For Big Oil There Is No Government Shutdown

Strange rule of law that only apply to people like you and me. This is a report from Center for Biological Diversity....

 

Because of Congress' inability to pass a budget, the US government has been shut down since Oct. 1. Federal government employees are going without salary. Government services have slowed to a stop, and public recreational spaces are closed for business. But wait, while public lands are closed to the public, landowners and corporations still have free rein to graze, mine, log, and drill for oil and gas there - meaning to continue to destroy the land for their greed.

Americans who who have traveled thousands of miles to hike and camp in public lands are being turned away from the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, and other national monuments and parks across the country. But for the oil and gas industry, business as usual goes on without a hiccup.

 

Even more alarmingly, the shutdown has sent everyone in charge of enforcing the rules that protect our lands and wildlife home without pay.

 

It doesn't matter you are from which part of the world. We want to keep this earth as green as possible. Take action now with Rep. Grijalva to close public lands to fossil fuel companies during the government shutdown. Do your part goto this LINK

Natural Habitat Gone

Interesting news - "Residential areas in Setapak, Cheras and Jinjang, which were all once oil palm plantations, have been identified as areas frequented by snakes, especially reticulated pythons and cobras, of late"

Threat to natural habitat forcing snakes into KL's residential areas (Star, 5 Sept 12).

While we talk about wildlife coming out of the jungle, we are missing out wild domestic dogs going into forest and eating up the wildlife of Malaysia.

The Forestry and Wildlife just don't bother about this because it has not cause any problem for now. Ten years down the road, when the population of these wild dogs increased, human life may be at risk. And it will be too late to control them.

Its happening in all forest reserves. So people, go into the forest in group or else you may not come out alive. Beware!

When Forked Tongues rule...

Making a killing from palm oil

July 6, 2012

FMT LETTER: From Sean Whyte, via e-mial

If there was an Olympic event for shooting oneself in the foot the Malaysian palm oil industry would be able to provide any number of contenders. This week saw yet another MPOC public relations debacle. The MPOC released a ‘report’ which 100% contradicts scientific reports, the director of the Sabah Wildlife Department and Sabah’s very own Minister for the Environment.

The MPOC’s report claims the palm oil industry does not harm wildlife or rainforests. While on the other hand on 27th January of this year in an article carried in the New Straits Times Sabah Wildlife director Dr Laurentius Ambu cited ‘the conversion of small patches of forests for oil palm planting was the main cause for the decline of the orangutan population in Lower Kinabatangan.’

He was at the same time quoted in The Star saying,”Today, Sabah is considered as being rich in wildlife but in actuality, much has been lost and what we are trying to do today is damage control, which is why we have prepared action plans for keystone species”. He should know.

Speaking at the same Sabah Wildlife Conservation Colloquium in January of this year Dr Marc Ancrenaz who has studied orangutans in Sabah for 10 years had this to say following the release of his report showing some 300 orangutans had ‘disappeared’ from Sabah since 2004, “As we speak, more islands of forests are created, more areas are opened, and these are privately owned. These are not protected areas but they do have a lot of orang utans. “Orangutans living in pockets of forests within plantations will not survive (in the long term).”

Prior to that ill-fated and controversial colloquium Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun, no less, said “Sabah is losing her flagship species.” Why?

Last but by no means least Dr Ancrenaz said in November 2011: “If oil palm companies want to contribute to orangutan conservation today, they have the opportunity to do so in the Lower Kinabatangan by stopping what little land conversion they are still planning to do,” he said.

All of which paints a totally different and much darker picture than the rosy one the MPOC would like us to believe. Who do you choose to believe?

In an attempt to seek some clarity and evidence to back up their multitude of imaginative claims I have written to Dr Yusof Basiron, CEO of The Malaysian Palm Oil Council. He has not yet replied.

I have also written to the journalist Alex Singleton. His web site offers advice etc with media issues, so I wanted to know if he was commissioned to write this so-called “investigative” report or was it in fact a sponsored PR project for the MPOC? He has not yet replied.

Just as worrying, given the compelling evidence of palm oil companies destroying endangered species and protected habitat is the total absence of any prosecutions. 300 orangutans killed in eight years and not so much as an arrest let alone a prosecution. Not forgetting countless other ‘protected’ species have also been sacrificed. So why no prosecutions?

According to the MPOC’s article the palm oil industry give “massive” funding to the Sabah Wildlife Department – the people who are supposed to enforce the law but seemingly do not. Might the absence of law enforcement have anything to do with the palm oil industry’s financial muscle? We can only wonder.

Surely a police force, even a wildlife protection one, which accepts large sums of money from anyone even suspected of committing criminal offences, leaves itself wide open to all kinds of allegations does it not? Attempts to solicit answers from the SWD and Minister Masidi Manjun concerning the absence of prosecutions have met with silence. Why? Again, we are left to our own imagination.

I would like to invite the Sabah Wildlife Department’s director Dr Laurentius Ambu to respond to this letter and answer the questions raised about the acceptance of money by the SWD and the apparent absence of prosecutions of anyone connected with palm oil industry or otherwise.

On numerous occasions in the past, I have made clear my own view on palm oil. For those with selective amnesia I repeat it here: I am not opposed to palm oil. But I do oppose with every cell in my body, as do millions of other people, the unsustainable way in which many palm oil companies ruthless and unsustainably conduct their business. And for the record, I do not solicit or receive any public, commercial or government support in any shape or form. I voluntarily do what I do because I care.

I can’t begin to imagine what it is like to go home at the end of the day knowing you are making a living from destroying rainforests and literally millions of irreplaceable animals. I often wonder if people in the palm oil industry have feelings or is market share and profit all that matters to you?

Now we read of the Malaysian palm oil industry’s intention to move into West Africa, home (at the moment) to gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants and many other protected and unique species. What do you think will then happen to the forests and animals of Equatorial Africa?

When all the orangutans, tigers, elephants, rhinos and other protected species are gone, what will future generations think of those who could have prevented this environmental holocaust, but chose instead to pursue obscene amounts of money.

The point is, you can make money from palm oil without all this reckless and relentless destruction, if you choose to grow and harvest palm oil truly sustainably. Just look at Unilever’s environmental pledge; they know which side their bread is buttered.

The writer is CEO of Nature Alert ….supporting Malaysian NGO’s.

44 Zoos in Malaysia - a Bolehland record

Imagine 44 zoos in Malaysia and only 1 in Singapore! The mother of all the problems in zoos is corruption. If only we have a transparent and competent government. If only the anti-corruption agency is fearless. If only wildlife personnel do their job well...all zoos would be well kept. Until then, even with strict enforcement and laws, the operators will get away with minimum charges. So for SAM and Foto, just dream on....

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Thursday June 28, 2012

Please give two hoots

Star

SOME of the zoos in the country are still in deplorable conditions, according to two non-governmental organisations.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Friends of the Orangutans (Foto) claimed that many animals were suffering in these zoos due to poor maintenance.

SAM president S.M. Mohamed Idris, who said Malaysia has 44 zoos, which include mini zoos, aviaries and animal parks, claimed that some of them were in disgusting condition.

He said that, in contrast, Singapore has only one zoo which is of world class.

