good news for malaysian elephants, about rhinos, anteaters and swiftlets

[Guest guest]

Remember an appeal for funding for an elephant sanctuary in Kuala Gandah,

Pahang some time last year?

Now the good news. The elephants from the Elephant Conservation Centre in

Kuala Gandah, Pahang are having a romp in their new sanctuary - an enclosure

of 0.6 hectares surrounded by electric and cyclone fencing. The sanctuary

was built with funds collected through the Malaysian Elephant Appeal

launched last year. Until a few months ago, the nine elephants at the

centre did not have this freedom of movement. There was no mud wallow to

play in and no earth to throw onto their backs. They used to be tied by

their legs to a concrete platform. All night and day, this was where they

stood except when they were taken for their two hour walk and bath in the

mornings. The centre is home to elephants in the Department of Wildlife and

National Parks capture and relocation programme which relocates wild

elephants from depleted forest reserves to Taman Negara.

 

Until Canadian volunteers Peter Bruckman and Lianne Carley turned up at the

centre last year, the elephants were managed in the only way the

conservation centre knew how. Anybody who has visited the centre can vouch

for the fact that the elephants are well taken care of and do not lack love

from the staff and mahouts. Yet their social, emotional and psychological

needs were in a sense overlooked.

 

Head of the Elephant Unit explains, " I guess we weren't looking so much at

their welfare. Our budget and our job centred around managing and relocating

wild elephants that encroached into human territory. We didn't realise this

important aspect - their emotional well being was missing. The volunteers,

Bruckman and his wife, helped us see that. "

The behaviour of the elephants has clearly improved since the enclosure was

built for them. They are more relaxed now. The elephants are allowed into

the enclosure every morning and tied back in their stalls in the late

afternoon. They can't be left in the enclosure all the time as they might

destroy the trees that fringe the sanctuary. They tend to get a little

boisterous while playing around. Plans are under way to cover the tree

trunks in order to protect them.

When the elephants were tied all the time, they used to rock back and forth.

Now they don't seem to be in that much distress. Clearly the fact that

they have been accorded some freedom to play and interact for a few hours

each day has made a difference. This difference was made possible by

generous donations from Boh Plantation, Ford Company, Shell Malaysia, Hill &

Associates Malaysia and Friends of the Elephants from Holland. The fund was

initiated by the volunteers and the Wildlife Department and administered by

the Rotary Club.

 

In case anyone needs to contact the writer of this article - Sarah

Sabaratnam - her email is sarah_s

 

I am indeed happy to see pictures of the elephants having fun in their new

sanctuary. I wish everyone of you can share my joy too.

 

 

New Straits Times 19.4.01

Killing of rhino: 10 questioned

 

Ten people have been questioned over the killing of a female Sumatran

rhinoceros in the Kalabakan forest reserve, south of the Maliau Basin near

Tawau, last month but no one has been detained.

 

More are expected to be quizzed by the State Wildlife Department. The case

is being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment l997. An

offender is liable to a mandatory jail sentence of between six months and

five years on conviction. The department believes more than one person were

involved in the killing of the rhinoceros, which was found decapitated and

with one leg chopped off.

A four wheel drive vehicle known as a Hilux Double Cabin without a

registration number plate was found abandoned in the jungle near the

carcass. The rhinoceros, which was about 12 years old, had seven shotgun

pellets embedded in its body. The department has appealed for information

on the killing.

Worldwide Fund for Nature Malaysia Borneo programme director Dr. Geoffrey

Davison said stricter enforcement of laws was needed to ensure a better

chance of survival for the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.

" We appreciate the difficulties the department has with enforcement. If the

department had more resources to deal with this, poaching would less likely

happen, " he said. He said last year WWF Malaysia and the department started

a project for sustainable conservation of Asian elephants and Sumatran

rhinoceros in the State. This, he said, included strengthening the

protected areas and establishing a corridor for the mammals.

" No one is certain about the number of Sumatran rhinos in Sabah and that's

why this project is being done to identify the number, the distribution,

range and more importantly, methods of conserving them, said Davison.

 

The Star 24.4.01.

Rhinio suffers miscarriage, dept's hopes dashed.

 

The Sumatran rhinoceros which was one month pregnant, has suffered a

miscarriage. Wildlife and National Parks Department veterinarian Dr. Zainal

Zahari said, " It is not unusual for animals in captivity to have

abnormalities when conceiving. Sometimes, they develop tumours or cysts that

can cause the foetus to drop. " The Sumatran Rhinoceros Centre would attempt

to get the rhino pregnant again in the 21 days that she is fertile, adding

that similar efforts were being tried on three other females in the centre.

The technique called serum progesterone profile was used last year, under

which blood samples are taken from the female rhinoceros to help determine

if the females are fertile and ready to accept the male rhinoceros. The

rhino, aged more than 20 years, was pregnant as a result of an earlier

breeding attempt on Feb 16 and 17. " The first successful breeding based on

this technique occurred last October, but did not result in pregnancy, " he

said.

 

The Star 19.4.01

Cultivation of swiftlet nests.

 

Public misconception about the cultivation and harvesting of swiftlet nests

is hindering the activity from becoming an even more lucrative

income-generated industry. Malaysian Bird's Nest Merchants Association

vice-president said the industry had good economic potential for the country

but a combination of poor understanding and bad press had painted a

distorted picture of the activity. He said contrary to the belief that

collecting birds' nests harmed the population of swiftlets, the activity in

fact promoted the number and safeguarded future generations of swiftlets.

" The nests are collected after the hatchlings leave their nests. Building

birdhouses to attract swiftlets to build their nests actually helps promote

the population of the bird, " he said, adding that with proper techniques the

threat of diseases would be minimised.

Sarawak Bird's Nest Association president Liu said that although the

harvesting of bird nests from caves form the bulk of the current bird nests

industry, birdhouse farming would become a bigger player in the industry.

 

The Star 20.4.01 - Draft on farming bird's nests

 

The Government is drawing up comprehensive guidelines to help " house farming

of edible swiftlet nests achieve full commercial potential. Science,

Technology and Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding said a draft of the

guideline had been prepared by the Wildlife and National Parks Department

but it needed to be firmed. " This matter also involves other ministries,

namely the Local Government and Health " . Noting that these swiftlets which

produce edible nests only lived in tropical countries and " house farming "

was only practised on a large scale in Indonesia currently, Law hoped

Malaysia would play a leading role in developing this industry. " We need to

move fast (to tap this lucrative market). It has the potential to generate

foreign exchange for the country, " he said. Law said steps were also

underway to amend the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which was silent on the

collection of edible bird's nests. " The changes will 'perfect' the Act.

Collection will then be provided for and covered by permits, " he said.

Department director-general Musa Nordin said the industry should be

developed in a regulated manner on a sustainable basis which would benefit

the local population and be " good for the birds. " At the same time the

industry must be both environment-friendly and free from health hazards.

 

 

The Star 19.4.01 - Foiled - bid to smuggle 112 anteaters.

 

The General Operations Force (GOF) has foiled an attempt to smuggle 112

anteaters worth RM44 800 out of the country in a lorry which was detained in

Kampung Manggis near here.

The animals were packed in 12 plastic baskets and were believed to be bound

for Thailand. Initial investigations showed that the anteaters were brought

from Negri Sembilan to be sent to a neighbouring country. The animals were

seized at about 11pm on Tuesday when GOF members who were on their rounds

noticed a small lorry waiting in Sungai Golok near Kampung Manggis. After

inspecting the lorry, 12 plastic bags were found containing 112 anteaters

including a few white-coloured ones

 

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