Story of Two Pandas

Year 2020: According to news report, two pandas from China will be on loan to Bolehland for 10 years for a sum of RM20m. Wow that's alot of buta money for China who is famous for eating exotic wildlife and animal cruelty. The report mentioned about the initiative by the 1Bolehland government to name the two young pandas. It was said that the name Altantuya and Bersih were selected by the public. A little bird was sent to China to eavesdrop the pandas. Their conversation here...

Altantuya: Bersih bro, do you know that we are going to Bolehland for a long holiday?

Bersih: Sis, how do you know?

Altantuya: I overheard Ah Jib discussing with Ah Mah. They said they will be coming to Bolehland too to take care of us.

Bersih: Sis Altantuya, I am very scarce to go to Bolehland because in Bolehland everything also can. Long time ago the Australia gave several kangaroos and they die after sometime in the Penang Botanic Gardens. There was a mini zoo in Penang Botanic Gardens and all the animals eventually die. So how huh? We are going to die in Bolehland?

Altantuya: Yeah I also heard that there are many zoos that don't really take care of the animals. Many of the animals were under fed and some even tortured. The primate zoo in Perlis was very bad, all the monkeys were so miserable and sad. But I think this time we only eat bamboo. As the workers don't eat bamboo mah so they can't curi our food hehehe...

Bersih: How to stay in Bolehland.... so hot?

Altantuya: Don't worry, we will be given air-cond room lah.

Bersih: What? Air-cond? I prefer fresh air than the suffy air.

Altantuya: Don't worry, we will be treated like king and queen. They paid RM20m for our long holiday and so i think they will take care of us!

Bersih: What? They want us to be King and Queen....want us to f**k to produce babies? How can lah? We are brother and sister only mah!

Altantuya: In Bolehland, everything also can. The rakyat in Bolehland said they don't need sex anymore because the government of Bolehland f**k them everyday!

Bersih: Wah, so syiok one! Quick, quick, i want to go Bolehland and get f**k everyday too!

Altantuya: Gatal ke?

------------news report below-----------

A plea for the Pandas
June 15, 2012
FMT LETTER: From Shenaaz Khan, via e-mail

China’s much publicised loaning of two Giant pandas to Malaysia is hardly an event to be received with rousing merriment. The exercise is in equal measure preposterous and superfluous and is unworthy of festive fireworks.

In an atmosphere of economic imbecility and political pandering, the Malaysian government has come up with the kind of inane idea that exemplifies its governing greatness. Their little reform agendas now include Giant pandas. Under the greedy guise of conservation, two Giant pandas are to bear the burden of bridging diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia.

How this is to be achieved is beyond baffling. But it yet again illustrates a blatant manifestation of Malaysia’s institutional pattern of exploiting animals to serve selfish human interests. To assume otherwise is grossly foolish.

Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Koh Tsu Koon has reportedly said that China’s gesture in lending a pair of pandas shows that it recognises Malaysia as a special country. Yes, Malaysia’s specialities include licensing countless zoos to abuse animals for human fortunes.

Malaysian zoos have for years abused and neglected their animals with complete legal immunity despite legislated codes of animal welfare clearly not being adhered to. Their registry of crimes include drugging tigers for photo taking sessions, forcing elephants to ride tricycles, cramping orangutans into runty cages and trafficking totally protected wildlife!

Zoos such as Taiping zoo, Danga Bay and A’Famosa, are fairly representative examples of these atrocious zoos and are in clear conflict of conservation. Nonetheless, the Malaysian government has habitually dedicated itself to ignoring and facilitating animal abuse as animal welfare and conservation have never been on the forefront of their political consciousness.

Hence, it is incredulous to imagine Malaysia being chosen for a conservation effort given its hideous track record. This whole panda loaning scheme has also made apparent the very deep pockets of the Malaysian government. While they feign financial frugality, they are ever ready to take on the colossal technical and architectural tasks necessary to house the pandas.

Malaysia’s decision to spend obscene amounts of money bringing in a non-native species for a decade long visit is further appalling given its complete and absolute disregard for its very own Malayan Sun bear. The Malayan sun bears are routinely orphaned and victimised by habitat loss from excessive logging, poaching for bear products and surging demand in the pet and zoo trade.

Amongst other conservation efforts, the 20 million ringgit could well be spent on saving the endangered Malayan Sun bear. Yet, the Malaysian government is not concerned in conserving them for they would serve no value to capital investments in China’s economic empire.

While I do not begrudge Malaysia the industrious opportunities China has to offer in trade and commerce, it is important to underscore here that China is the leading capital of animal abuse, illegal wildlife trade and wild meat consumption.

Across the world, elephant numbers are dwindling owing to China’s ruthless demand for ivory. China also remains the primary consumer of traditional Chinese medicine and wild meat, the two commodities driving the illegal wildlife trade and pushing many endangered species to near extinction.

And while China hands out pairs of pandas to various countries, their own horrific fur and bear bile farms kill, maim and brutalise bears every single day! Across China, bears are kept in cramped cages, their gall bladders implanted with metal catheters and their bodies clamped down with metal grilles to enable the extraction of their bile!

Their catalogue of abuses is endless! Therefore, like Stalin and Hitler advocating human rights, it is a complete travesty that the Malaysian and Chinese regimes should engage on conservation efforts given their respective reputations for animal cruelty.