“Due to the lack of enforcement, many animals have suffered over the years at the hands of zoo operators whose main purpose is to make money.

“Zoos must be responsible to keep animals in conditions that satisfy their social behavioural and biological needs. The operators should also meet the standards of health and husbandry welfare of the animals,” Idris told a press conference at the Consumers Association of Penang’s office in Jalan Mesjid Negeri yesterday.

Foto founder Upreshpal Singh said an investigation conducted by the organisation at 15 zoos (including mini zoos, aviaries and animal parks) across Malaysia since July last year revealed that most of them were in terrible state due to lack of maintenance.

He cited as examples an ostrich farm, which had animals that looked sick, and a mini zoo with snakes kept in fish tanks that did not meet their species-specific needs.

Idris and Upreshpal also provided photos taken by SAM and Foto to back their claims. One of them showed ostriches without feathers.

Upreshpal also claimed that there was a theme park where elephants were used for entertainment purposes, with the animals made to draw and their drawings sold for profit.

Both SAM and Foto urged the Wildlife and National Parks De­­part­ment (Perhilitan) to stop issuing licences for new zoos unless existing ones are properly maintained.

Their claims of deplorable conditions at the zoos come as the six-month grace period for zoo operators to comply with requirements of the Wildlife Conservation (Operation of Zoo) Regulations 2012, which was gazetted on Feb 1, is about to expire.

The new law requires zoos and animal parks to adhere to minimum cage sizes, which are specified according to various animal groups; to have a quarantine area and a veterinary clinic or hospital; and to employ a full-time veterinarian.

Other requirements are to provide vaccination of animals by a veterinarian or anyone under his supervision, to ensure the cleanliness of the facility and that wildlife shows can only be conducted if it involved the animals’ natural behaviours.

Operators who contravene these provisions are liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or/and a prison term not exceeding five years.

It was reported on May 16 that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, which mistreat animals, would not be allowed to operate under the new guidelines to be enforced from August.

He had said that zoos that flouted the regulations would be denied a licence at the end of the six-month grace period.

Wildlife laws vs Animal Welfare Bill

Shooting of stray dogs and other animals will be banned if the proposed Animal Welfare Bill is passed with all the suggestions intact (Star, 9 Jun 2012). So those canine and pussy lovers should be happy today!

Interesting news today on ‘Inhumane act’ to domestic animals but lets compare the Wildlife Acts on cruelty to wildlife....after reading the proposal on the 'Inhumane act' vs the 'Wildlife act', we could roughly presume that killing a tiger and killing a dog sama-sama saja. If this 'Inhumane act' is justified, then 'Wildlife act' should be amended, if not how can killing a tiger = killing a dog? 

Read the Wildlife act below.....

Under Section 86 of  Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716), Laws of Malaysia on Cruelty to wildlife it says

(1) Save as otherwise provided in this section, any person who-

(a) beats, kicks, infuriates, terrifies, tortures, declaws or defangs any wildlife;

(b) neglects to supply sufficient food or water to any wildlife which he houses, confines or breeds;

(c) keeps, houses, confines or breeds any wildlife in such manner so as to cause it unnecessary pain or suffering including the housing, confining or breeding of any wildlife in any premises which is not suitable for or conducive to the comfort or health of the wildlife;

(d) uses any wildlife for performing or assisting in the performance of any work or labour which by reason of any infirmity, wound, disease or any other incapacity it is unfit to perform;

(e) uses, provokes or infuriates any wildlife for the purpose of baiting it or for fighting with any other wildlife or animal, or manages any premises or place for any of these purposes; or

(f) wilfully does or wilfully omits to do anything which causes any unnecessary suffering, pain or discomfort to any wildlife,

commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

(2) This section shall not apply to any person who wounds any wildlife in the course of lawfully hunting it under this Act.

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Now read the news on dogs and cats....

June 9, 2012

‘Inhumane act’ may be banned

Star

PUTRAJAYA: Shooting of stray dogs and other animals will be banned if the proposed Animal Welfare Bill is passed with all the suggestions intact.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said shooting was “an inhumane act” and there had been too many complaints over the mistreatment of stray dogs.

“Generally, the ministry does not condone nor support such acts,” he said. “However, there is a need to include a clause in the Bill for exceptions, such as in an emergency or for disease control,” he said in an interview.

Banning the shooting of animals is one of several proposals under the Bill, which Chua described as “a stepping stone to strengthen the welfare and protection of animals”.

He said the ministry would hold an Open Day on June 19 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang to gather feedback from the public, NGOs and other stakeholders on how best to improve the Bill.

“Aside from imposing fines and jail terms for offences related to animal welfare, we are also looking into introducing deterrent measures in the Bill,” he said.

“These include disqualifying a person from keeping pets to prevent the offence from being repeated.”

Chua said the Bill would cover all animals, including domesticated pets, livestock and zoo animals.

“Part of the Bill also outlines the responsibility of pet owners. This is subject to debate and as such, we welcome suggestions from the public at the Open Day,” he said.

So as to have a closer working relationship with the public on the issue, Chua said the Bill would also allow people to assist the ministry's officers in eradicating animal cruelty.

“They will not have the same powers and jurisdiction as the officers but they can keep an eye on behalf of the ministry,” he said.

Chua said the Bill would be ready for tabling only after obtaining clarification from the Attorney-General's Chambers.

“However, while waiting for the Bill to be ready, the existing Animal Act 1953 will be amended to impose heavier penalties for animal cruelty,” he said, adding that the ministry hoped to table these changes this year.

Soon, those found guilty could be fined up to RM50,000, a year's jail term, or both. Currently, the maximum fine is RM200, a jail term of not more than six months, or both.

Anson Wong - culmination of chronic failures in prosecution and investigation

Friday February 24, 2012 MYT 1:37:00 PM
Jail term cut for wildlife trader Anson Wong condemned
By ISABELLE LAI
Star

PETALING JAYA: Wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic has condemned the decision to allow convicted wildlife trader Anson Wong to walk free, calling it a “culmination of chronic failures in prosecution and investigation”.

Its South-east Asia regional director Dr William Schaedla said the prosecution had failed to produce any new charges or evidence in the past year and a half despite claming further investigations were part of its strategy.

He pointed out that Wong's laptop and mobile phones, confiscated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), should have provided the prosecution insight into his international wildlife trade dealings.

“There is no indication that Wong's business contacts or associations were ever investigated,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Wong, who was convicted on Sept 6 last year of illegally exporting boa constrictors by the Sepang Sessions Court, was initially sentenced to six months jail and fined RM190,000.

Heated protests by non-governmental organisations and the public resulted in the High Court's decision to extend his jail term to five years.

However, the Court of Appeal through a three-member panel chaired by Justice Datuk Wira Low Hop Bing, agreed on Wednesday to reduce Wong's jail term from five years to 17 months and 15 days.

Dr Schaedla also refuted Justice Low's statement that Wong, 54, was a first-time offender, pointing out that he was previously sentenced to 71 months jail and fined US$60,000 (RM180,629) for money laundering linked to wildlife trade in the United States.

“It beggars belief that no effort was made to introduce these prior infractions in the context of the present case,” he said, adding that Wong was also reported compounded for a previous permit violation here.

