maliau basin, snakes, park, response to dog shooting and puppy mills

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Preserving Maliau Basin.

 

Probably the last remaining area for some of Sabah's habitats, with its

abundant wild fruit stock - such as durian and mangosteen - will be useful

in strengthening existing hybrid commercial varieties. There are magnificent

waterfalls and the rivers in the Maliau Basin can be in the colour of red

wine due to tannin from leaf litter leaching into ground water and streams.

Despite the colour, the pristine water tastes wonderful as testified by the

writer.

 

The basin has been doubly protected as a Natural Heritage site by the state

since 1998. But it is surrounded by threats because of the large coal

deposits and gold found within the area. Reports of provisional mining

licences being issued (the Australian Broken Hill mining company has been

mentioned) have darkened Maliau's horizons. Any sort of clearing would

spell disaster as the area is prone to landslides due to its loose

sedimentary soil structure and its steep slopes. If any vegetation were to

be removed, the area would face substancial degradation. Apart from

destruction mining allowing miners in will open up the area to other

destructive commercial purposes. Thankfully the decision to mine has been

reversed for now. But the authorities could change their minds again.

Furthermore with the enormously destructive Bakun Dam project in Sarawak

being revived, the authorities might begin eyeing Maliau with damming in

mind because it is a watershed. There are other threats too as the area

surrounding Maliau and its sister site in the east, the Danum Valley is

being converted into oil palm and timber plantations, the biggest project is

the proposed Kalabakan Pulp and Paper Mill and Plantation. Some 240 000ha

has been cleared just beyond Maliau's protective walls of cliffs without an

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Then there are the illegal gaharu

harveters who used the wood of this protected tree for perfumes and incense.

There are poachers who hunt the big animals for meat and body parts. A

decapitated sumatran rhino had been found near the conservation area.

 

Apart from the difficulty in catching poachers, the law isn't on the animal

side. While creatures like the wild ox and elephant are protected under the

Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, they can still be hunted if they

have the right licence.

 

It would be a travesty to see it destroyed for the sake of short-term

economic gains. But how many of us can appreciate the intangible value of a

place like Maliau.

 

Hunting for snakes and their secrets - Singapore The Star 19.3.01.

 

When the sun went down and the evening calm settled over the swamps, the

" snake hunters " would spring into action. Groups of volunteers would meet

at Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve and Pasir Ris Park just after dusk. In the

moonlight, they would wade through the muddy mangrove waters where, equipped

with just their bare hands, torchlights and plastic bags, they would try to

catch the nocturnal water snakes belonging to a group called the

Homalopsinae.

Back in the laboratory at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research,

National University of Singapore, visiting professors Harold Voris and Daryl

Karns would " tag " the snakes and do the necessary measurements before

releasing them back into the waters in which they were found.

Researchers inserted microchips into some of the snakes so they could

radio-track their movements in the mangroves. This is the first time this

has been done for water snake research in South east Asia. This information

would help the Raffles Museum and conservation agencies here to conserve the

snakes as well as the mangrove habitats in which they live.

 

Deadly haul (New Straits Times 28.2.01)

 

Customs officers had their hands full with a deadly haul after a high speed

chase yielded 61 rare snakes and spiders. The team also found tortoises in

plastic bags. A 42 year old driver is believed to have smuggled the animals

in from Thailand. A team of customs officers spotted the suspect's car near

the Malaysia-Thai border and ordered the man to stop but he sped off

instead. The Customs officers gave chase and managed to intercept the

suspect's'car. The man was later detained and faces charges under Section

135 of the Customs Act, under which he can be fined a maximum of RM10 000.

The animals, including albino pythons, and the deadly Black Widow spiders

were later handed over to the Wildlife Department.

 

Penang seeks RM25m for park.- Star 5.4.01

 

The Penang state government has applied for a RM25.5mil federal allocation

to gazette the 1 265ha Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve as either a state or

national park by 2005.The state government also hoped to gazette all 900ha

of mangrove forest in Penang by 2003. To date there are only 900ha of

mangrove forest, of which 451ha are gazetted as forest reserves. The state

was also in the process of gazetting the virgin jungles of Pulau Jerejak,

especially those which were 60m above sea-level.

 

A follow up letter to dog shooting case 28.2.01. From Dr. S.

