raiding monkeys, local fishes threatened, animal experiment,wildlife amendment,

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The Star

Several apartment residents at Leader Garden, Tanjung Bungah, are at odds

over the trapping of monkeys by the wildlife authorities. While one group

of animal lovers claimed it was cruel to trap the monkeys in an " open top "

aluminium box under the sun, another group felt the primates were a nuisance

to the neighbourhood and should be caught and taken away.

A resident said the 3m by 3m " monkey cage " placed by the state Wildlife and

National Parks Department was an inhumane way to solve the problem. The

monkeys were kept under the hot sun for hours before they were taken away

and they were crying and screeching from inside the cage.

Wildlife director said they would collect the trapped monkeys as soon as

they received a call from the property management office. The monkeys would

be released in a forest reserve. She added that water was not provided in

the box because the monkeys were not kept for a long time and the fruits

will help prevent the monkeys from suffering dehydration.

 

The Star 25.6.01.

 

Malaysia's indigenous freshwater fishes are under threat from imported

aquatic plants and fishes from South America, Malaysian anglers Association

vice president said. He said apart from river pollution the indigenous

species were disappearing with the introduction of aquatic plants such as

the water hyacinth and bigger foreign fishes.

Imported fishes, which are bred either for food or for pet lovers, have

turned up in rivers which previously teemed with indigenous fishes such as

arowana, terobo, jelawat and others.

Local fishes have disappeared as imported fishes such as African and Russian

catfish which are bigger in size, peacock bass, cichlid and tilapia have

multiplied. These fishes including placatomus have big appetites, devouring

not only indigenous fish fry but also our freshwater lobsters. Pet lovers

were advised not to release their overgrown imported pet fishes into the

rivers.

 

Letter to editor - The Star 12.6.01 - Animal abuse must stop- Letter to the

Editor.

I read with interest Marianne Alvisse's letter, Animal Appeal. It is true

that there are many people who believe animal experiments are a necessary

evil.

As an anti-vivisectionist belonging to numerous campaigning organisations, I

get lots of information dealing with all aspects of vivisection. I have

read books written by former vivisectionists who state that animal

experiments are indeed hazardous to human health. The reasons for their

involvement in animal research were to gain professorships and

acknowledgment.

You may be interested to know that there is a Dr Vernon Coleman who is

offering a £250 000 reward to anyone who can produce indisputable clinical

evidence that will convince him that the three million or so animal

experiments done in Britain every year are relevant, reliable, effective and

essential for human health.

Drug companies carry out tests on animals so that they can say that they

have tested their drugs before marketing them. If the tests show no serious

disorders, these companies can say that the drugs have been proven safe.

If the drugs show serious problems, these companies will say that animal

experiments are unreliable and cannot be used to predict what will happen

when the drug is given to humans. Double-edged absurdity, as put by Dr.

Coleman.

 

Animal testing provides companies with a vital legal loophole should they

end up in a litigation scenario. For more information please access

www.vernoncoleman.co.uk. Animal abuse must stop now. From Mrs. Pat

Foster, England.

 

 

New Straits Times - 26 May 01. Proposed amendments to Act timely to curb

poaching. Malaysia.

 

The Government is planning to put a stop to poaching in the country. It has

sent a strong warning to poachers with the proposed amendments to the

Wildlife Protection Act No. 76/1972. In a move to conserve the wildlife in

the national parks and wildlife reserves in Malaysia, the Science,

Technology and Environment Ministry will amend the Act which would among

others see poachers facing stiffer penalties.

The amendments will also see to it that poachers risk not only being caught

by the Wildlife Department enforcement officers but also community leaders.

Its Minister, Law Hieng Ding said that poaching of animals in the country,

especially in the wildlife and forest reserves was quite serious. He made

it clear that the authorities needed to be very strict to eradicate the

problem.

He added the Act had to undergo some changes so as to curb the illegal

activity by certain quarters who destroyed the wildlife in the country''

forests either for business or game hunting.