Dr Schaedla said it now fell to the the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to ensure Wong's licenses remain revoked so he would be unable to trade in any wildlife.

He said Malaysia's push for better laws and enforcement were useless if these were how wildlife cases were treated and warned that this would have long-term impact on the fight against wildlife crime.

“Traffickers will simply work small fines and short jail stays into their calculations as a cost of business. Frontline authorities who put their lives at risk catching these criminals will be defeated in their efforts,” he said.

Tiger skins and elephant tusks seized

February 11, 2012
Star
By ISABELLE LAI

PETALING JAYA: Tiger skins and elephant ivory tusks were among wildlife parts seized by the Wildlife and Natural Parks Department (Perhilitan) in a successful bust.

A team of 12 Perhilitan officers from Kedah raided two houses in Mukim Tokai, Pendang, and Kota Sarang Semut, Kota Setar at around 3.15am yesterday.

The team seized eight tiger skins, nine elephant ivory tusks, 22 plastic bags suspected to be filled with wildlife bones and a tusk suspected to be from a barking deer.

“The seized items were taken from an unnumbered house in Lot 30, Kampung Sungai Dedap, Kota Sarang Semut in Kota Setar,” Perhilitan said in a statement.

It warned that the act of keeping wildlife parts was illegal and offenders could be prosecuted under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

“Owning tiger skins, elephant ivory tusks and wildlife bones without a permit is illegal and offenders can be fined up to RM100,000, jailed up to three years or both for each offence,” it said.

Perhilitan said a male suspect had been detained and remanded at the Kota Setar police station for further investigation.

Wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic hailed the bust as very significant.

“It is shocking to learn he had in his possession all these parts from protected animals.

“Further investigation to determine where these items were obtained from and who else was involved is crucial,” said Traffic South-East Asia senior programme officer Kanitha Krishnasamy.

She said the arrest of this individual with nine ivory pieces was an excellent opportunity for intelligence-led investigations to crack down on the illegal ivory trade.

Malaysia has seized more than six tonnes of ivory worth millions of ringgit in the last seven months, most of which were transshipped.

The Belum Sandiwara

Sandiwara means play acting. In Malaysia politicians are expert in sandiwara. Corruption and greed are two of the menace killing the environment and nature. When will they stop? Temenggor Forest Reserve is home to thousand of Plain pouched Hornbills....and this idiot just don't seem to understand the reason to gazette the forests! Tamby hoi, this PPHs need big trees to nest. Logging will make them homeless! Ada faham?

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Be reasonable with demands to gazette forests, says MB
September 20, 2011
Star

IPOH: Environmental and wildlife groups should be more objective when demanding that forested areas in the state be gazetted as non-logging areas, said Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

He said despite the state government having gazetted an area about five times the size of Singapore in Royal Belum as a state park, such groups were demanding more.

“Are they asking for the whole of Perak to be gazetted? After the Royal Belum, they now want us to gazette the whole of Temengor Forest Reserve.

“Later, they may also request forested areas in Pangkor to be gazetted.

“Let us be objective. Logging cannot be stopped completely because timber is one of the major industries which generate revenue for the state,” he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from Japanese ambassador to Malaysia Shigeru Nakamura at his office here yesterday.

Dr Zambry was commenting on calls by such groups for forests along the Gerik-Jeli highway to be gazetted as part of the Royal Belum or a forest reserve to ensure the long-term survival of wildlife.

He said economic progress would be hindered if the state government were to fulfil all their demands.

Dr Zambry said Perak was among the few states that had a sustainable forest management concept.

“While allowing logging activities, we are also serious about protecting the state’s rainforests,” he stressed.

On the forest clearing activities in the Belum-Temengor wildlife corridor, Dr Zambry said he would wait for an in-depth probe to be completed first.

”We also want to know the actual situation and if the report is accurate,” he said

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September 20, 2011
‘Step up Belum enforcement’
By ISABELLE LAI
Star

PETALING JAYA: Intensified enforcement is needed to prevent poachers from encroaching into the Royal Belum State Park, said wildlife protection groups.

This is necessary following the clearing of a logging road in the major wildlife corridor.

The groups called for coordinated patrols to be heightened.

WWF-Malaysia executive director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said the logging road in the Sungai Mendelum area was easily accessible from the Gerik-Jeli highway.

He said the organisation had previously raised the alarm on poaching snares discovered in state land forests in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex (BTFC) a month ago.

“The wire snares were camouflaged so well that a team assistant’s foot got caught,” he said in a statement yesterday, adding that a camera-trap placed in the area had captured a photo of possible poachers.

Another camera-trap had captured a photo of a Malayan sun bear, which was missing one foot.

The injury was consistent with an animal who lost a limb while trying to free itself from a snare, he said.

The field team also heard three gunshots from a distance while they were in the area.

Malaysian Nature Society president Prof Dr Maketab Mohamed said illegal hunting and poaching were rampant in the area.

He said gazetting the entire BTFC was the only way to “truly protect” the area from illegal clearing and wildlife poaching.

“We should protect our natural heritage,” said Prof Maketab.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir earlier ordered a stop to all alleged land clearing activities in the Sungai Mendelum area pending a probe into the matter.

Environmentalists have called for a permanent halt to development plans as the area is frequently used by wildlife to cross from Royal Belum to the Temengor Forest Reserve.

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September 21, 2011
Strong case for Lower Belum and Temengor conservation
The Star Says


PERAK is extremely proud of the fact that it had in 2003 set aside 117,500ha of forest north of the East-West Highway as the Royal Belum State Park.

However, to the dismay of conservationists, the park excluded forests south of the highway, the Lower Belum and Temengor Forest Reserves, which both remain as “production forest reserve” destined for logging.

Also left out is the 1,820m width of state land on either side of the East-West Highway.

Plans to develop this state land are many.

They range from commercial crops and vegetable agriculture to orang asli farming schemes and construction of university campuses and research centres.

Scientists say leaving the forest reserves and state land unprotected is a mistake for they are important wild habitats too.

Royal Belum is just over a quarter of the 4,343sq km that make up Taman Negara and, on its own, is not sufficient for the survival of large mammals such as the elephant, rhinoceros and tiger.

It needs to be backed up by Lower Belum and Temengor.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) even wants the adjacent Gerik and Lepang Nenering Forest Reserves to be added to the state park.

Collectively, these will create a sprawling, contiguous wild sanctuary.

Without the adjoining forests, Royal Belum is all but an island of wilderness in a sea of logged and farmed areas.

The East-West Highway has already sliced the wild area into two and obstructed animal movements. Wildlife migrating between Belum and Temengor have ended up as road kill.

And with increased human activity comes the opening of new roads which will give poachers easy access to wild areas. More and more snares and poachers' camps are being discovered in Belum-Temengor.

In the National Physical Plan, the whole of Hulu Perak is marked as a Rank 1 Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), a ranking that disallows development, agriculture or logging.

This last large tract of forest in Perak is a final stronghold for wildlife.

It shelters 14 threatened mammals and an array of unique plants and animals. Internationally, Belum-Temengor is identified as a Tiger Conservation Landscape it is crucial for the long-term survival of the big cat.

