewardship in Malaysia, and the society truly believes that each and every one of us has a role to play as stewards of our natural heritage,” he said.
Goh called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs), environmental groups, local communities, the public and the media to come together to be part of changing the Malaysian forest landscape, to maintain the country’s green mountains and hills, its clean rivers, its home for tigers and elephants and tapirs.
“We want all Malaysians to be part of it, to look at our natural heritage and proclaim: MY forest, MY wildlife, MY responsibility,” he said.
MY forest was officially launched by former MNS president Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, who is currently MNS senior adviser and MY forest adviser.
The launch was followed by the MY forest National Stakeholder Committee inception meeting, which saw the participation of government agencies, 13 NGOs and 10 MNS state branches to plan the way forward for nationwide implementation of MY forest.
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Straits Times 20 Dec 17;
Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), the operational unit of Singapore-based pulpwood company April, has taken Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry to court, after the ministry voided its 10-year business plan and told it to revise the plan.
The ministry said the plan for RAPP's Sumatra concession was voided because the company failed to comply with Indonesia's new peatland protection framework. The 2016 law aims to better protect fragile, flammable peatlands - a major source of choking annual haze that has blighted the region in the last two decades.
RAPP argued that it should be affected by the new law only after its concession contract expires. It said that any new law should not take effect retroactively.
The Jakarta state administrative court is set to rule on the case tomorrow. April, or Asia Pacific Resources International Limited, is Indonesia's second-largest pulp and paper company. It manages a plantation area of 480,000ha of fast-growing pulpwood trees, such as acacia in Sumatra's Riau province. More than half of this area is planted on peatlands, which the Indonesian government has been stepping up efforts to protect to prevent fires.
In October, the environment and forestry ministry urged April to meet the stricter rules, after rejecting the company's 10-year work plan covering the concession area that is more than five times the size of Singapore.
"The company had earlier stated they would revise the work plan to comply with the existing law, but then they asked not to do so, and then they filed a lawsuit," the ministry's spokesman Djati Witjaksono Hadi told The Straits Times by phone yesterday.
April denied what it filed was "a lawsuit", arguing that it was instead a petition to the court seeking fair treatment. It also claimed that the government's revocation of its work plan breached a law.
April denied what it filed was "a lawsuit", arguing that it was a petition to the court seeking fair treatment. It also claimed that the government's revocation of its work plan breached a law.
Plantation firms must submit a work plan that outlines their operations on their concessions, and the ministry must approve these or suggest revisions. For concessions with trees already planted, they are told not to replant after the next harvest.
Failure to get approval means shutting down operations on affected concessions.
April's head of international communications Charles Paul Hogan said it is supportive of the government's plans and is compliant with prevailing laws and regulations. But he also said the ministry must provide clarity for the substitute land that the company will get in exchange for those rezoned for protected peatland.
President Joko Widodo is getting tougher on protecting peatland. His administration issued a No. 57 decree last year, to supersede what was seen as a weaker 2014 regulation on the protection and management of peatland ecosystems.
With the 2016 decree, all pulpwood plantation companies are required to adjust their work plan, shifting their plantation off deep peat.
Observers have hailed the government's bold moves. Public policy expert Agus Pambagio said the government as a regulator has the right to regulate the public and the industries.
"If a policy is no longer conducive to provide what the public and industries need, then the government has to revise or revoke that policy and issue a new one. And any policy indeed cannot be discriminatory," Mr Agus, who served as an expert witness in the RAPP v government case, told the court.
Antara 19 Dec 17;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has prepared a grand design to prevent land, forest, and plantation fires, which would summarize facts, images, the cause of the fires, and solution for the disaster.
"The grand design would focus on (prevention) activities and monitoring conducted by both the government and private sectors from 2017 to 2019," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said here on Tuesday.
The grand design is formulated by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of National Development Planning.
According to Nasution, the government has also prepared various financial instruments that would support the funding for forest fire prevention at village level.
"The financial instruments are needed to facilitate access to funding resources related to climate change," he noted.
