(MY) killing of ostriches and letter, octopus craze and rare Rafflesia flowers

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Wednesday, September 04, 2002

 

Three held over killing of ostriches

 

SEREMBAN: Three general workers of an ostrich farm here have been remanded for

help with investigations into the killing of eleven ostriches and an emu two

days ago.

 

The three suspects were aged 18, 19 and 20.

 

District CID chief Deputy Supt Ooi Guan Siew said police were expected to make

more arrests.

 

On Monday, the animals worth an estimated RM70,000 were clobbered to death at

the show farm, a popular tourist spot, in Jalan Pantai.

 

A guard and two workers were at the farm when the birds, trained to display

racing skills, were purportedly attacked between 3am and 5am.

 

The birds had their heads smashed. Jelita Impian farm owner S.S. Abraham, 52,

said the farm had begun operation as usual yesterday.

 

The Star 6 Sep, 2002

 

Time to tighten cruelty laws

 

I READ with utter disgust and pain the horrendous act of the senseless

clubbing to death of those poor innocent ostriches by those who must be the

most despicable and worst form of human kind.

 

Now and then we read of news of these unthinkable acts of cruelty and madness.

It truly is hard to imagine how any sane living person is ever capable

of such barbaric acts.

 

I feel the laws are not befitting enough to make the perpetrators of these acts

of cruelty to animals pay and suffer for their actions.

 

Impose a mandatory jail term coupled with whipping so that they will feel the

terrible pain they so cruelly inflict on hapless animals in their moments of

madness.

 

RONNY TAN, Penang.

 

The Star Online 6 Sep, 2002

 

Friday, September 06, 2002

 

Octopuses the latest craze

 

BANGKOK: In the latest bizarre pet craze to hit Thailand, where popular giant

African cockroaches have just been banned, the deadly blue-ring octopus has

reportedly become the latest must-have animal accessory.

 

The Bangkok Post said the beautiful but extremely dangerous octopus, whose

rings glow electric blue when it is threatened, is one of the most popular

purchases at the city's main pet market.

 

Ornamental fish traders are selling the octopus, a native of Australia, New

Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines, for 800 to 1,000 baht (RM72 to RM91)

each.

 

" The animal is hot stuff and sells very quickly, " one trader told the daily.

" Twenty octopuses would sell in a very short time. "

 

The merchants said buyers were told about the risks of keeping the

blue-ringed octopus, whose deadly venom has no antidote and can kill in

minutes, but were not deterred.

 

Agricultural officials said last week they would ban the import of the

Madagascan hissing cockroach, which was becoming increasingly popular as an

exotic pet.

 

There were fears that the creature, which can grow up to 10cm long, could

spread into the wild and wipe out native insects. - AFP

 

 

 

The Star Online 5 Sep, 2002

 

Thursday, September 05, 2002

 

Loggers find rare flowers in Pahang

 

By SYED AZHAR

 

KUANTAN: Rare Rafflesia flowers, considered the world's largest, were

discovered north of Sungai Lembing, about 70km from here recently.

 

The discovery by workers of a logging company was the second in Pahang after

the Rafflesia Cantleyi was found in Pulau Tioman some years ago.

 

Malaysian Nature Society (Pahang branch) chairman Liong Sam Kong said the

society was in the process of identifying if the flowers were of the Rafflesia

Cantleyi or Rafflesia Hasseltii species.

 

He said the workers informed MNS of the discovery last week and

requested that the area be preserved for conservation.

 

" We are happy that the logging company contacted us because this discovery is

the first in Kuantan.

 

" Based on preliminary information, more than three flowers are blooming while

other clumps of buds were found in the area, " he said. The Rafflesia flower

is a parasitic plant that grows on the lower slopes of mountains.

 

 

 

 

The Star Online 9 Sep, 2002

 

Monday, September 09, 2002

 

Conserve Rafflesia site, urges MNS

 

KUANTAN: The Malaysian Nature Society (Pahang branch) will propose that a

site about 70km north of Sungai Lembing here be turned into a Rafflesia

flower conservation centre.

 

Its chairman Liong Sam Kong, who visited the site with five other MNS members

on Saturday to conduct data collection, said there was an abundance of

Rafflesia pods thriving on the 44ha site.

 

" We visited a total of four spots and recorded 72 pods attached to a stem or

root of jungles vines.

 

" Apart from that, we also recorded 21 Rafflesia flowers which bloomed and died

on the forest floors of the jungle.

 

" This find is significant and we believe this area should be conserved for

botanists or other scientific groups to conduct studies,'' Liong

said in an interview at the site on Saturday.

 

On Sept 4, The Star reported the discovery of the Rafflesia flowers -

considered the world's largest - by employees of Rimbaka Forestry Corporation

Sdn Bhd, a logging company, while making an inventory of the logs to be

extracted.

 

The company notified the MNS of the find and also requested that the area be

preserved.

 

Liong said that based on their observation, the flower found on the site had

been identified as a Rafflesia Canteleyii, which according to the MNS

handbook, is found only in the northern peninsula of Malaysia.

 

He said the MNS would propose to the Pahang Government to turn the site into

a conservation centre.

 

" So far, Raffelsia Cantelyii has only been found in Kelantan, Perak, Lipis

and Tioman. This discovery in Sungai Lembing is the missing link of the

Rafflesia Belt which branches out from Perak to Pulau Tioman, " he said.

 

He added that many Rafflesia species were extremely rare and had a limited

distribution in certain areas of Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and the

Philippines.

 

He said Rafflesia had no specific flowering season and when it did, would

only last five to six days before the petals turned black and withered.

 

" This flower has no roots, stem or leaves and only attaches itself to a root

or stem of a jungle vine, " he said adding that it takes at least 10 months to

mature into a cabbage sized bud and when it blooms, it emits a foul odour which

attracts flies and insects.

 

The biggest known Rafflesia flower, Rafflesia Arnoldii, which can measure one

metre in diameter, can from time to time be found at the Gunung

Gading National Park in Sarawak.

 

The flower was discovered by Sir Stamford Raffles and Dr Joseph Arnold near the

town of Bengkulu, Sumatra, in 1816.

 

Rimbaka Forestry corporation forest management unit head Alif Lam Abdullah said

the flowers were found in an area which had been logged by the company two

months ago.

 

" It was found by one of our employees while making an inventory of the trees.

They alerted me of the find and when I saw the flower, I knew it was a

Rafflesia.

 

" We are concerned about the flowers and that is why we want the relevant

authorities to preserve the area for conservation purposes.

 

" The company is willing to allow any scientific groups into the area to make

studies on the flowers. However, we will not allow any casual

visitors into the area because the flowers are very sensitive, " he said.