The site has one of the world's greatest concentrations of hornbills 10 species are found here and the rare phenomenon of plain-pouched hornbills gathering by the thousands.

Temengor must not be seen only for its timber and land worth.

This is a mistake: the Malaysian Nature Society had a few years ago estimated that timber yields amount to only between RM58mil and RM250mil annually, whereas the other products and ecological services which the forest provides such as water supply, tourism, non-timber forest products, carbon sink, pharmaceuticals, flood control, fisheries and electricity generation are worth some RM1bil to RM1.2bil.

Keeping Belum-Temengor intact, therefore, seems to make sense.

Malaysia Truly Boleh

August 26, 2011
Country exposed as major transit point after seizure of 1,000 elephant tusks
Star

PETALING JAYA: A container of anchovies headed for Malaysia from Africa turned out to be no small fry. Hidden within the strong smelling anchovies were more than 1,000 elephant tusks.

The killing of more than 500 elephants for the tusks has now turned the spotlight on Malaysia as a significant transit point for the illegal elephant ivory trade.

Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic) South-East Asia senior programme officer Kanitha Krishnasamy said Malaysia had been named in the latest Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) report as “a country of concern”.

“Malaysia has progressively gained prominence in successive ETIS analyses as a transit point for African ivory because of a growing number of illegal shipments passing through its ports,” she said in a statement.

Foreign wires reported yesterday that more than 1,000 elephant tusks destined for Malaysia were seized by Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday.

AFP reported that 1,041 elephant tusks were hidden in a container of anchovies, in the hope that the smell would discourage closer inspection by the authorities.

Krishnasamy said the latest seizure “represented the death of at least 500 elephants”.

She said it was doubtful Malaysia was the end destination of these illegal shipments based on previous seizures in Thailand and Vietnam.

She urged the Wildlife and National Parks Department, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the Customs Department to document all ivory stockpiles seized and report the matter to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Krishnasamy urged the Govern­ment to work with African nations to put a stop to the trade.

“If we do not act now, we will be contributing to the demise of the wild elephant population,” she added.

Action on Cruelty to Animals - Is it for Real?

Two news today that are worth pondering.

1st. We need more foreign non-governmental organisation (NGO) to speak up before our local enforcement agencies can work. This is how pathetic our custodians for wildlife are. Locals making complaints will not likely be heard unless there are some monetary interest involved. After reading the first article below, I am surprised that the private zoo keepers were playing God! Yes, they are cross-breeding wildlife. Are they trying to follow the hybrid culture from the botanists? Its BOLEHLAND!

2nd. New regulations to keep wildlife. Thumbs up. But in BOLEHLAND, it means more monetary side income for the agencies....because law breakers were seldom punished heavily. A small fine and they carry on with their business....its a truly BOLEHLAND!

Don't you think its time to change this rotten government?
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August 11, 2011
Dept warns zoos to shape up
Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Per­hilitan) is aware of allegations raised by a foreign non-governmental organisation on the cruel treatment of animals under the care of Johor Zoo and Danga World Petting Zoo in Johor.

Its director-general Datuk Abdul Rasid Samsudin said Johor Zoo had been advised to ensure that its animals were better treated and amend its husbandry practices to follow guidelines under the soon-to-be-en­forced Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

He warned that if the two premises failed to change their ways, action would be taken.

Abdul Rasid said the Johor Zoo administrators, namely the state government, had admitted that they lacked the funds to operate the zoo.

British conservation and animal rights NGO Nature Alert director Sean Whyte, in an e-mailed statement to both Perhilitan and the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry, had alleged that a baby elephant named Paloh had been ill-treated at Johor Zoo.

The alleged cruelty received wide publicity in several tabloids in Britain while the zoo management claimed that it had chained up Paloh as training and to make sure that she did not harm the keepers.

Following the furore, however, the management has released Paloh from her shackles.

Whyte made a similar complaint against Danga World Petting Zoo, claiming that a 22-year-old elephant named Aidil was shackled for long periods and kept at a construction site with barely enough shade.

Aidil’s fate had also been highlighted in an earlier Starprobe report.

Whyte claimed that the elephant was also forced to perform tricks, including hitting footballs with a cricket bat, blowing a trumpet and harmonica despite Perhilitan imposing a ban against shows using protected animals like elephants, tigers and sun bears.

“I’m surprised to hear that Danga World is still employing the elephant in its shows.

“We have been monitoring them and our inspectors have not seen this happen,” said Abdul Rasid.

He admitted, however, that since the Perhilitan inspectors were not there every day, they could have missed such shows.

On animals seized from the Saleng Zoo following the Starprobe report, Perhilitan deputy director-general Dr Zaaba Zainol Abidin, who is tasked with overseeing the enforcement division, said it had identified 35 cross-bred tigers among the list of animals.

Cross-breeding of species is against the law, with Dr Zaaba noting that these animals were of no use to the gene pool and not advocated by science or conservationists.

As a result, he said no zoos in the world would want these animals, adding that DNA samples would be taken to confirm cross-breeding.

Abdul Rasid said the department might carry out an exercise to take DNA sampling of other cross-bred sus­pected animals from Saleng Zoo.

Perhilitan had to spend about RM1mil for the raid and upkeep of the animals.

On June 20, its officers raided the privately-run zoo in Pulai, Johor, shutting down its operations and seizing the animals.

Another private zoo highlighted, Lye Huat Garden in Kedah, voluntarily surrendered the animals under its care on July 9 after admitting that it could not fulfil the new Perhilitan regulations .

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August 11, 2011
Licences a must soon for all who keep exotic animals
By S.S. YOGA
Star

KUALA LUMPUR: All premises housing wildlife, including pet shops, will now have to apply for permits to continue operating under the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abd Rasid Samsudin said even individuals keeping wildlife would be required to apply for permits.

“Pet shops have to do so. Currently, all they need is a licence from the local council,” he told The Star.

He said this was one way of monitoring premises such as zoos and pet shops to ensure that they did not deal in illegal trade of wildlife as many, especially shops, had previously been found to sell illegally-obtained wild animals.

The ruling also covers common household pets which are on the endangered species list, including animals such as the star and radiated tortoises and other exotic pets such as imported snakes and reptiles.

Abdul Rasid said the regulations for keeping animals in such premises were expected to be ready by the end of next month.

It was up to the minister to decide how much time should be given for zoos and other establishments to comply with the new regulations, he added.

“We have informed all of them about the new conditions. So far, we have audited 17 zoos and establishments and some have failed to meet the requirements.

“We have advised them of the changes they need to make to comply,” said Abdul Rasid who declined to reveal which zoos and establishments had failed the first audit.

He added that Perhilitan had proposed for a bond to be imposed for the issuance of permits for animals individually and if these were later seized, the bond money would go towards their upkeep.

Abdul Rasid said the department always welcomed help from the public and non-government organisations in monitoring the situati- on.

“To help with this effort, once each premises gets its licence, we will post details of each animal and the permit issued on our website to make it easier for them to be monitored and no question of impropriety may arise,” said Abdul Rasid.

He added that a zoo committee, comprising officials from the ministry and other stakeholders like NGOs, would be formed once the regulations were in place.

However, Sahabat Alam Malaysia president S.M. Mohd Idris said the new ruling would have little effect on smuggling of wildlife in the country.