Chandrasekaran, Ipoh.

 

I would like to recount the recent shooting of my young dog at the

Veterinary Research Institute's compound. The council's public relations

officer had commented that its staff had shot a dog which was " roaming "

around and that it was shot by experts.

The city council dog unit people were called to shoot stray dogs at the back

of the institute. But instead they saw my pedigree dog and assumed it was

stray and shot it twice, at my gate and again inside my compound.

Despite being shot twice by the so called " experts " my dog died after more

than 35 minutes of suffering. Yes, it didn't have a collar at that time.

Why didn't the enforcers ask at my house about the dog and fine me, if

necessary?

Everything would have been concluded amicably. But instead they took the

law into their own hands and did what they thought was in the best interest

of the council. The statement made by the City Council (NST Feb 17) shows

that the City Council does not have any feelings and are not sensitive to

the opinions of the public.

Effectively, the statement reads as " we have the rules and we have the guns

and this is the only method of control that we know, and so we'll continue

shooting. "

As civilised human beings all we are asking is to review the present set of

rules and abolish shooting under normal circumcstances and bring about

changes after consultation with the relevant auhtorities - in this case the

Veterinary Services Department.

Is that so difficult a task? Ipoh City Council, please be sensitive to the

feelings of the public.

 

Letter on puppy mills 27.3.01. The Star

 

As I was passing a pet shop the other day, I bumped into a little boy. He

was so intent on peering through the window of the shop that he hardly took

note of the " accident. " Then I saw what had caught his eye - an adorable

looking puppy. No wonder he was mesmerised by it.

When he saw his mother walking towards him, he pestered her to buy the puppy

for him. Just then his older sister bounced out of the shop, claiming that

the Spitz there was ever more adorable. Their confused mother settled the

argument inside the store. Let's just hope she didn't buy either of the

pups.

Why? Because everytime someone buys a pup from a pet shop, a new one will

arrive soon enough to replace it.

Then along comes another customer who will eventually buy that puppy and

that pup will then be replaced by another! It's as simple as that. Where do

these puppies come from?

Most puppies sold in pet shops come from miserable places called puppy

mills, where breeding animals spend lonely lives locked in cages in

producing litter after litter. While puppy mills are churning out litters,

lots of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats are being put to sleep in

shelters and pounds. If everyone who wanted a pet dog or cat were to adopt

one from a shelter instead of visiting a pet shop, then hundreds of dogs and

cats would have their lives spared.

When the demand for pets sold at pet shops decreases, puppy mills might go

out of business, preventing breeding animals from doing nothing but breed

just to keep the losers in business. So the next time, you're thinking of

getting a pet, stay away from the pet shops. Give the animals at the

numerous shelters a chance.

Please have them spayed or neutered to curb the problem of overpopulation of

cats and dogs. Sure you like pups and kittens, but what are you going to do

with them when they do come around?

 

Another follow up letter on the above issue. The Star 3.4.01. From Cat

Lover, Malacca.

 

I couldn't agree more with (puppy mills behind the scene, March 27). Pet

shops are breeding animals because of the demand for cute, long-haired

pedigree cats and dogs.

Have potential pet owners thought about those animals in the animal shelter?

We should first look at our local animal shelter and not support those

breeders who exploit animals for their personal gain. The other day, I saw

a Birman cat for sale as I was passing by a pet shop. Four of its brothers

and sisters had been sold earlier. The next day, a Persian cat took its

place. The Birman cat had been sold. The cycle goes on.

When I visited the Malacca SPCA, cats were dying because of a viral

outbreak. This virus is fatal to kittens. It results in watery eyes and

cataracts in cats. Fortunately, the virus cannot spread to humans. The

shelter was in a sorry state. There were 70 cats cramped in a small area.

The place was smelly and littered with droppings. The cats kept mewing and

pushing themselves against the fence as if to say: " Adopt me, adopt me. "

Thinking that he could save a life, my father adopted a kitten whose brother

and sister had died the day before. However, the kitten died the next

morning.

Two weeks later, I visited the SPCA again to adopt another cat. Now the

population had dwindled to 50 cats; the rest had succumbed to the virus. So

before we head for the pet shop to buy a pet, think of all the cats and dogs

in the shelters waiting for someone to adopt the. Give them a chance.

 

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