Meanwhile, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya remarked that the grand design would stress on five key strategies to prevent land, forest, and plantation fires.
The five strategies are regulation on economic incentive and disincentive, reinforcement of villagers` role and social institutions, law enforcement, synchronization of law and licensing, infrastructure development, and reinforcement of early fire response.
Previously, head of National Development Planning Agency, Bambang Brodjonegoro, pointed out that the fires have caused at least Rp221 trillion in loss for the country in 2015 from flights cancellation, closure of offices, and other economic activities, which makes preventing fires more crucial than putting them out.
Reported by Agita Tarigan
(S022/INE)
EDITED BY INE
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Minister Urges World to Stop Blaming Indonesia for Wildfire Cases
Tempo 19 Dec 17;
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Darmin Nasution asked the international community to stop blaming Indonesia for the wildfires that happen annually.
“Don’t just rant and [blame us] for it. We would rather work together [to solve the problem],” said Darmin during a meeting on wildfires and haze today. He added that wildfires and the haze it produces are a regional and global problem.
According to Darmin, Indonesia is currently finalizing a one map policy to overcome wildfires. The policy will enable the Indonesian Government to map-out the areas that are prone to wildfires.
Read: Singapore Lauds Indonesia's Efforts in Handling Forest Fires
“Therefore, we invite the participation of everyone either from the central and regional government, businesses, general public, institutions, and the international community,” he said.
Darmin revealed that the government is currently shifting its orientation from overcoming wildfires to preventing it from happening since it is much easier to do.
According to the Ministry’s records, from 2015 to 2017, wildfire and land fire hotspots have been significantly reduced. The data also suggests that there were 22,000 hotspots in 2015 and is currently down to 2,500 hotspots in 2017, which is an 89 percent reduction.
The area affected by wildfires has also been reduced from 2.6 million hectares in 2015 to just 146,000 hectares in 2016. Meanwhile, cases of wildfire hotspots in 2017 were successfully reduced to 125,000 hectares which are a mere 15 percent compared to that in 2016.
Syafiul Hadi
Apriadi Gunawan The Jakarta Post 19 Dec 17;
A Malayan tapir received treatment for wounds at the Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary in North Padang Lawas regency, North Sumatra, on Tuesday after being caught by local residents.
The 300-kilogram male tapir suffered severe wounds -- including peeled skin, wounded ankles and removed nails -- that were spread across its entire body when it was found by local authorities, said the head of the Padang Sidempuan branch of the Natural Resources Conservation Office (BKSDA), Gunawan Alza.
Locals of Kristen village in Kotapinang district, South Labuhan Batu, caught the large herbivorous mammal as it entered a residential area on Monday, then tied its four feet so that it could not escape.
“Perhaps the local people didn't know that the animal they caught was protected,” Gunawan told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
BKSDA officials transported the tapir to the sanctuary, where doctors gave it several shots and vitamins to help it recover.
The tapir’s condition was improving, Gunawan said, adding that it would be released into the wild once it fully recovers.
The population of the Malayan tapir, he said, was on the decline. The protected species, which is endemic to Sumatra, is most commonly found in the southern parts of Tapanuli, such as South Labuhan Batu, Mandailing Natal, Barumun and Sipirok.
The animal’s habitat has mostly been destroyed because of deforestation, human interference and the conversion of its natural habitat into plantations, resulting in increased cases of the wild animal entering villages in search of food. (rin)
Antara 19 Dec 17;
Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - At least 300 homes located in the Menoreh Hill area were damaged by landslides that hit the Kulon Progo District, Yogyakarta Province, recently.
The Yogyakarta authorities will provide assistance for renovation and reconstruction of the damaged houses, Gusdi Hartono, head of the Kulon Progo disaster mitigation office, stated here, Tuesday.
The assistance will be sourced from the natural disaster emergency funds allocated for Yogyakarta.
On Dec 1, the administration of Kulon Progo District had declared an emergency response status following floods and landslides that hit the region amid the extreme weather in late November of 2017.