“There is no assurance that Perhilitan will be able to curb animal smuggling even after imposing the Act.

“It is impossible for them to keep track on all individual owners or premises,” he said.

Another smuggling of exotic wildlife

If you read the article below, you will notice that the seizure was with the help of a tip-off. So competent? Several questions need some answers.

How does the driver so easily vanish?

How come the lorry can pass the Msia's check point?

If it has been a tip-off, enforcers would have ample time to catch the smuggler even before entering the check point!

The driver could be informed by officer on the take?

Where do you think the wildlife will be released? As usual we won't know. Perhaps these wildlife could be sent back to the smuggler. Everything is just doubtful.

Money is king ok!

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December 22, 2010
Saved from fate as exotic meat
Story and photos by G.C. TAN
thestar

OVER 1,800 endangered reptiles meant for the cooking pot were rescued by the Customs Department at Bukit Kayu Hitam.

Acting on a tip-off, the department personnel seized 475 hill tortoises, 437 freshwater tortoises, 710 monitor lizards and 196 cobras and king cobras from a lorry that was parked near the Malaysia-Thai duty free zone at about 6.40am on Monday.

The reptiles were kept inside blue sacks, plastic bags and plastic baskets that were hidden in between heaps of empty fruit baskets and 20 boxes of sawn logs meant for carving.

State customs director Ishak Ahmad said the lorry had passed through the Malaysian Immigration checkpoint and had queued to enter the Thai checkpoint that opened at 7am.

“We believe the reptiles which weighed 4,300kg would end up in restaurants selling exotic dishes in a neighbouring country.

“The smugglers thought they can fool us by hiding the reptiles in the front part of the lorry and the empty fruit baskets and logs behind,” he said to reporters at the Customs store yesterday.

Ishak said the department laid an ambush for the lorry which was left unattended.

“We moved in after two hours when there was no sight of the driver or conductor,” he said.

He said this was the biggest seizure of wildlife by the department this year.

He said the reptiles worth RM24,000, lorry and the 20 boxes worth RM6,000 would be handed over to the state Wildlife and National Parks Department for further action.

Ban helps increase wildlife population in Johor

Sunday November 7, 2010
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH
thestar

JOHOR BARU: The royal ban on wildlife hunting in Johor has helped to steadily increase wildlife population in the state.

Johor National Parks Corporation director Abu Bakar Mohamed Salleh said the wildlife population, especially that of tigers, had seen an increase and he attributed this to the ban that was decreed by Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar in April last year.

“Previously, we recorded 11 tigers at our national park.

“Since the ban was imposed, we have sighted four more tigers, including three cubs.

“We are happy that the number of tigers in the state has increased,” he said, adding that the population of their prey had also increased.

“We have noticed that animals that used to be targets of hunters such as rusa (deer), kijang (barking deer) and kancil (mousedeer) had also increased,” he said.

Abu Bakar added that heightened surveillance of the national park had also helped the wildlife population to grow.

“We are working closely with our counterparts in (neighbouring) Pahang to ensure poachers do not hunt in our forests,” he said.

Abu Bakar, however, said poaching had not been eradicated.

“We still have hunters breaching our borders. Hopefully, with the help of the public and increased surveillance, we will be able to stop them,” he said.

The Macaque that abducts and bites

The news today about a macaque that abducts, bites and drops baby from the roof is horrible and is going to be a common phenomena. Human has been constantly encroaching into wildlife's territories and destroying their food and habitats. Its payback time! If you read the article here you could identify two key points that caused the aggressive behaviour of the macaque.

1. Staying in a "residential areas with a foliage of trees", just like an island of forest, no corridor for the monkeys to move. Seeking food from the residential houses is the best option for the monkeys. These macaques are omnivorous. Anything moving that is small enough to carry will be food.

2. "The family kept a female monkey in captivity". And the male was attracted and perhaps that was the consequences of taking something that belonged to the wild.

In all cases, wildlife is best left in the wild. The consequences are too many.

Elderly Malaysian rhino enlisted in breeding attempt

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:43

freemalaysiatoday.com
Source here

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian wildlife officials on Borneo island said today they will try to artificially inseminate an elderly female rhinoceros in a bid to revive one of the world's most endangered species.

Gelegub, a Sumatran rhino who at 28-years-old is equivalent to a 70-something grandmother in human terms, will be impregnated with sperm from a virile young male rhino.

"Gelegub is too old to mate normally and the mating ritual of rhinos is quite violent so this would be one of the best ways to try and get her pregnant and give birth to a rhino in captivity," said Sen Nathan, coordinator of the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary where the procedure will be carried out.

Sen said the only breeding facility in the world that has had any success in producing Sumatran rhino calves in captivity is the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States, which has produced three calves over the last decade.

"Our priority of course is to have natural mating in the first place but at the moment we only have one male rhino in captivity and Gelegub is the only other viable female that we have," he said.

"It is critical that we try and get the rhinos to reproduce as there are only 50 such rhinos in the region and without reproduction, they face imminent extinction."

Nathan said Gelegub will be injected with hormones in November to stimulate the production of eggs, which will be removed and fertilised, hopefully producing viable embryos for implantation.

Spare embryos will be frozen for implantation in surrogates at a later date.

Between 30 to 50 of the Borneo sub-species of the Sumatran rhinos are known to remain in the wild in Borneo -- a vast island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

It is distinguished from other Sumatran rhinos by its relatively small size, small teeth and distinctively shaped head.

Only 150 to 300 Sumatran rhino are known to exist in the wild, making it one of the world's most endangered species, with only small groups left on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the north of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia.

- AFP

Wildlife trade haven, uninterrupted

Tue, 27 Jul 2010
By Hilary Chiew
freemalaysiatoday.com

COMMENT Tiger in A’Famosa Resort exploited for commercial gain. Two women from Madagascar arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for smuggling more than 400 pieces of rare species from the island state off mainland Africa. An apparent criminal syndicate was busted with not only stolen cars but scores of protected birds and other mammals in a warehouse in the capital city.

These are very likely, pardon the cliché, the tip of the iceberg of the extent of wildlife abuse and trafficking in this country that constantly boasts of being one of the 12 mega biodiversity centres in the world.

And they all have one thing in common – they were not exposed by the Department of Wildlife and National Park (Perhilitan).

The exploit of A’Famosa was filmed by a young girl who was disgusted with the state of abuse the majestic cat was subjected to in a profit-driven outlet capitalising on the draw of the animal in the lunar calendar year of the tiger, no less.

The KLIA seizure was carried out by the Customs Department while the “mini zoo” discovery was purely accidental and opportunistic, piggy-backing on a police raid.

Sure, Perhilitan has some successful enforcement cases that it announced now and then through press conferences. And in no way am I belittling the efforts of its Wildlife Crime Unit.

However, seizure is one thing and bringing the matter to justice is another. Unfortunately, the latter is sorely lacking.

Tiger exploitation

Take the case of A’Famosa. Perhilitan said it is awaiting a statement from the videographer or whoever that posted the clip on popular video-sharing site YouTube before handing the investigation paper to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Sound fair enough. Let’s just hope that it won’t be conveniently forgotten once the hype is gone.