Let us not be fooled by this farce! These pandas have been ripped from their homes, held hostage by their man masters and have now been pimped for profit! It is indeed a shameful day in Malaysian history as we have allowed pandas to be pawned for pungent political pursuits!

The writer is president of the Malaysian Animal Welfare Society
Source here

More stories here and here

Easy solutions to wildlife crimes

It is a vicious cycle to this issue of wildlife crimes. But here are easy solutions:-

1. If smuggle wildlife - Punishable by death to the smuggler.

2. If corrupt wildlife official releases smuggler - Punishable by death to the wildlife officer

3. If corrupt judge releasing corrupt wildlife officer - Punishable by death to the judge

After several rounds of punishable by death - I am sure wildlife crimes will disappear altogether.

Our wildlife will extinct one day if we don't do anything (read article below)....And to do the above, we need to start by CHANGING THE CORRUPT & PEROMPAK GOVERNMENT! The rot starts from the head!

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June 22, 2010 16:36 PM
Corruption Main Challenge In Overcoming Wildlife Crimes

KOTA KINABALU, June 22 (Bernama) -- Poaching and smuggling of exotic wildlife here continues unabated as these wildlife crimes are aided by a 'third force'.

That 'force', which goes by the unsavoury name of corruption, is considered the main challenge in combating such crimes.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said, although the situation was not alarming in the state, there have been instances where, out of the blues, Borneo wildlife was recorded or photographed in other parts of the world, suggesting foul play at work.

"Suddenly, we see pictures on 'Youtube' or somewhere online, of some Borneo animals sitting comfortably in other parts of the world, for example wild cats.

"As far as we are concerned, it is impossible that wild cats are smuggled out (of the state) without our knowledge...it means some people have been opening doors for these people (smugglers).

"I can only say it must have cost the fellow for that door to be opened, because you don't open doors for no reason and I can only see corruption as the main reason," he told reporters after opening the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Wildlife Trade Regulation and Species Identification Course on Tuesday.

Therefore, Masidi reasoned, no matter how strict the imposition of regulations, if corruption was still part of the culture here, it would be difficult to overcome the smuggling of exotic animals.

To address wildlife crimes, Masidi said the government had come up with three steps. They are:

* ensure no poaching or illegal hunting was carried out;

* step up enforcement skills to detect new means of smuggling; and,

* keep tabs on the use of courier services to transport animals.

He said the three-day course would see the three countries involved in HoB, namely Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, exchanging notes and finding ways to share new strategies to combat wildlife smuggling.

"HoB is a cross-boundary area encompassing more than one quarter of whole area of Borneo, which we believe, houses some of the most exotic animals in Borneo," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Animal testing on Cows

There are alot of stray cows in India. They should test it on cows?

Thursday June 10, 2010
‘No’ to animal testing lab plan
Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Animal lovers, activists, a Senator and a beauty queen were among those who gathered in front of the Indian High Commission here to protest the plan by an Indian drug company to build an animal testing laboratory in Malacca.

The Ethical treatment of Animals (PETA) drove home their point by using a “rat” mascot.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Selangor chairman Christine Chin, handed a memorandum to High Commissioner Vijay Gokhale, which was received by Second Secretary Birbald Anand.

Also present at the protest was Miss Malaysia/World 2009/2010 Thanuja Ananthan.

Lyn Wong, 38, said: “People must be made more aware that testing on animals is not necessary as there are many alternatives in terms of medical research.”

Mohani Niza, 22, said the Indian company had expressed its intention to use monkeys in experiments to test drugs “because they think monkeys are not as cute as cats, but they do suffer as well.”

Also lending support was Senator Dr S. Ramakrishnan of the DAP, who said in a statement that animal testing should be banned because it was cruel, not reliable, inaccurate “and below human decency.”

It was reported that Indian drug company, Vivo Biotech, was planning to build a multi-million dollar animal testing laboratory in Malacca to test-trial medicines on primates, dogs, and small mammals.

Animal cruelty laws need more bite

"When people are cruel to animals they will be cruel to one another"- Herbert N. Casson

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April 19, 2010
Stories by BAVANI M
Star

LAWS governing animal welfare in Malaysia have no bite. Take Section 44 of the Animal Act 1953 (2006 Amendment) which says that anyone guilty of an offence of cruelty to animals shall be liable to a fine of RM200 or imprisonment for a term of six months or both.

The sentence is too light and those found guilty hardly get the maximum sentence.

The governing authority with the statutory right to take legal action against animal abusers is the Veterinary Services Department (VSD). The VSD, however, has been accused of taking a lackadaisical approach to enimal cruelty cases.

Lack of enforcement by the department has been blamed for the rise in cruelty cases in the city.

Even municipal councils have been branded as toothless because of a lack of enforcement of the by-laws.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor marketing and communications manager Jacinta Johnson-Chan said a total of 657 cruelty cases were reported last year with 90% of it involving dogs but none were prosecuted.

The rare abuse cases that went to court resulted in the owners getting off with just a paltry fine.

However, the case of seven-year-old German Sheperd Sheena, who had to be put down after suffering abuse at the hands of her owner, sparked nationwide protests from animal activists pushing for a change in legislation.

Animal lovers got together to sign a petition calling for, among others:

·An increase in the fine from RM200 to RM10,000;

· Increase the jail term from six months to two years;

· A lifetime ban on animal ownership for those charged charged with abuse; and

· Urging the public to be responsible pet owners.