The emergency status was effective from Nov 30 to Dec 27.
Swift and appropriate precautionary measures and response were deemed necessary, as the district had experienced rainy season and extreme weather.
At least 66 locations in Kulon Progo were hit by hydrological disasters, such as flooding and landslides.
Meanwhile, two residents went missing, while two others were injured, as a landslide hit Pedukuhan Ngroto, Pendoworejo Village, Girimulyo Sub-district, Kulon Progo District, recently.
Earlier, the Yogyakarta Special Autonomous Provincial Administration had declared an emergency alert status following natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, and whirlwinds, which had hit the region.
The decision to declare the emergency status was taken during a coordination meeting on disaster mitigation attended by officials of the Yogyakarta disaster mitigation office on Nov 29.
Reported by Sutarmi
(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE
Landslides, flooding hit Cilacap, Central Java
Antara 20 Dec 17;
Cilacap, C Java (ANTARA News) - Floods and landslides have hit several regions in Cilacap District, Central Java, following incessant heavy rains that fell on Tuesday.
In Sindangraja village, two hilly areas were hit by landslides that damaged three homes and injured one person, Tri Komara Sidhy, an official of the Cilacap disaster mitigation office, said here, Wednesday.
A landslide also cut of a road connecting Karangpucung and Sidareja in Cinangsi village, Gandrungmangu sub-district. The road was covered by mudslide stretching 40 meters long.
Several inhabitants of Kertajaya village in Gandrungmangu sub-district, were taking refuge in higher grounds as their homes were submerged by a flood.
reported by Sumarwoto.
(f001/O001 )
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Thousands of villages in Pekanbaru isolated by flash floods
Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 20 Dec 17;
Flash floods in Kampar, Riau, have isolated 16 other villages in the upstream side of the regency.
The Kampar Disaster Mitigation Agency’s (BPBD) flood mitigation operation command center head, Chandra, said the flooding had been occurring since Monday evening as the Lipai River had overflowed.
“The thigh-high floodwaters have inundated dozens of houses in Deras, Tanjung Karang and Batu Sasak villages in Kampar Hulu and Kampar Kiri district,” Chandra said on Wednesday.
“No fatalities have been reported. Data on material losses is still being collected.”
Chandra said flooding had also caused damage to a road that connected the flood-affected villages with Lipat Kain, a district capital.
“Parts of the road are severely damaged. Vehicles cannot pass the road, which has never been paved,” said Chandra.
“A bridge in Batu Sasak village has been destroyed by the floodwater, just like what happened in 2015.”
Nine of the 16 villages are located in Kampar Kiri while the others are in Kampar Kiri Hulu.
“Floodwaters started to recede on Tuesday afternoon, but the damaged road cannot be repaired yet. Construction material and equipment cannot be transported to the area,” said Chandra.
The flood-affected villages are located in the Rimbang Baling wildlife reserve, hampering the construction of a permanent transportation route. (vla/ebf)
27 Jan 2018 (Sat): "The Love of Tuah and Jebat" at Pulau Ubin with Pulau Sekudu
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
Tips for communicating your cause: IYOR Outreach workshop
Little Green Men
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wild shores of singapore
Audrey Tan Straits Times 18 Dec 17;
SINGAPORE - There is more to crabs than those fried with black pepper or in a thick chilli sauce.
A new exhibition at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore (NUS) sets out to let visitors know that the crustaceans can also play a vital role in their habitats.
Christmas Island Red, as the exhibition is called, spotlights the role of crabs on Christmas Island - a rocky island that was part of Singapore until 1957, when it was sold to the Australian government. The official transfer took place in 1958.
The exhibition was launched on Monday evening (Dec 18) by the museum, and attended by the Australian High Commissioner Bruce Gosper.
Christmas Island, which is about an hour by plane from Jakarta, is famed for the red crab, a species found only on the island.
The crustacean likely got its name from the striking red colour of its shell. But what has grasped the world's attention is the annual migration of these creatures, when they move en masse from the forests of Christmas Island to the sea to spawn.