Prior to the outcry generated by this YouTube posting that culminated in a protest outside the resort supported by local showbiz celebrities Rina Omar and Bernie Chan in late May, the same resort had also been criticised for capitalising on the species which is the animal in the Chinese zodiac for the 2010 lunar new year.

The YouTube video was evidence of such activities during the Chinese New Year judging from the background music.

At the same time, Saleng Zoo had also jumped on the bandwagon of the “roaring business”. It even ran a “tiger-for-loan” scheme for corporation or just anyone who is willing to pay a few thousands ringgit to temporarily “own” a cub for a few hours to do whatever with it as they pleased.

The zoo near Kulai, Johor, has been involved in a controversial tiger-breeding programme where the mortality rate of tiger cubs was high as well as being implicated in supplying cubs to other aspiring zoos and individual collectors; an activity that is not covered by its Special Permit as far as public knowledge is concerned.

But the zoo is unperturbed – it never fails to publicise the birth of its cubs, with an unabashed business sense. Somehow the births are timed perfectly for some festive celebration around the corner. And unsuspecting newspapers duly provide coverage, throwing in the patriotic act of boosting tourism for the state.

Permit to abuse

The issue begged a fundamental question – why are entities like A’Famosa, Saleng Zoo and Danga Bay Petting Zoo which are devoid of any conservation purposes allowed to keep totally protected animals like tigers?

In twisted logic fashion, these entities justified their utilisation of the animals for photography sessions as a financial source for feeding and upkeep of the animals.

Totally protected species like tigers, elephants and orangutans can only be kept with a document called Special Permit issued by Perhilitan. This document generally lasts for a year and could be suspended if conditions had been contravened by its holder. And this document is only approved by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment upon favourable advice by Perhilitan.

This permit generally allowed its holder to import, export, confine and breed the animals. In the case of zoo operators, they are allowed to display but it is deafeningly silent on “extra” activities like being forced to participate in photo-prop or providing rides.

Technically-speaking, the A-G's Chambers may not be able to find any faults with these operators unless the charge is centred on cruelty to wildlife as provided for in the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972.

Section 92 (1) c reads: houses, confines or breeds any wild animal or wild bird in such a manner so as to cause it unnecessary pain or suffering including the housing, confining or breeding of any wild animal or wild bird in any cage, enclosure or hut which is not suitable for or conducive to the comfort or health of the wild animal or wild bird.

(The new law – Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 which was passed in the recent parliamentary session – is yet to come into force, hence does not apply to these cases.)

Given that complaints of animal cruelty against these three private outfits are not new, it is highly irresponsible of Perhilitan in continuing to renew the permits, not to mention that there were no suspensions.

In fact, the rather telling revelation from Saleng Zoo over the public uproar on tiger for photography session, was that it was ordered by Perhilitan to stop such activities “until further notice”.

According to Perhilitan’s published guidelines on zoo operation, it is desirable that public and private zoos are members of Mazpa (The Malaysian Zoological Park Association), which tried to promote good practices of animal-keeping entities. Saleng Zoo is not – yet it continues to exist in an apparent lawless situation.

A’Famosa has been implicated in orangutan smuggling in 2005. After a long investigation, mainly on DNA verification of species and not on the smuggling racket, a total of seven animals were repatriated to Sumatra.

A salient feature in this episode was the presence of a Special Permit issued by Perhilitan that explicitly enabled A’Famosa to import and hold orangutans.

The penalty – none, safe for the initial RM1,000 compound when the offence was first detected in 2000 by the department itself. However, Perhilitan as the management authority of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species did not seize and repatriate the animals until the matter was exposed by the media.

Smuggling haven

As for Perhilitan’s capability of solving trans-boundary smuggling like the hundreds of radiated tortoises from Madagascar or the earlier spate of Indian star tortoises, the results are appalling.

Save for some seizures, we hear nothing about the fate of the human couriers. Were they ever charged? What kind of information did the investigation yield?

Why were the two women not “allowed” to complete their mission in a “control delivery” fashion so that they could lead the enforcers to the ultimate smuggler? It’s baffling that after so many cases involving the syndicate adopting similar modus operandi, Perhilitan failed to institute such a simple Standard Operating Procedure. Training had been provided to agencies like Customs that are on the frontline of the war against wildlife trafficking by Perhilitan and the Asean-Wildlife Enforcement Network (Asean-WEN).

Malaysia has been a partner of the Aseanf-WEN since its launch in December 2005. The main task of the largest network of its kind is to strengthen enforcement through intelligence-sharing and to destroy the syndicate behind this crime against biodiversity and our shared natural heritage.

However, except for possibly some small fries (that also we are unsure) that are compounded or fined a few thousand ringgits at most, the syndicate bosses continue laughing to the bank.

Early this year, Malaysia's notorious image as a wildlife transit hub was splashed across the reputable National Geographic magazine. The shaming didn’t seem to bother the government much and hence possibly explain why neither the police nor the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (where reports had been filed by concerned animal rights groups) bothered to act.


Wildlife conservationists had long lamented that flora and fauna are last on the list of politicians and decision-makers as they don’t have a voice. Perhaps if only those animals have a right to vote every five years will the government sit up and listen.

While the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment claimed that a task force was set up to investigate the matter, it side-stepped the serious allegation of corruption within the highest order of Perhilitan. It is satisfied with the offer by the high-ranking officer, who was implicated with wildlife trader Penang-based Anson Wong in illegal wildlife trade, to institute legal redress in her personal capacity.

That approach is a bit odd and we are still waiting for the officer to follow through with her promise. And along with that, at stake is the integrity of Perhilitan, the ministry and the Malaysian government.

Nevertheless, following numerous expose on the abuse of the Special Permit, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Douglas Uggah had ordered that all applications are to be deliberated at the ministry level.

However, the ability of the ministry is doubted. Often, matters regarding wildlife are referred to Perhilitan by virtue that it is supposed to be the expert, custodian of wildlife management and no less enforcer of the law.

Loopholes remain

Finally, after 13 years, a new legislation governing wildlife was passed by Parliament early this month.

Some quarters celebrated. They were largely pleased that the penalty for several types of offences, particularly the one dealing with poaching and illegal trading, had been increased, and, therefore, it is assumed that these would have the desired deterrent effect.

The public is relieved and hopes to see the new law provide the promised bites.

Yet, if it has taken this long, one would expect a major overhaul to plug all the loopholes. It is disheartening to see that weaknesses in the old law are being repeated in the new law.

If you want to keep totally protected animals, you can still apply for a Special Permit. If you want to operate a zoo with highly endangered species, just apply too.

If in 1972, totally protected animals are still plentiful, in 2010 and beyond, these species are becoming extinct.

So, what’s the justification for importing, exporting, keeping and breeding these animals bearing in mind that all these activities are incentives for wildlife trafficking? Are we indirectly encouraging poaching?

Some quarters would like to see the passing of the bill as a breakthrough but the provision for Special Permit that is retained is suffice to burst the happy bubbles.

The battle against wildlife trafficking in Malaysia is not over; it just got tougher because by the next round of amendment, there is probably no totally protected species to defend.

Hilary Chiew is a socio-environmental researcher and freelance writer based in Kuala Lumpur.