A total of 83,032 signatures were collected and the petition was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Department in January, 2007.

There has been no news since then and, despite all the efforts of animal welfare groups, nothing has changed in terms of enforcement.

SPCA chairman Christine Chin blames it on the lack of enforcement by the authorities concerned and the lack of willpower to change things.

“Such paltry sentences send out the wrong message to the public that it’s alright to abuse animals.

“Despite having these laws, no one really gets punished for cruelty and that’s why it keeps happening again and again,” she said.

“Municipal councils also don’t seem to address cruelty cases despite having provisions to do so.

“In fact, the councils are contravening their own by-laws,” she said, adding that local authorities seemed to be only interested in catching strays and putting them down.

Animal rights lawyer N. Surendran said that municipal council by-laws come under the Local Government Act 1976 and there were sections dealing with cruelty to animals.

However, Surendran said he had never heard of anyone being taken to court under these by-laws.

Surendran, who is also the president of the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association (ROAR), cited the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) by-laws as an example.

He said that Section 10 of the 2007 by-laws stated that any person who ill-treats a dog can be fined not more than RM2,000 or be put in prison for not more than a year or both.

He said the council’s enforcement officers could take action on cruelty cases but, for some reason, they refuse to do so despite having clear proof.

Surendran cited the recent KTM dog abuse case as an example.

“Despite identifying the perpetrators, the authority concerned chose to do nothing.

“This is not the first time though, there have been numerous cases with proof of animal abuse and the governing authorities always seem to turn a blind eye,” he said, adding that in the KTM dog abuse case the governing authority was the VSD.

“Malaysian animal laws are one of the worst (see chart) in the world and the situation has certainly put a dent in the image of the country as a developed nation.

“It sends out the wrong perception to foreigners when they see and hear about animal abuse cases,” he said.

Popular zoo has tame front but may hide 'wild' activities

March 3, 2010
By HILARY CHIEW and JOSHUA FOONG
thestar

IT brands itself as a zoo and brags about the conservation works it does. It also proudly talks of its educational role in highlighting the plight of endangered species.

But behind its animal-loving front, this popular private establishment in the southern part of Peninsula Malaysia could be one of the worst examples of a successful commercial enterprise riding on the back of exploiting, breeding and trading in endangered animals.

This zoo, like several others, has earned a name for itself by announcing the birth of new tiger cubs to coincide with major events like the Lunar New Year, or even to commemorate the death of celebrities like Michael Jackson.

To many, it’s the perfect zoo. The beautiful cubs hog airtime and newsprint space, and the tills get filled by the long lines of visitors.

The Year of the Tiger promises to be a boon for the zoo.

A visit before Chinese New Year revealed that one of its tigresses is pregnant. The zoo also allows tiger cub to be hired and this has been a hit with many companies in the Tiger Year.

“We’re fully booked until year-end,” says the zoo keeper proudly. “People are willing to pay between RM1,000 and RM5,000 to ‘borrow’ a tiger cub for a day.”

He says the zoo has two cubs but only the eight-month-old is used for roadshows. Such activities have conservationists up in arms.

To have perfectly timed cubs require the adult tigers to be subjected to “controlled mating”. This as well as the “tiger cubs for hire” schemes are considered heinous and hardly in line with conservation.

The legality of the “rent a tiger cubs” schemes are also questionable. The zoo claims to have the requisite permits from the Wildlife and National Park Department (Perhilitan) for everything it does but are these possible.

Perhilitan had to step in following a spate of pre-Chinese New Year publicity from establishments with tigers promoting photo sessions.

The zoo keeper confirms department’s order for such sessions to stop: “We have been told to hold on until further notice.”

The zoo’s justification is of course pure economics. “The money is needed to feed the animals,” the keeper says. He says the zoo’s Year of the Tiger roadshow could bring in enough revenue to cover expenses for six months.

“Photography sessions in the zoo would further contribute to 50% of the tigers’ maintenance costs,” he adds.

Another worrying result from the zoo’s breeding programme is the creation of mixed-breed tigers which Perhilitan has acknowledged as “worthless” in terms of conservation.

The Guidelines for Zoological Gardens prohibits the cross-breeding of species but this does not seem to concern the zoo keeper.

He says the zoo is allowed to carry out tiger breeding programme, again under a special permit issued to it by Perhilitan.

He says the zoo currently has 24 tigers and reproduction is controlled by having four pairs of breeding animals. As each pair is allowed to mate twice a year, the average newborns will be 32 cubs annually.

“Over the years, we have been cross-breeding them,” says the keeper. “Yeah, there’s a lot of new sub-species created in this way.” He nevertheless admits that the hybrid specimens produced by the zoo can never be released into the wild, dashing any claims to the zoo playing a conservation role.

Questions to Perhilitan such as if the special permit covered the offsprings and if the breeders are obliged to keep a record of its breeding programme were left unanswered.

Neither was the issue of why a zoo which talks of the need to raise money be allowed to operate a breeding facility.


There are also concerns of whether the zoo is involved in the trading of endangered species.

Asked if the zoo has ever sold cubs to anyone, the keeper merely answers that there is a market for tiger cubs and they could easily fetch between RM15,000 and RM30,000 per animal.

He acknowledges that the zoo has supplied three young tigers to another facility before.

Asked if money crossed hands, the keeper says: “That’s between my boss and them.” A spokesman from the other facility said its special permit was acquired through a subsidiary and the animals were obtained under an exchange programme. He, however, did not reveal what animals were exchanged.