There are more than 40 million of these palm-sized creatures on Christmas Island, which has a population of about 2,000.
The annual mass migration, which usually takes place in December, turns the streets and roads a bright red.
The phenomenon, captured by Google which is working with Parks Australia, can be viewed on Google Maps Street View from early next year.
But visitors to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum can watch it first at the exhibition, which will run for six months. They can watch videos of the migration, and see different crab specimens as well as other types of fauna, including the red-pouched frigate birds.
They can also learn how a particular species of ants, the so-called yellow crazy ants, and feral cats that were brought to the island threatened its biodiversity, including the red crabs.
On Christmas Island, crabs are king, with the local people and authorities working hand in hand to protect them, such as building bridges and tunnels to facilitate their migration, and enacting laws to protect them.
But even in the forests, the crabs are the key drivers of the ecosystem, said Professor Peter Ng, head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
"There are no large mammals or predators on the island, so whichever gets there first dominates it. On Christmas Island, the red crab is king. It is not the fastest or strongest creature, but it is dominant. They feed on the vegetation in the forests, and act like gardeners of the forests, keeping them well-manicured and with little undergrowth."
He added: "I hope visitors will realise that there is a wonderful place so close to Singapore. "And Singaporeans may be obsessed with eating crabs, but I hope that through this exhibition, they will learn something more about them as well."
Singapore scientists uncover gifts of Christmas Island
Audrey Tan Straits Times 21 Dec 17;
SINGAPORE - With a name like that, one would expect Christmas Island to bear many gifts. It has not disappointed.
Among its treasures is the red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis) - a unique crustacean found only on Christmas Island (it is in the Indian ocean) and nowhere else in the world. These creatures move en masse from forest to sea to spawn once a year, carpeting roads and homes a bright red, in a phenomenon that famed naturalist Sir David Attenborough reportedly regards as one of the most "astonishing and wonderful" sights.
But Christmas Island, located about an hour's flight from Jakarta, has more surprises in store, as Singapore scientists are discovering. Over four expeditions since 2010, the team has already discovered 10 species of crabs and prawns on Christmas Island, including the blue crab and the yellow-eye crab, which also cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
This festive season, people can get a glimpse of these creatures without having to travel all the way to the island that once belonged to Singapore. Specimens of the unique creatures are on display at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, in a temporary exhibition called Christmas Island Red launched on Monday (Dec 18).
"It highlights the historical links between both islands - Singapore and Christmas Island - why conservation is important, and the discoveries we've made. Our predecessors in the 1930s and 1950s described many new species and we continue with this tradition," said crab expert and museum head Peter Ng, who led the expeditions.
Christmas Island was named on Christmas Day 1643, and was part of Singapore until 1957, when it was sold by the British to the Australian government for 2.9 million pounds, according to the website of the Christmas Island Tourism Association. The official transfer took place in 1958.
But close ties remained between the Republic and Christmas Island, which has a population of about 2,000, especially on the research front. More expeditions are being planned for the years ahead.
"There was the assumption that the island's fauna was well-known, as it is located so close to Indonesia. But we found that there is still so many things left to discover," said Professor Ng. "There have been about 400 to 500 species recorded on the island, but I think that is a gross underestimate because the island is actually not easy to survey as it has a very rugged landscape - land and sea!"
Despite its welcoming name, Christmas Island is surrounded by inhospitable rocky cliffs which hampered early explorers. But Prof Ng and his team saw opportunity in adversity.
"I was intrigued why no one had found a freshwater cave crab even though the island had so many limestone caves. So I looked for caves with the Australian Parks people, went into them, laid traps... and lo and behold we caught two new species of crabs - Orcovita hicksi and Orcovita orchardorum, and a new prawn (Macrobrachium xmas). Why had no one caught them before? Because they are few and scattered in a big cave system. Traps worked best!"
