Thailand's latest bizarre pet craze; letter on need to protect tigers' wildllife habitat; no need to conserve Rafflesia site.

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The Star Online

 

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 Focus

 

Monday, September 02, 2002

 

Wildlife habitat needs protection

 

 

 

The recent call by the Mentri Besar of Kelantan to

 

enlist the help of the army to destroy all tigers in the

 

state is a serious matter.

 

 

 

Has it ever crossed our minds that humans have

 

been slowly encroaching upon their habitat through

 

unscrupulous logging, among other land-related

 

acquisition activities?

 

 

 

Is it any wonder then why the tigers are

 

" retaliating'' against human incursions?

 

 

 

We should, instead, be in the forefront supporting

 

land conservation to keep our wildlife in better

 

balance with their forest habitat and their source of

 

food.

 

 

 

Better wildlife management plans must be

 

vigorously implemented.

 

 

 

These animals were originally there and they are a

 

precious gift to mankind, which should be respected

 

and cherished.

 

 

 

Taking away their land is showing an irresponsible,

 

couldn't-care-less attitude.

 

 

 

Every animal we take away from the natural habitat

 

would destroy our world and lessen what we have

 

for the next generation. Just like any other animal,

 

they have the right to roam freely.

 

 

 

It is wrong to consider only our needs as humans

 

and to brush aside the welfare of our fellow species.

 

 

 

They have done nothing to deserve such treatment

 

from humans.

 

 

 

We have to learn that there are more important

 

considerations other than only human interests.

 

 

 

Habitat protection must be strengthened.

 

 

 

Our tigers require large blocks of unfragmented and

 

undeveloped wild land to survive.

 

 

 

Human activities have reduced their ability to forage

 

and this has increased their chances of conflict with

 

humans.

 

NOEL F. D'OLIVEIRO,

 

Ipoh.

 

 

 

The Star

 

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

 

No plans to conserve Rafflesia site

 

KUANTAN: Pahang has no plans to conserve an

 

area in Sungai Lembing here where Rafflesia

 

flowers and its pods were found but will allow

 

visitors to the place.

 

 

 

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the

 

number of visitors would be kept to a minimum.

 

 

 

" We cannot simply allow anyone to enter the place

 

but we will allow entry to groups such as

 

non-government organisations.

 

 

 

" The Forestry Department will organise the trips, "

 

he told reporters after opening a conference which

 

was attended by state forestry directors here

 

yesterday.

 

 

 

Also present were director-general Datuk Zul

 

Mukhshar Datuk Md Shaari and Pahang forestry

 

director Datuk Mokhtar Mat Isa.

 

 

 

Adnan was commenting on a report by The Star on

 

a proposal by the Malaysian Nature Society

 

(Pahang branch) to turn the site, 70km north of

 

Sungai Lembing, into a Rafflesia conservation

 

centre.

 

 

 

MNS members discovered an abundance of

 

Rafflesia flowers and pods on the 44ha site after

 

they were notified about the plant by employees of

 

Rimbaka Forestry Corporation Sdn Bhd, a logging

 

company, last week.

 

 

 

The loggers were doing an inventory of the logs to

 

be extracted at the time.

 

 

 

On the logging, Adnan said it was an example of

 

how good practices in extracting timber could help

 

protect the forest.

 

 

 

" The contractors and concessionaire owner have

 

adhered to the rules and used selective logging to

 

extract trees.

 

 

 

" Although the method is costly, one can see the

 

result now - Rafflesia flowers are discovered and

 

rivers are still clear and flowing,'' he said.

 

 

 

" If the company had done things haphazardly, I do

 

not think one could even find the flowers. "