The zoo has a run-down feel to it.

And, there is very little educational element involved. Signage is poor and many contained misinformation or just the basic name of the animals behind bars.

Three men held by Perhilitan for peddling animals

January 29, 2010
By EDWARD RAJENDRA
Star

SHAH ALAM: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) arrested three men for peddling wildlife on the Internet.

Selangor Perhilitan director Rahmat Topani said the three were a 23-year-old software technician, 30-year-old construction supervisor and a 28-year-old employee with an IT firm.

“Our enforcement officers went undercover, pretending to be agents or buyers interested in buying the animals,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

On Jan 23, department officials arrested the technician who had an oriental white-eye bird (zosterops palpebrosa) in a car at Taman Maluri in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

On the same day, they arrested the supervisor at his home in Bandar Baru Bangi and seized two white-rumped shama birds (copsychus malabaricus). Both were fined RM400 each.

On Jan 26, Perhilitan enforcement officers arrested the 28-year-old at AEON Bukit Tinggi car park in Klang and found two iguanas in the car he was driving.

They checked the man’s house and found a rare monitor lizard, cobra, python, a red-tailed boa constrictor and a Burmese python.

The man has been released on a RM2,000 police bail and is expected to be charged on Feb 25 under Section 68 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which carries a fine of not more than RM3,000 or a three-year jail term.

Initial investigations revealed that the oriental white-eye was to be sold for RM160 while the common shama for RM400 each.

The rare clouded monitor lizard that originated from Papua New Guinea could fetch between RM7,000 and RM8,000.

News On Illegal animal trading in Malaysia

The root of all these evil illegal animal tradings in Malaysia is CORRUPTION!

They can crow until the sun come home! They still don't get it!

Admin

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August 10, 2009
Illegal animal trading puts Malaysia on the world map for all the wrong reasons
By HILARY CHIEW
Star

KUALA LUMPUR: In 2006, Taiwanese authorities seized a three-tonne shipment of ivory from Tanzania worth RM25mil that had transited Penang port.

An Indian national who was caught with an illegal consignment of Indian star tortoises at the KL International Airport in 2007 said he was paid to bring it into the country for a Malaysian buyer.
In the second half of 2008, 167 pangolins were seized in four enforcement cases in Muar, indicating that the coastline was a thriving entry point for the anteaters from Indonesia. It is believed that the pangolins were destined for the restaurant and traditional medicine trade, as well as the mainland Chinese market.

Early this year, genetic fingerprinting of seized tiger parts in southern Thailand shows that the Malaya tiger, endemic to Malaysia and numbering only 500 in the wild, have been blatantly poached and smuggled through our land borders.

These are some of the cases that point to illegal trafficking of wildlife and its parts, and to Malaysia being a transit point, a source country, as well as a consumer hub for endangered wildlife.

Globally, Interpol estimated the illegal trade to be worth US$10bil (RM35bil) to US$20bil (RM70bil) a year. Conservation groups like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have declared wildlife trade the second biggest direct threat to species survival, after habitat destruction.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) did not respond to requests for the value of animals confiscated last year, but a conservative estimate based on media reports shows that at least RM5mil worth of wildlife was seized in Malaysia last year.

Wildlife trafficking is a trade so lucrative that it is said to rank second after drug trafficking, especially when there is no death penalty to fear in most countries.

Take the pangolin, for instance. According to wildlife trade researchers the creature’s scales and meat are sought after for its purported properties to alleviate rheumatic pains. And as an aphrodisiac too of course, as any purveyor of exotic meat would sell you the idea. That is why pangolins can fetch as much as RM150 per kg or RM500 per animal in the black market.

Traffic, a wildlife trade-monitoring network, fears that the illegal trade in pangolins is already out of control with large shipments of animals being smuggled across numerous international borders, often by the lorry load, to their final destination in China.

It says that shipments busted by Perhilitan are merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. What slips through the net are far more than one can estimate, in the millions of ringgit over the years.
The rampant smuggling of pangolins has forced Perhilitan to acknowledge that Malaysia has become both an attractive supply and transit country.

Its deputy enforcement director Celescoriano Razond said he feared that international syndicates had turned the country into their main source – not just for pangolin but other wildlife species too.

There have been numerous confiscations of Indian star tortoises at the KLIA with arrests of Indian and Malaysian nationals, yet the smugglers are undeterred. The shipments still come in and the authorities have no other choice but to maintain constant vigilance.

Until recently, the Indian star tortoise from the Indian sub-continent that was banned from export was easily available in local pet shops. The palm-sized exotic pet with star-like markings on its shell was sold at between RM100 and RM150 per creature.

In cases where the illegal shipments of Indian star tortoises were foiled, the authorities have found suitcases packed with the animal, some up to 2,000 pieces in one suitcase.

Perhilitan returns seized consignments to the country of origin but the syndicates involved remain at large.

Existing laws and inadequate manpower remain the biggest setbacks in tackling this scourge. The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 offers no protection for any turtle or tortoise species. A revised law, scheduled to be tabled in Parliament this year, is supposed to plug this particular loophole. However, a check on the draft bill showed that this reptile family is still being left out.