Whale sharks feeding on crab larvae
But Prof Ng considers his best discovery on the island to be the blue crab, which has a unique shell the colour of the sky. The crab was previously thought to be a unique colour form of the widely distributed land crab, Discoplax hirtipes. But in 2012, Prof Ng and crustacean expert Peter Davie from the Queensland Museum discovered otherwise, after extensive study of museum and fresh specimens from Christmas Island and the and the whole Indo-West Pacific region.
The Christmas Island blue crab was previously thought to be an aberrant colour form of the land crab, or just an island peculiarity. PHOTO: TAN HEOK HUI
"I had long known the blue crab was a problem," said Prof Ng. "I have been studying these crabs for the better part of a decade. When you put all the specimens from all over together, the differences are clear. And genetics has confirmed what we have seen." Discoveries are not always the result of breaking new ground, finding new habitats, or luck, he said.
"Very often, discoveries are the result of cumulative knowledge and patience - to slowly build up a case, build up the evidence and the comparative material. It comes to a prepared mind and a careful buildup. The blue crab, which we named Discoplax celeste is such a discovery."
Australian High Commissioner Bruce Gosper, who was at the launch of the exhibition on Monday, said: "I know that Singapore has been doing much work on Christmas Island over a number of years to chart that biodiversity... The work we're doing in this area is something that's been enhanced in recent years through the comprehensive strategic partnership between Australia and Singapore."
Three mammals, 11 amphibians, two fish, 11 reptiles and 88 plants were discovered by scientists in 2016, says WWF
Press Association The Guardian 19 Dec 17;
A snail-eating turtle found in a food market and a bat with a horseshoe-shaped face are among 115 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region.
A report from the conservation charity WWF reveals that three new mammals, 11 amphibians, two fish, 11 reptiles and 88 plants were found by scientists in Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam in 2016.
They include an extremely rare crocodile lizard, two species of mole living among a network of streams and rivers, and a vibrantly coloured frog which is one of five new species discovered in the same forest in northern Vietnam.
The snail-eating turtle was not discovered in a river or forest but in a market in north-east Thailand, having been caught in a nearby canal by shopkeepers.
The mountain horseshoe bat was found in the evergreen forests of Laos and Thailand, and has a horseshoe-shaped facial structure, the WWF said.
Many of the new finds are already threatened by habitat destruction, the creation of new infrastructure, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, the conservation charity warned.
Stuart Chapman, WWF’s regional representative for Greater Mekong, said the discovery of “more than two new species a week, and 2,500 in the past 20 years, speaks to how incredibly important the Greater Mekong is.
“The species in the Greater Mekong deserve protection from unscrupulous collectors who are willing to pay thousands of dollars or more for the rarest, most unique and most endangered species.”
Illegal wildlife markets in the region operated “with impunity in open view” so it was critical that governments improved enforcement against poaching and closed the markets, he said.
Among the new species documented in the report are:
• A mountain horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus monticolus ), found in the forests of mountainous Laos and Thailand. It took 10 years to determine it was a new species, with a horseshoe-shaped facial structure, known as a noseleaf.
• A Vietnamese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus vietnamensis), which lives in freshwater and forest habitats of south China and northern Vietnam. It is threatened by habitat destruction, coal-mining and collection as a pet As few as 200 could remain in Vietnam. A comic-strip character has been created to explain to children the importance of protecting it.
• A snail-eating turtle (Malayemys isan) was identified in a market in north-east Thailand. It is threatened by infrastructure, such as dikes and dams, and needs to be protected under Thai law, conservationists said.
• Two moles (Euroscaptor orlovi and Euroscaptor kuznetsovi) were discovered in a network of streams and rivers in northern Vietnam. It is thought they can maintain stable populations and escape poachers because they live underground in protected areas.
• A vibrantly coloured frog (Odorrana mutschmanni) is threatened by quarrying for cement and road construction. The frog’s karst forest home needs new protection, the WWF said.
• A loach (Schistura kampucheensis) fish from Cambodia with striking black and brown stripes on its elongated body.
• A frog and four plant species from Myanmar, which is opening up to scientific exploration with expectations it could be home to hundreds of undiscovered species.