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

Consequences of BP disaster

Sea creatures flee oil spill, gather near shore
By JAY REEVES, JOHN FLESHER and TAMARA LUSH,
Associated Press Writers Jay Reeves, John Flesher And Tamara Lush,
Wed Jun 16, 3:49 pm ET

GULF SHORES, Ala. – Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets, crabs, rays and small fish congregate by the thousands off an Alabama pier. Birds covered in oil are crawling deep into marshes, never to be seen again.

Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster are seeing some strange — and troubling — phenomena.

Fish and other wildlife are fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and clustering in cleaner waters along the coast. But that is not the hopeful sign it might appear to be, researchers say.

The animals' presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen. Also, the animals could easily get devoured by predators.

"A parallel would be: Why are the wildlife running to the edge of a forest on fire? There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable," said Larry Crowder, a Duke University marine biologist.

The nearly two-month-old oil spill has created an environmental catastrophe unparalleled in U.S. history as tens of millions of gallons of have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Scientists are seeing some unusual things as they try to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life.

Day by day, scientists in boats tally up dead birds, sea turtles and other animals, but the toll is surprisingly small given the size of the disaster. The latest figures show that 783 birds, 353 turtles and 41 mammals have died — numbers that pale in comparison to what happened after the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989, when 250,000 birds and 2,800 otters are believed to have died.

Researchers say there are several reasons for the relatively small death toll: The vast nature of the spill means scientists are able to locate only a small fraction of the dead animals. Many will never be found after sinking to the bottom of the sea or getting scavenged by other marine life. And large numbers of birds are meeting their deaths deep in the Louisiana marshes where they seek refuge from the onslaught of oil.

"That is their understanding of how to protect themselves," said Doug Zimmer, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For nearly four hours Monday, a three-person crew with Greenpeace cruised past delicate islands and mangrove-dotted inlets in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana. They saw dolphins by the dozen frolicking in the oily sheen and oil-tinged pelicans feeding their young. But they spotted no dead animals.

"I think part of the reason why we're not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning," Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said.

As for the fish, locals are seeing large schools hanging around

piers where fishing has been banned; apparently the fish feel safer now that they are not being disturbed by fishermen.

Also, researchers believe fish are swimming closer to shore because the water is cleaner and more abundant in oxygen. Father out in the Gulf, researchers say, the spill is not only tainting the water with oil but also depleting oxygen levels.

A similar scenario occurs during "dead zone" periods — the time during summer months when oxygen becomes so depleted that fish race toward shore in large numbers. Sometimes, so many fish gather close to the shoreline off Mobile that locals rush to the beach with tubs and nets to reap the harvest.

But this latest shore migration could prove deadly.

First, more oil could eventually wash ashore and overwhelm the fish. They could also become trapped between the slick and the beach, leading to increased competition for oxygen in the water and causing them to die as they run out of air.

"Their ability to avoid it may be limited in the long term, especially if in near-shore refuges they're crowding in close to shore, and oil continues to come in. At some point they'll get trapped," Crowder said. "It could lead to die-offs."

The fish could also fall victim to predators such as sharks and seabirds. Already there have been increased shark sightings in shallow waters along the Gulf Coast.

The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an academic exercise; the deaths will help determine how much BP pays in damages.

Roger Helm, chief of the Fish and Wildlife Service's contaminants division, said the government expects a battle with BP over the extent of the damage and has every incentive to be scientifically credible.

"Both sides go to their own corner and interpret the data the way they want," Helm said. "This is a legal process, and if we can't get an agreement we'll end up in court."

Activities of Penang National Park - Release of Turtles?

"Some activities will be opened up to the public soon and among them are canoeing, visit to the Kuala Sungai Pinang mangrove forest, release of turtles, bird watching and the Canopy Walk".

If you have read the Star (12 April 2010) - "Boat trip into mangrove swamp and other activities in store at national park" (read below) then you will be surprised that one of the activities is releasing of turtles!
This is the most insane activity. Don't this people realise that releasing of turtles during the day will attract natural predators - the eagles, fish, dolphins etc? Turtles that hatched naturally at dawn, when both temperature and visibility are low have better chance to survive. Beside, these hatchlings have been struggling in the enclosure and would have been exhausted by the time they were released. Hatchlings should be immediately collected and released into the sea. Having an activity that jeopardise the lives of the turtles is not eco at all. The national park was declared to protect wildlife, but sadly, tourism is now more important than protection of wildlife. Malaysia Boleh again!

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Monday April 12, 2010
Boat trip into mangrove swamp and other activities in store at national park
By K. KASTURI DEWI
Star

OUR guide Pak Rahmat turned off the engine so as not to disturb the birds and marine life when our boat entered the Kuala Sungai Pinang mangrove forest in Penang.

Just then, an eagle perched on top of one of the pokok api-api (Avicennia spp) took flight, creating a perfect opportunity for the shutterbugs in the boat to click away their cameras.

Our boat, carrying about six of us, accompanied 10 paddlers in five canoes from the second entrance of the Penang National Park (Taman Negara Pulau Pinang) in Kuala Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau.

Along the banks of the mangrove swamp, we saw fishermen laying traps for crabs while others were mending nets in their boats at dilapidated wooden jetties.

As the boat drifted deeper into the mangrove forest, we sat back, soaking in the tranquil ambience of the mangrove forest.

For some of us, it was our first time making such a trip into a mangrove forest by boat.

The cruise was the first organised for a group of media representatives and invited guests as part of a media familiarisation trip to the newly-upgraded Penang National Park.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) wildlife conservation ambassador and Era radio deejay Adifasha Juraimi was one of the invited guests.

The trip was held in conjunction with the park’s two-day Community Carnival held on April 10 and April 11 to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the site being gazetted as a national park.

After getting back to the Kuala Sungai Pinang jetty to hop on to another bigger boat, we headed for the newly built 250m-long Canopy Walk which hovers 15m above the ground.

The Canopy Walk is accessible via Sungai Teluk Tukun or Pantai Kerachut.

From the suspended walkway, one is able to view the lush forest from an interesting angle.

The soothing sounds of fresh water flowing from the mountains and the crisp cool morning air are enough to attract visitors to the Canopy Walk.

We ended the half-day tour of the park with a kampung-style lunch at the park’s administration office in Teluk Bahang.

Some activities will be opened up to the public soon and among them are canoeing, visit to the Kuala Sungai Pinang mangrove forest, release of turtles, bird watching and the Canopy Walk.

Park superintendent Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh said about 20 certified nature guides would be trained to attract more visitors to the park.

“Being familiar with the places, the guides, who are locals, will be able to provide the right information to visitors,” he said.

Wan Mohd Adib said activities were now arranged by the park only upon request.

“We have plans to open up these activities to the public in the near future,” he said.

On the second day of the carnival, the Kerachut Conservation Run and a handphone photography competition were held. There were also a colouring contest, recycled invention competition, mural painting and other activities.

---------

Monday April 12, 2010
100 baby turtles released into sea
By CHRISTINA CHIN
Star

IT was an exciting affair for dozens of nature lovers as they cheered enthusiastically for more than 100 newly-hatched baby turtles that were struggling to make their way into the open sea.