Azrina Abdullah, the immediate ex-director of Traffic, lamented the low fines and reluctance of the courts to put the culprits behind bars. In 2006, conservationists were appalled that a RM7,000 fine (maximum fine is RM15,000) was slapped on a poacher from Tumpat, in Kelantan, for possessing a chopped up tiger in his fridge, instead of the maximum five-year imprisonment. The black market value of a tiger is reported to be US$50,000 (RM180,000).

Currently, fines range from RM1,000 to RM15,000 and imprisonment from a minimum of one year to 10 years. The authorities have indicated a 100% increase in fines and a maximum jail term of 12 years in the pending new law.

Among the issues that need to be addressed is the issuance of special permits by Perhilitan to theme parks, private zoos and individuals for keeping an animal. There is fear that permits given would provide the holders a cover to launder illegal specimens.

At the regional level, a lack of law enforcement and poor investigation are obstacles to efforts in stemming this exploitation of biodiversity of a country and its neighbours.

Recognising that no country can fight this scourge on its own, governments in the region formed in 2005 a regional anti-wildlife trafficking network aimed at sharing intelligence and improving regional enforcement collaboration.

The 10-member Asean – Wildlife Enforce­ment Network (Asean-WEN) is the world’s largest entity of its kind. Despite the heightened awareness among law enforcers and seemingly higher number of seizures, it remains unclear if the network has managed to cripple the syndicates or apprehend the masterminds behind this hideous crime against nature.

Do you Think Malaysia is Great?

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948

Follow this report:

About 300 stray dogs were rounded up by Pulau Ketam residents and deported to an isolated island to fend for themselves.

Over half of them are already dead and the remaining ones may not live long. A rescue mission is being mounted and your help is needed.

The residents of Pulau Ketam sent some 300 stray dogs to exile on a remote island where the harsh conditions almost certainly guarantee a horrible death. Of the 300 dogs sent there, more than three-quarters are presumed to be already dead. I traveled to the island with Sabrina Yeap of Furry Friends Farm and managed to save only one dog on this reconnaissance trip. We did see several other starving and dying dogs along the mangrove shore.

I am mounting an urgent rescue mission to capture and transport the remaining survivors back to Sabrina's Furry Friends Farm animal shelter. But time is running out and there might be only skeletons and carcasses left to collect on our next trip. Boat hire is expensive there. It is a tourist area and it has already cost me a few hundred ringgit for boat hire alone, so far. The rescued dogs cannot be transported on the regular ferries.

Almost nobody will lift a finger to help without a fee. This is understandable. The locals are already shaking their heads in disbelief that there are outsiders who want to save the animals they so casually discarded. Instead of pointing fingers and antagonising them, we need their co-operation to help save the unfortunate creatures. In the process, we also hope to educate the islanders on better treatment of animals. It would be an impossible mission if we didn't win their hearts.

If you are unable to help directly, please help by forwarding this appeal to other compassionate folks who you feel might be able to make some monetary contributions.

Apart from boat hire, we need money to buy cages, to pay people to help catch them, to hire land transport to send the rescued animals to veterinary clinics, pay for vet fees, send the recovered ones to the shelter and to feed and house them for life. I can go on!

To donate or help, e-mail TV Smith at tvsmith@mycen.com.my or Sabrina Yeap at yeapwen@yahoo.com

Fellow bloggers, you can also help by embedding the appeal poster above to your blog and linking to http://www.mycen.com.my/rescue

We are aware it is a monumental task and appreciate all forms of support, assistance, suggestions, encouragement and your prayers.

Babi Hutan in Pensiangan

NST Online
2009/01/26

Boar hunting made easy
By : Roy Goh

PENSIANGAN: Gone are the days when wild boar hunting meant hours of walking into deep jungle to look for the animals.

These days, all one needs are dogs, a spear and a borrowed four-wheel drive.

Murut hunter Paul Distu says finding boar meat for the table is becoming easier with the changing landscape in this far-flung constituency.

Wild boar hunts today begin from the roadside, especially with the completion of the 140km Sapulut-Kalabakan road.

The gravel road is the last part of the tarred 450km link between Kota Kinabalu and Tawau. It will be 130km shorter than the present tarred 580km link via Ranau and Sandakan.

Distu, in his 30s, said most hunters used pick-up trucks, sometimes borrowed with the promise to the owner of a share of meat, that would be driven with the dogs in the back.

"Once the dogs pick up a scent, we set up camp by the road and release them into the forest.

"If the pack find its target, they will chase it down until the prey is cornered. Once that happens, the dogs will bark continuously and we move in to spear the animal," said Distu when met by the roadside near Tataluan recently.

"If we are lucky, we catch them not too far into the bushes.

"But it is quite common these days for our dogs to wander for hours into the forest and not find anything."

Distu said the change in hunting terrain had also been brought about by the gazetting of forests as reserves.

His relative, Jack Sangau, said the Murut respected the law but reminded the authorities that hunting was not a hobby but a necessity for the community.

"Our community out here in the rural areas depends on wild meat for protein. Unlike people in urban areas, we do not have sources of protein that can be bought right off the shelf in supermarkets," said the farmer.

"What's worse is that people blame us for for the depletion of animals in the jungles.

"Our forefathers hunted for thousands of years and still the animals roamed the forests.

"The blame should lie on the loggers and planters, not us."

Man fined RM4,000 for possessing, hurting pangolins

The price of one kilogram of pangolin is RM150 in Malaysia and across the border in Thailand is RM280. An adult pangolin is at least 3 kg. In the international market, it can fetch until RM800 per kilogram.
Lets calculate the value of 31 pangolins.