Celebrating a decade of fun at Chek Jawa!
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Mei Lin NEO
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Monday Morgue
The Star 18 Dec 17;
KOTA KINABALU: Iman, the country’s last surviving female Sumatran rhino, is in a life-threatening situation and veterinarians cannot do much for it at the moment.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said Iman began bleeding from a uterine leiomyoma tumour three days ago.
“Usually, this can be treated with medication and supplements,” Tuuga said yesterday.
“However, Iman is refusing to leave her mud wallow and she has hardly eaten, so the usual treatment is not possible.
Tuuga said it is possible that the ruptured tumour is causing Iman pain.
Veterinarians are finding it difficult to examine Iman at its paddock in the Wildlife Reserve in Tabin, near the east coast Lahad Datu district.
This is because the heavy rainfall in Tabin this year has turned the paddock into a quagmire.
“Both Borneo Rhino Alliance veterinarians are constantly monitoring Iman along with the keepers.
“We are hoping for the best,” Tuuga said.
Iman and another female, Puntung, as well as a male, Tam, were the last three Sumatran rhinos in the country and scientists had hoped to get them to breed to revive the species.
However, wildlife experts had to euthanise Puntung in June after its skin cancer spread, causing the animal to suffer greatly.
Hopes of starting an artificial rhino breeding programme were dashed when scientists were unable to recover any eggs from Puntung’s ovaries.
Female Sumatran rhinoceros diagnosed with tumour in uterus
OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 17 Dec 17;
KOTA KINABALU: The country's last female Sumatran rhinoceros is facing a serious health problem.
Sabah Wildlife department director Augustine Tuuga said the rhino, named Iman, is having tumour in her uterus.
"Usually, this can be treated with medication and supplements.
"But Iman is refusing to leave her mud wallow and she has hardly eaten, so the usual treatment has not been possible," he said in a statement, adding that she charges at anyone who goes near.
Augustine said the bleeding from her uterus started three days ago.
"It is believed that one of the larger tumours might have ruptured and is causing pain and bleeding.
"Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) veterinarians are constantly monitoring Iman along with the keepers. We are hoping for the best and will keep the public informed," he said.
Iman was the last wild rhino found in Malaysia. She was captured in Danum Valley and transported to Tabin Wildlife in Lahad Datu in March 2014.
Despite being diagnosed with severe fibroids in the uterus, she still produced eggs for the in-vitro fertilisation attempts.
Iman and another male rhino Kertam are kept at Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu under the care of BORA.
Augustine said Tabin has received nearly six meters of rainfall this year making Iman's paddock a quagmire and making things even more difficult.
The country lost another female rhino, Puntung, about six months ago.
Puntung was euthanised on June 4 after suffering three months from skin cancer.
Malaysia's last female Sumatran rhino has cancer.. and the prognosis isn't good
OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 19 Dec 17;
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s last surviving female Sumatran rhinoceros, Iman, has finally emerged from her mud wallow at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu, and is now receiving treatment.
Iman had been diagnosed with a tumour in her uterus last week. Since then, she had been camped out in her wallow, hampering any chances of her caregivers to extend medical aid.
Sabah Wildlife department director Augustine Tuuga believes that the wallow had served as her ‘comfort zone’ to ease the pain of her cancer.
“The wallow is apparently is her comfort zone. She charges at anyone who comes close.
"And each time she does that (charge), she would bleed profusely from her tumours,” he said in a statement.
Augustine said experts have managed to administer her with steroids on two consecutive days to reduce the inflammation.
Iman had been diagnosed with a tumour in her uterus last week. Since then, she had been camped out in her wallow, hampering any chances of her caregivers to extend medical aid. (Photos by Sabah wildlife department)
The pain has also affected Iman's appetite and hydration status.
Yesterday, Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) veterinarians managed to coax Iman out and immediately closed off the wallow with black shade netting and sand bags.
Augustine said Iman appeared pale and dehydrated as she had not been drinking water for the past four days.