The hatchlings were released from Pantai Kerachut in Muka Head, Penang.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) wildlife conservation ambassador Adifasha Juraimi, who is also an Era radio deejay, said he was “happy and excited” to be at the Turtle Conservation Centre to witness the event.

“I am an animal lover so I am thrilled to be here. This is my first encounter with turtles and they are just so wonderful,” he said.

The release was held in conjunction with the park’s two-day Community Carnival.

Penang Fisheries Department licensing and resource protection branch chief Mohd Rafi Hassan said the centre targeted to release 6,000 turtles into the sea this year under its conservation project.

The young turtles were only released when it was dark to prevent eagles and fishes from spotting them.

“Last year, 5,200 turtles were successfully hatched from 8,543 eggs.

“We hope to collect 10,000 eggs this year and successfully hatch at least 6,000 turtles.

“Since January, we have released almost 700 baby turtles into the sea,” he said, adding that the eggs were collected from Pantai Teluk Ketapang Kecil, Pantai Teluk Kampi and Pantai Kerachut to be hatched at the centre.

The department purchases the eggs from appointed collectors at a price of RM2 each.

“So far, we have not received any reports of people collecting the eggs illegally — which is good news,” Mohd Rafi said.

Department officer Mansor Yobe said the uncertain weather conditions and temperature were the main reasons for the eggs failing to hatch.

“Here at the centre, we prefer to let the eggs hatch in the turtles’ natural habitat (on the beach) rather than in a temperature-controlled hatchery,” he said.

“This is because research has shown that in-situ hatchlings (natural) are healthier than ex-situ (hatchery) hatchlings.

“Here, the main thing we look out for are predators such as monitor lizards, palm civets and crabs.

“We recently built new fences to ensure that the hatchlings are not attacked,” he said.

In September last year, 15 baby turtles had their heads bitten off by what was believed to be a palm civet.

Mohd Rafi said the incident occurred because the eggs had hatched earlier than expected when no one was stationed there that night.

Tiger year and the tiger story

Star’s headline read, “Shock over poaching clip”. The Sun’s, “Groups shocked over tiger video on British TV”. And this “shocking news” has poor coverage in the main propaganda newsprints.

Everybody seems to be in a “shock”....syok sendiri maybe. Its a joke that after all these while, after so many incidents of poaching, after so many news related to killing of wildlife in Malaysia....and these people still claim to be in a “shock”. “Syok sendiri” should be more appropriate. I have seen how the army shot a wildlife at night in the jungle – without knowing what they were shooting. They just aimed at the reflective eyes when shone with the spotlight. Tell signs and leftover of poaching have been seen everywhere in the jungles.

There was one case, when we were not allow into the Temengor area by the Forestry. However, the next day we saw a group of men on 4WD coming out from that jungle. There was double standard. So tell me how can poachers get into the jungles if the Forestry were so strict to layman like me. I think it is more of the “pagar makan the paddy”. I would brand those as “Traitors to our natural heritage”.

First, we must know that the video clip was first shown in Britian. Why was it not shown here? Simple answer. It will be brushed aside. Whistleblower will be picked up harassed instead. People who reported or submitted the video will be sued...it is just that simple. Don’t you see that this is Bolehland? The criminals always get off the hook.....correct, correct, correct! Remember that? And if they were to be found guilty (once in awhile just to show some work done), then the fines and penalties can easily be covered by the illegal sale of wildlife.

Why the hu-ha about these man-eaters? Some people I met just shuddered off by saying, “what so special of tigers?”. They killed people? Right? Well, for those who have this misconcept, lets go through some education. Infact tigers are part of the larger ecosystem. Researchs have shown that without predators, other animals will be over populated. Take for example, deers will start eating up the every new seedlings and causing the extinction of valuable trees, erosion to river banks, stray deers into populated areas, diseases and grobbing up everything – the herbs etc in the forests. Wouldn’t that be scary?

See the video clip by the British’s Channel 4 TV.

Ruler bans hunting of wildlife

Friday March 5, 2010
By LOURDES CHARLES and NELSON BENJAMIN
thestar.com.my

JOHOR BARU: There will be no more hunting in the state, Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almar­hum Sultan Iskandar decreed.

He said the ban was necessary to protect the wildlife especially protected species from decreasing or going extinct. Sultan Ibrahim said that besides tigers, the ban includes bears, deer, mousedeer, tapir and porcupines.

“The poaching of these animals are so cruel. Eating one tiger claw will not make you have tiger strength for months,” he said referring to beliefs that consuming certain animal parts would help boost virility.

He stressed that if wild animals were causing a nuisance to people or farmers, they should inform the Johor Wildlife Department (Perhilitan).

“We can organise shooters for wild boars or crows,” he said, adding that a meeting would be held with Perhitilitan to enforce the ruling immediately.

“I want to protect the wildlife in Johor and those caught poaching should be jailed,” he told The Star in an exclusive interview at his Istana Pasir Pelangi here yesterday.

Sultan Ibrahim said he was breeding several animals like tigers, panthers and deers with the intention of releasing them into the jungle.

Sultan Ibrahim has 400 deer, 12 Siberian, Indian and Bengal tigers as well as panthers.

He also has six tiger cubs as a result of his breeding programme.

“I am trying to protect wildlife here including starting a rehabilitation centre for deer in central Johor,” he said, adding that he also hoped to work with the World Wildlife Foundation.

Sultan Ibrahim said he had informers who would report to him if people continued hunting.

He also wanted the procedures for the issuance of gun licences in the state to be tightened.

He warned those who misused their gun licences that he would not hesitate to get the authorities to revoke their licences and seize their guns.

“The police must assist and conduct roadblocks in places known to be famous for hunting to ensure no one flouts the law,” he added.

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Friday March 5, 2010
Private zoo implicated in smuggling of orangutan
By HILARY CHIEW and JOSHUA FOONG

PETALING JAYA: Besides keeping animals illegally, the controversial zoo in a southern state was also implicated in the smuggling of the critically endangered orangutan.

It was one of the private facilities in the country that is known to have acquired smuggled orangutan in recent years where the animals were confiscated and repatriated by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).

This was confirmed by Perhilitan, thus contradicting the assertion of the zoo that the department took away a pair of its orangutan for breeding in Indonesia a year ago.

It is unclear if the zoo was penalised for the offence but it appeared that its special permit for orangutan was never revoked.

Instead, its orangutan collection was replaced; a six-year-old female was delivered in June last year followed by a 15-year-old male in December.

Perhilitan deputy director-general Misliah Mohamad Basir said the replacements were from the Bukit Merah Lake Town Resort as part of the department’s breeding loan programme, adding that it is an effort to promote eco-tourism in Johor.

In 2006, Malaysia repatriated seven Sumatran orangutan that were removed from a resort in Malacca and one from the Johor zoo following a nationwide DNA finger-printing exercise that revealed that 12 out of 58 orangutan held at seven facilities were Sumatran and the remaining 46 were Borneans.

However, in Perhilitan’s communication in 2005 with British-based NatureAlert that had taken an interest in the smuggled orangutan scandal, it was revealed that seven Borneans belonging to the Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii supspecies (found in Sarawak and western Kalimantan) would be repatriated.