The Wildlife Department is currently studying the proposed amendments and

once completed the legal aspects would be studied before they are presented

to the Cabinet. The most significant change in the Act will be a 100 per

cent increase in the fine imposed and jail term for poachers who are caught.

Currently the maximum fine for poachers is RM6 000 or three years' jail or

both. With the proposed changes, the fine would go up to RM12 000 while the

jail term would be enhanced to six years. Besides this the Ministry would

also urge the judges handling such cases to give the offenders the maximum

penalty. Another major change proposed will be the power given to community

leaders such as village headmen and tribal leaders to detain the poachers.

They would also include giving the community leaders the licence to carry

firearms to enable them to carry out their duties as well as to protect

themselves. Law added this was to complement the 800 enforcement officers

who were currently struggling to enforce the Wildlife Protection Act as they

had a vast area to cover. He added currently only the community leaders in

Sarawak were given the power to act against poachers.

 

New Straits Times - 14.6.01. Bid to smuggle pangolins into Thailand foiled.

 

The Kelantan Anti-Smuggling Unit foiled an attempt to smuggle 700 pangolins

into Thailand during a raid on a jetty in Jalan Lubok Gong.

 

A lorry driver and his attendant were detained for possessing the pangolins.

The pangolins are believed to fetch RM50 per kg. The seizure was the

first made by the unit and the third by other authorities in the State this

year.

 

A team from the unit was on duty about 9pm when it spotted the lorry.

After checking they found 77 plastic baskets containing the pangolins and

believed the lorry was bound for Thailand. The pangolins were believed to

be brought in from Pahang.

 

Asked if there was a syndicate which caught pangolins in the State for the

purpose of selling them to Thailand, the unit commander said it was possible

based on the frequency of the seizures.

 

Two men from Kelantan and Perak were being held at the unit's base for

handing over to the Wildlife Department for further action.

 

Pangolins known as manisjalanicus are fully protected under the Wildlife Act

l972. Anyone who possesses, kills or hunts the animal faces a maximum

sentence of up to RM5 000 fine and five years' jail.

 

 

New Straits Times - Release captured tigers into jungle - Letter to Editor.

 

Once again we read in the newspaper of the capture of a tiger. This time a

perfectly healthy young male tiger was captured in Jeli.

According to the Malacca Zoo veterinarian, the tiger will be transferred to

the Malacca Zoo where it will be quarantined for six months before joining

other Malacca Zoo tigers in the breeding programme.

My question is, since the zoo already has 15 tigers, why add one more into

the collection? Why can't the tiger be released into more remote areas just

like what they do with elephants.

After all, the tiger never attacked humans and is in perfect health. Why

take all the trouble transferring a tiger into a zoo when it can be released

back?

Breeding tigers in zoos is useless when they are not returned to the wild.

So far I have never heard of tigers bred in captivity being returned to the

forests in Malaysia.

Some might argue that breeding and releasing tigers back into the wild is a

complex and difficult task, but taking a perfectly healthy tiger from the

forest and putting it in a zoo is not helping either. When a zoo has 15

tigers it can't put all of them in an enclosure together.

Tigers are solitary animals that will fight with each other if put in an

enclosure together. So the other logical thing that the zoo does is putting

the surplus tigers in cages our of the public eye. To keep a majestic regal

creature captured in the wild in cages is appalling.

It belongs in the wild and since we still have a large expanse of pristine

forest, why can't all captured tigers be released?

As for those surplus tigers in zoos, all I can pray for is they are not

traded to other zoos without proper investigation on their welfre in a

foreign new home. It is their birthright to be returned to the wild.

Tigers are endangered animals and breeding them in zoos and keeping them in

cages will not help in sustaining them in the wild.

What we need is more respect for these magnificent animals, which proudly

adorn our national emblem, and for a conrcerted effort to reintroduce them

into the wild. - N.A. of Ulu Klang.

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