31 pangolins in Malaysia = 31 X 3 kg X RM150 = RM13,950 (Value in Malaysia)
31 pangolins after crossing to Thailand = 31 X 3 kg X RM280 = RM26,040 (Value in Thailand)

However,
Fine for illegally possessing 31 pangolins = RM4,000 (Read news below)
Fine for hurting the pangolins = RM2,500
TOTAL ONLY = RM4000 + RM2500 = RM6500

No wonder, there are still people willing to smuggle these rare pangolins.
Our country, Bolehland is going down the drain....

A quote from Mahatma Gandhi best described my country....
The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Do you think our nation can be great if animals are treated like shit?

Read the news here:


Monday July 21, 2008 MYT 4:30:09 PM
Staronline
By EMBUN MAJID


JITRA: An odd-job worker was fined a total of RM4,000 by a magistrate's court here for illegally possessing 31 pangolins and hurting the protected animals.

Mohd Fauzi Usuf, 30, from Changloon, near here, was fined RM1,500 for possessing the pangolins under Section 64(2)(a) of the Wildlife Protection Act (Amendment) 1988.

He was fined another RM2,500 for hurting the animals by confining them under Section 92(1)(c) of the same Act.

Mohd Fauzi, who pleaded guilty to committing the offences at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Anti Smuggling Unit (UPP) office, at about 11.35am on July 14, paid the fines.

Section 64(2)(a) carries a maximum fine of RM3,000 or two years' jail or both while Section 92(1)(c) carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years' jail or both.

According to the facts of the case, the UPP found the 31 pangolins in 31 plastic bags inside a Proton Wira driven by Mohd Fauzi who was arrested at the Bukit Kayu Hitam UPP office.

National Forest and Wildlife Protection Department's prosecuting officer Shaharuddin Osman pressed for the maximum sentence, saying that the pangolin was nearly extinct.

He said that although it was Mohd Fauzi's first offence, a heavy penalty should be imposed as a deterrent to others.

Magistrate Zhalizan Sanusi said the court decided to fine Mohd Fauzi for both offences since he was a first offender.

He warned Mohd Fauzi that the court would jail him next time if he repeated the offence.

Indonesian caught with pangolin, snakeskins jailed in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian court sentenced an Indonesian fisherman to 32 months in prison after his boat was found to be carrying scales and skins of pangolins, snakes and monitor lizards, a news report said Tuesday. Zulkarnain Ajib, 43, pleaded guilty to possessing six sacks of Sunda Pangolin scales weighing 199.9 kilograms, 137 pieces of python skin and 100 pieces of water monitor lizard skins, the New Straits Times daily said.

Malaysian marine police raided Ajib's boat on June 3 and discovered the goods, believed to be bound for sale in neighbouring countries.

The animals were believed to have been caught in Malaysian jungles, the report said.

Six other Indonesian fishermen onboard the same vessel at the time of the arrest pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Copyright, respective author or news agency

Source: http: //www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/211256,indonesian-caught-with-pangolin-snakeskins-jailed-in-malaysia.html

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This is only the tip of a huge iceberg. Massive illegals putting up in forests and jungle fringes hiding away from the authorities, working for farms, factories and construction industries are putting an irreversible lost on our wildlife population. I see nothing being done to overcome this issue.

Here were some of the issues I highlighted before:

1. Between 2001-2003, Indonesians workers in the Penang National Park having an enjoyable feast of bats and birds. Mist nets were seen near their squatters. The fu*king park authority must be lame lazy not to keep an eye on the contractor. I wondered what other animals did they feast on other than the bats and birds.

2. Last year 2007, Myanmar workers working on the illegal road at Penang Hill stayed in huts along the forest edge. Animal traps were seen near the vicinity. Trees were tapped for sap on the heritage trail - Moniot Road. The fu*king forest authority don't seem to know about it. We complained about the illegal road and they tried to intimidate us.

3. Last year 2007 (not sure they are still there), Myanmar farmers working in farms along the Mengkuang Dam catchment area were chopping trees and bamboo to build huts. Fishing spots were found near the dam.

Imagine for a small state in Penang with so many illegal foreigners around - and if we duplicate the same senario (hiding and staying in forests and jungles) all over Malaysia....what do you think the rate of disappearance of our wildlife?

RoadKills - It really KILLS ok

How often do you travel on the road in Malaysia?

In Malaysia, the rate of roadkills is alarming. Twenty years ago, roadkills were not many. But today, on a trip from Penang to Kelantan, one cannot help to see the pitiful roadkills. They range from rare animals to common one.

So much anger and publicity were generated when about 20 youths died in the National Service.

A week journey from Penang to Kelantan and back already claimed 10 animals - but nobody care a hood about them.

Our animals are migrating! Migrating because ....

Forests and jungles are being logged.

Roads being built in the middle of their homes.

Food are diminshing because human are destroying their habitats.

Proachers are separating their mates.

Global warming caused by human hasten the migration.

Are we not aware? Are we not care?

We have the power to do something but we choose to ignore.

We can build passages under the highway.

We can put more signs on the road.

Our roads can bypass pristine jungles but we are greedy because there are timbers.

Just because animals are animals and they are not their children, the lawmakers couldn't careless. They are creation of God and shouldn't we care for them too?

