World Orangutan Day

Several weeks ago, an Italian member of parliament was called an orangutan by her colleagues. Although this was a racially-charged, insensitive and derogatory remark, I must say: I've met more than my fair share of cheeky, incredibly intelligent and totally adorable orangutans. I would take it as more of a compliment. 

Dozens of adorable babies like this one are orphaned every year and must then be rehabilitated in purpose-built centers like Sepilok, in Sabah, Borneo. Picture thanks to Orangutan Foundation International.

All this to say that two days from now we will be celebrating the inaugural World Orangutan Day!

Orangutans are one of the most iconic symbols of Southeast Asia. The "man of the forest" has been facing extinction for years, but recently, wild populations have plummeted despite repeated efforts from NGOs and government bodies alike.

This paragraph from the front of WOD's website gives startling statistics:

"From 1992-2000, the population of the Sumatran orangutan declined by more than 50% and only an estimated 7,000 animals are left in the wild. The Bornean orangutan population fell nearly 43 % in the past decade and estimates place their population at about 45,000 animals."

This lucky individual was found and sedated for transport and re-release into the wild, into a more viable habitat. Many orangs lose their lives in situations like this because plantations do not yet have adequate organization to deal with it. Image via EVOHE. 

As the Huffington Post outlines in this short editorial, however, orangutans are not safe yet. Bornean populations may sound promising, but they are not stable. Considering a constant influx of deforestation, less and less space is there for the orangutan. Pushed to the edge, many plantations have not yet learnt how to deal with the wild creatures wandering onto their land.

This World Orangutan Day, speak out.

Even BBC can get it wrong! In this Facebook screen capture, they spelled orangutan incorrectly!

Happy World Lemur Month

I know, I know, lemurs seem to be a far cry from having any relevance to either Malaysia or wildlife trafficking. In fact, a vast array of tortoise seizures in our country originate in Madagascar. But I'm not going to get into that today. 

It is officially World Lemur Month! Arbitrary holiday though it may be (and there are no days off), it helps draw attention (as most of these World Anything Days/Months/Years tend to do) to a serious issue.

A Sifaka lemur bounds through the forest. Zaboomafoo, the American children's TV show character, was a Sifaka. Image by Burrard-Lucas/Barcroft via the Telegraph.

Our cute lemur friends are the most endangered group of vertebrates in the world. Of anything on this planet with a spine, these guys are at the highest risk of extinction, with a staggering 91% of species considered threatened by the IUCN, or the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

 Lemurs, you could say, have drawn the short straw - they exist only one island, an island that has seen continuous political turmoil, economic exploitation, poverty, and naturally, deforestation. Less than a third of the island's original forests remain.

Even today, we do not know all that Madagascar holds. Just recently, three new species of lemur have been discovered, including this adorable little fellow below, whose common name has not yet been ascribed.

Microcebus mittermeieri, a newly discovered species of mouse lemur. It is small enough to fit into your hand. Photo from Mongabay.

Madagascar is a reminder that we do not, by any means, know all that our rain forests hold.

World Tapir Day

This is a super fun holiday!

The tapir is one of the world's most interesting mammals - they look like no one and nothing else. Their closest relatives are, in fact, horses and rhinos.

There are four species of tapir in the world: the Brazilian, Baird's, Mountain, and Malayan. Only on of these is not under threat, and here's a hint: it's not the Malayan.

The Malayan tapir is possible the most distinct of the four species, with its quickly noticeable black-and-white markings. It is also the largest of the three species.

With a wild population numbering less than one thousand, the Malayan tapir is indeed endangered. However, this species is not threatened due to the wildlife trade (eating tapir is taboo in many of the cultures inhabiting the Southeast Asian region). Many are killed due to loss of habitat, and strangely enough, while crossing the road.

On a lighter note, here's a picture from Malaysian Nature Society; they had a special guest
at Taman Negara last night!

World Pangolin Day

Happy World Pangolin Day!!

Yes, that is indeed a holiday.

If you say the word "pangolin," the chances are that people will give you a strange look and ask if meant "penguin." The same person will stare at you unbelieving eyes as you try to explain just what this creature is.

Don't let that person be you! Pangolins are amazing creatures that deserve recognition. So for World Pangolin Day, take the chance to learn some fun fact about them:

1. There are eight species of pangolin that range across the globe, from Africa to the Indian sub-continent. Malaysia has its own species, (creatively named) the Malayan pangolin.

2. All but two species are listed on Appendix II of CITES; the other two are on Appendix I. One of those is the Malayan pangolin. Malaysia has been considered one of the number one country of origin for pangolins for several years now.

3. The word "pangolin" actually comes from the Bahasa word for "to roll up," the word "penggiling."