“We got her to come into her night stall and she took in a lot of water mixed with vitamins and minerals.
“But she is still refusing to eat foliage hung inside her night stall,” he said, adding that additional water, drugs and supplements are being given intravenously.
Her hard stools were also removed twice yesterday and today.
Augustine said Iman’s prognosis is not good as there is still bleeding from the uterus.
Iman's constipation is also worsening the condition when she tries to defecate or lie down.
Rectal and ultrasound tests will be carried out tomorrow.
"We are also uncertain if she has a compacted colon or caecum, in which case would add to her grave prognosis."
Iman was the last wild rhino found in Malaysia. She was captured in the Danum Valley and transported to the wildlife reserve in March 2014.
Despite being diagnosed with severe fibroids in the uterus, she still produced eggs for previous in-vitro fertilisation attempts.
The country lost another female rhino, Puntung, about six months ago.
Puntung was euthanised on June 4 after suffering from skin cancer.
Rush to save last female Sumatran rhino
The Star 20 Dec 17;
KOTA KINABALU: Veterinarians and wildlife officials are keeping their fingers crossed as they begin treatment on the severely ill Iman, Malaysia’s last female Sumatran rhino.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said veterinarians caring for Iman at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu were finally able to get close to the animal yesterday morning.
“She finally left her mud wallow and our veterinarians immediately began treating her bleeding uterus,” he said.
“With the treatment, our veterinarians are hoping for the best for Iman.
Tam is one of the last surviving endangered Sumatran rhino here in Malaysia, which has been rescued and kept at BRS since 2008, to hopefully contribute to babies that can carry the species through generations to come.
Tam is looking lost at the reserve in Sabah.
Tuuga said Iman began bleeding from a uterine leiomyoma tumour three days ago and this could usually be treated with medication and supplements.
For wildlife conservationists here, Iman is their last hope of making sure that the unique Sumatran rhino does not die out in the country.
Iman was rescued from Sabah’s lost world – the Danum Valley – in 2014 and was later placed at Tabin for a captive breeding programme to save the species.
Iman and another female rhino, Puntung, as well as a male rhino, Tam, were the last three Sumatran rhinos in the country and scientists had hoped to get them to breed to revive the species.
However, wildlife experts had to euthanise Puntung in June after its skin cancer spread, causing the animal to suffer greatly.
Any hope of a breeding programme was further dashed when scientists were unable to recover any eggs from Puntung’s ovaries.
Nation's last female Sumatran rhino under close medical supervision
ruben sario The Star 21 Dec 17;
KOTA KINABALU: The nation's last female Sumatran rhino remains on heavy medication as her carers closely monitor for any signs of danger.
"We have given her 15 litres of fluids and supplements apart from antibiotics, painkillers, vitamin K and a gastric protectant," department director Augustine Tuuga said on Thursday (Dec 21).
He added that the amount of food and fluids consumed by Iman was being monitored, as well as how much it urinated and defecated.
"She has only consumed three stalks of leaves and only drank a little bit," said Tuuga.
Tuuga said Iman was drinking small amounts of water and refused to eat any fruits.
He said Iman's uterus was still bleeding and the animal was secreting dark, partially-clotted blood through her vagina.
"We will start a very low dose of diazepam to stimulate her appetite," he said, adding that Iman was still moving about at night.
Iman began bleeding from a uterine leiomyoma tumour in mid December.
Veterinarians initially faced difficulties in treating her as she refused to leave her mud wallow at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu.
The rhino eventually left the mud wallow and Iman's carers immediately began giving her medication.
Iman is the last surviving female Sumatran rhino in the country.
It was rescued from Sabah's Danum Valley in 2014 and was later placed at Tabin for a captive breeding programme.
Iman and another female rhino, Puntung, as well as a male rhino, Tam, were the last three Sumatran rhinos in the country and scientists had hoped to breed them.
However, Puntung was euthanised in June after suffering from skin cancer.
Any hopes of a breeding programme were dashed when scientists were unable to recover any eggs from Puntung's ovaries.
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