A 8-foot Python

Mongoose


Slow Loris

Monitor Lizard

Civet Cat

An unidentified snake



Wild boar


Masked Palm Civet



Another Masked Palm Civet


Bat

“Always be kind to dumb animals. Cruelty is one of the most hateful vices, and matured nations are trying to put an end to it. When people are cruel to animals they will be cruel to one another. As human nature ripens, there will be more kindness, sympathy and pity. Some horses and dogs are worthy of our respect as well as of our kindness. Some dogs are more sensitive and intelligent than some men. They have character, but they are handicapped by dumbness. If your dog could talk, you would be surprised at what he knows”.- Herbert N. Casson

Caged sunbear dies

Incompetent Wildlife Officer should be sacked. He has the gut to say "We have been investigating this case for a long time following complaint..."
Why no action? Could it be "Under table and corruption?"

Staronline
Tuesday April 8, 2008
By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: An endangered sunbear locked up for months inside a small iron cage, and used as a showpiece to attract visitors at a private farm along the Miri-Bintulu Second Coastal Highway, has died from neglect.

The sunbear, a protected species, died after its owner had hidden it inside an isolated forest away from public view following complaints from a group of expatriates who were disgusted with the manner the creature was treated.

A worker of the farm, located at Jalan Bakam, next to the National Service Training Camp, confirmed Tuesday that the sunbear recently died.

"The sunbear was taken to an isolated area and was continuously kept inside the cage. It was placed near a forested section of the farm. It died recently inside the cage," said a worker who spoke on condition that his identity was not disclosed.

Miri Wildlife Department enforcement chief Abang Arabi Abang Imran, when asked to comment Tuesday, also confirmed that he had sent his enforcement officers to the site and found that the sunbear was missing and that the owners could not give any satisfactory explanation on what had happened to the animal.

"We will find out what happened to the sunbear. We have been investigating this case for a long time following complaints lodged by foreigners who had visited the farm," he said.
The Star on August 11 last year, highlighted this case after being approached by South African expatriate Tweet Gainsborough whose husband was working for an oil and gas giant here in Miri.

Arabi, when asked Tuesday why it took six months for his department to investigate this case, said, "I had instructed my enforcement people to handle the case immediately after I received the complaints. I must open the case file and find out what had transpired and why the bear was not rescued," he said.

Arabi confirmed that the sunbear is a protected species, and that the private farm did not have any permit to keep the animal.

Protected animal parts seized, poacher held

Star Online
Sunday March 30, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) confiscated body parts of protected animals worth about RM10,000 during a raid on a house in Batu Caves, Selangor, on Friday evening.

The department also arrested a man and seized a homemade firearm, 84 bullets of various calibres and an instrument believe to have been used to lure the animals.

Among the body parts confiscated were that of deer, mouse deer and porcupines. Also taken into custody were three hides, two pairs of horns and some wildlife meat. The parts were said to be for sale.

Perhilitan’s law and enforcement division director Sivanathan Elagupillay told newsmen yesterday that he believed the man, who was in his 50s, had been poaching for quite some time.
The punishment for having the three animals was a nine-year prison term or a fine of RM9,000 or both, upon conviction.

Those with information on crimes related to protected wildlife are urged to call or SMS Perhilitan at 019-356 4194. – Bernama

Beasts Are Beasts - Who Cares!

BIG headline : 600 fish die at Langkawi Underwater World

LANGKAWI: About 600 fish worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit have mysteriously died at Langkawi Underwater World.......(The Star, 26 Sept 2007)

In Bolehland, beasts are beasts. So who cares whether they live or die. The stories of dead animals in parks, sanctuaries, zoos and other so-called tourism attractions had became cemeteries for many animals.

These cruel deeds will not stop when there are humans who are willing to gain by caging the beasts. Once in a while there will be some big guns embarking on a mammoth project. The elephant sanctuary, the rhinoceros sanctuary, safari parks - many had failed, many beasts dead, much taxpayers' monies lost...but no one seems to learn. NO ONE!

Bolehland is the place where uncompetent people seem to take charge of such projects. People who have no interest of animals at heart. People who want quick profit from the beasts. And these people have the resources to cause hardship to many.

History will be repeated again and again. Check below some of the deads while in custodian in Bolehland.


The headline today - The Star 26 Sept 2007

600 fish dead! And few billion dollars?

Click to enlarge the table. Notice that some sanctuaries have more dead elephants - a case of incompetent and poor management?

Carelessness was the right word used in this article when the Rhinoceros santuary was enventually wiped out of the beasts.

When are we going to learn that animals are best left alone in the wild?

When are we going to stop playing God?

When people are cruel to animals they will be cruel to one another

“Always be kind to dumb animals. Cruelty is one of the most hateful vices, and matured nations are trying to put an end to it. When people are cruel to animals they will be cruel to one another. As human nature ripens, there will be more kindness, sympathy and pity. Some horses and dogs are worthy of our respect as well as of our kindness. Some dogs are more sensitive and intelligent than some men. They have character, but they are handicapped by dumbness. If your dog could talk, you would be surprised at what he knows”.
- Herbert N. Casson

The Government of Bolehland is managed by CRUEL people and so THEY will be CRUEL to us – maybe not today but you can see the coming of that day.

Three CASES of cruelty to ANIMALS in the news within a week :-
1. Dogs shooting competition
2. Exporting Monkeys
3. Destroying Pigs in Malacca (stop by blockage)

Remember this : When people are cruel to animals they will be cruel to one another

Why? Why do dogs and monkeys pose menace to society? Read Lejane Hardy reasoning below. But how about PIGS? Simple :- the people who were entrusted to do the job of monitoring the pig farms were sleeping (or on the take?) and that lead to over population of pigs. And thus the pollution from the farms! Who is to blame? The PIGS?? Which pigs? You might be asking. You guess!

I'll never visit Malaysia
Lejane Hardy

I refer to the malaysiakini report Howls of protest over 'nab the dog' contest.

Just when I thought I had seen and heard it all, along comes another bizarre suggestion from a government in the East, namely to sponsor a stray dog-catching competition for the public.

Stray animals are our fault; they are there because we neglect to concentrate on proper neutering programmes which require some effort on our part and because too many people simply don’t care. They dump their dogs and cats out into the world to fend for themselves

And I can see that in Malaysia, it is more a case of defending themselves against everyone else including those who should be putting into place compassionate methods of solving this problem, namely the government.

Yet you are gleefully joining in to make the lives of these animals even worse by recommending a ‘competition’ to catch and eventually destroy them so that tourists cannot see how bad you are at looking after the most helpless in your country.

I, for one, will never visit a country who cannot look after its sentient beings in a compassionate manner and find you contemptible for even making a suggestion such as this and promoting such a disgusting event.

The writer is chairperson, Capetonians against Animal Abuse and editor for ‘Animal Activist Network News’.
Reference : http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/72257

Is Your Neighbour Missing?

Have you seen a pangolin in your backyard some weeks ago? Your dog could be barking at it in the middle of the night. And you would have been happy to see one....but you were angry because you loose your sleep. And today your friendly neighbour is no where to be seen? Well, your pet dog will have to spend more lonely nights.

Probably, your neighbourly pangolin could be on that "Noah's Ark" heading for China.

This story really frightened me:

'Noah's Ark' of 5,000 rare animals found floating off the coast of China

at http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2088589,00.html

I am a Chinese. Believe me, Chineses eat everything that moves!

But not me! Oh, forgot to tell you, I am not from China.

If you find that the common animals like lizards, turtles, tortoises, snakes, bears, pangolins and others missing from your compound, your estates, the forests, then chances that they could be caught and smugglered out of Bolehland!

In Bolehland, rules can be bent. Eyes can "tutup satu mata" (close one eye). "Bocor" (Leakage) can be fixed with taxpayers money. And the story continues...

Coastguard : Ok, pangolins, cicakman (lizard man), ninja turtles and you look funny(some kind of civet cat which the coastguard haven't seen)...give me your passports!!

Pangolin : Sorry, official....I..I...don't have passport.

Coastguard : What? No, passport, no entry. Go home!

Pangolin : But I was forced to come, mah! I live happily in one of the kampung (village) and I played with my neighbour dog. I missed the dog now. Can I go home?

Coastguard : No way. Who dare to own you? You look so ugly with all the scales. I guess you taste good too. Aprodisiac huh? Yum..yum.... Ok tell me how you come here!

Pangolin : I was caught one night by a man who spoke some kind of foreign language. Then I was taken to a "towkay" (business man). Then this towkay put me in a case with others like me.

Coastguard : What do you mean "others like you"?

Pangolin : Others animals loh....like that cicakman, that turtle ninja and my brother from that Kampung Babi Hutan.

Coastguard : Don't you have stringent custom regulation in your country to check on your passport?

Pangolin : Got, got, many, but just for show only lah. Remember, we are Bolehland. "Boleh" meant "Can"....so everything also "can".

Coastguard : Don't play-play with me! What do you meant "everything also can"?

Pangolin : You see, without passport I can also come here...so don't you think I slipped out of my country with somebody "tutup satu mata"?

Coastguard : Oh, I see....good, then I can "makan" (eat) you tonight. Nobody can claim you are from Bolehland as you don't have passport. Hee, hee, hee....!

Conclusion:

The coastguard had a good meal. You lost a friendly neighbour. Your neighbourhood is quieter now. You can sleep well. Some towkays were richer by a few hundred dollars. Your grand children will only able to see pangolins in books.

Is that what you want?

No one can outrun their destiny

Long time ago, human was very sad. All the animals gathered and asked human….

Animals : Hi man, you are very sad. We like to help you. Ask whatever and we will help you.
Man : I want to have sharp eyes.
Vulture : Ok, you can have sharp eyes like me.
Man : I want to be strong.
Leopard : Ok, you can be strong like me.
Man : I want to know the long secret of earth.
Serpent : Ok, you can have that. You can burrow everywhere to learn the secret of earth.

When human got all the gifts, the owl….

Owl : Now man knows so much.
Deer : Yes, I am glad his sadness has gone.
Owl : No, deep inside, man still has a hole. He will continue to fill the hole. He will take and take. One day the world will have nothing to take….

The movie Apocalyto is an Academy Award-nominated 2006 film directed by Mel Gibson. It is an interesting movie about the Maya civilization. The above story (which I roughly reconstructed above) was told by the wise man to his tribe. It tells us that man cannot fill up that hole. He will continue to take and take from mother earth. He will continue with his lust to take. Unless we heed the advise, we will be heading for doom. That is our destiny if we do not slow down the process. Do you have a hole?

No one can outrun their destiny is one of the movie taglines. How right it will be! Go and watch the movie.


BTW, I have learned that the giant ants can be used for stitching wound. See the movie to learn about it.