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Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 8 Sep 19; KUCHING: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) enforcement team nabbed two men for selling sea turtle eggs at Pasar Tamu Kubah Ria on Saturday. SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said the first suspect, aged 65, was caught at 9.45am and 214 eggs were seized. �When our team returned to the market for another round of patrol in the afternoon, they arrested a 26-year-old man with 438 sea turtle eggs. We had lodged a police report for further investigation,� he said in a statement today. On the same day, another team raided a stall at Bandar Riyal market in Kota Samarahan for selling wild boar meat. A 62-year-old male suspect was nabbed and 17 packets of the wildlife meat were seized. Zolkipli said anyone who hunts, kills, keeps, sells or consumes protected animals faces a one-year jail term and RM10,000 fine. �In the case of the sea turtle which is a totally protected wildlife in Sarawak, the maximum fine is RM50,000 and five years�...

Roy Goh New Straits Times 5 Sep 19; KOTA KINABALU: Elephants in Sabah are evolving to lose their tusks to survive, a phenomenon that is also happening in other parts of the world. Sightings of such tusk-less bull Bornean pygmy elephants are getting more common and a senior veterinarian believes more research needs to be done on the phenomenon and its implications. Sabah Wildlife department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said it used to be rare, seeing a tusk-less male, but these days it's becoming common. "I have been involved in trans-locating elephants for more than 20 years and other senior colleagues dealt with the animal longer, more than 30 years, and now, we see this phenomenon becoming more common. "Seeing elephants with tusks measuring close to two metres was common before but not these days. "Heavy poaching pressure seems to have caused the Bornean elephants to lose their tusks," Sen said. "This is something we would like to analyse further and...

KRISTY INUS The Star 5 Sep 19; KOTA KINABALU: The banteng, the wild cattle of Borneo, are not just being poached but increasingly turning up as bycatch in snares set for other animals, say conservation groups. In a joint statement, the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) said the population of the animal, estimated to number fewer than 500 in the state, was already facing fragmentation due to deforestation, infrastructure development and human activity. �Besides being targeted for bush meat, the mammal has often become a bycatch in snares meant for smaller animals like wild boar and deer,� said DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens yesterday. This had resulted in the animals suffering from potentially catastrophic injuries such as loss of limb, he said. �During our study, several images documented incidences of injuries sustained by the Bornean banteng from these snares,� he said. Dr Goossen was among researchers from the centre and the Cardiff University who...

STEPHEN THEN, MUGUNTAN VANAR and MEI MEI CHU The Star 4 Sep 19; PETALING JAYA: From urban centres to deep jungles, the illegal wildlife trade is a multimillion-ringgit business spread across the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. It leaves a trail of cruelty starting from the forest � to the longhouses, markets in cities and towns, to certain �pet shops� and then onwards to the homes of the well-heeled, both within and out of Malaysia. Some of these rare wildlife are endangered and protected under the law, and the most popular animals include macaques, hornbills, rare parrots, colourful birds, rare reptiles, baby sunbears, deer, tortoises, leopard cats and so on. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates the global wildlife trafficking industry to be worth between US$7bil (RM28bil) and US$23bil (RM92bil) annually. Malaysia, one of the world�s most biodiverse countries, is known as a notorious �destination airport� and transit location on the wildlife trade route. A 2016 report...

Channel NewsAsia 3 Sep 19; SINGAPORE: Two live hedgehogs were found hidden in a Singapore-registered car at the Woodlands Checkpoint by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers on Saturday (Aug 31). The animals were wrapped in camouflage netting and hidden in the spare tyre compartment of the vehicle. ICA said a 42-year-old Singaporean man was referred to the National Parks Board (NParks) for further investigation and that the hedgehogs are now under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. �Animals like hedgehogs are not suitable as pets as they may transmit zoonotic diseases to humans and can be a public safety risk if mishandled or if they escape. "These non-native animals may also pose a threat to local biodiversity if released into the environment,� ICA said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Several attempts to smuggle animals into Singapore via the land checkpoints have been made in recent months. On Aug 10, ICA officers thwarted an attempt to smuggle 815 birds thr...

The Star 2 Sep 19; MIRI: Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has lodged a police report against a group of fortune tellers from China who abused protected wildlife in their so-called "fortune-telling" business in Miri. SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said his enforcement unit had also rescued two protected parrots being abused by these foreign traders. "SFC officers raided the exhibition and rescued the two birds. "We also lodged a police report against these so-called fortune tellers. "They were using protected parrots as a business gimmick and we are investigating where they sourced the wildlife," he said in a press statement Monday (Sept 2). Zolkipli said the SFC enforcement team raided the exhibition at the Miri Bintang Megamall after receiving complaints from the public about the animal abuse by the China traders. The China nationals were at Bintang Megamall lobby for a trade exhibition and one of their stalls featured fortune-tellin...

Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah New Straits Times 29 Aug 19; TUMPAT: Kelantan Customs Department today foiled an attempt to smuggle 4,000kg of wild boar carcasses, worth RM44,000, to Thailand. The wild boar carcasses, hidden in two boats, were seized in two separate operations here, said the department's director Mohd Rakbi Mat Saud. He said a man and a Thai national, both in their 50s, were detained in the operations. "In the first operation at Mentua illegal jetty, our officers seized 2,800kg of the wild boar carcasses from a boat there. "A man was arrested in the 2.40am operation," he told a press conference in Pengkalan Kubor today. He said the rest of the carcasses were seized in a second operation at Pengkalan Haji Rashid about 7.30am which saw the arrest of the second man. "Initial investigations showed the carcasses were brought to Kelantan from Terengganu and will be smuggled to Thailand via the illegal jetties. "There are high demand for the carcasses...

EDDIE CHUA The Star 30 Aug 19; PETALING JAYA: The critically endangered Helmeted Hornbill is facing a grave threat from poachers who are after its famed red crown, which is prized by collectors. International wildlife syndicates pay these poachers between US$80 (RM337) and US$100 (RM421) per crown, prized as �red ivory� that can be carved into souvenirs and trinkets. The hunt for these magnificent birds has intensified in Malaysia following a clampdown on poaching activities in Indonesia. The authorities there are keeping a tight watch on airports and seaports. Checks by The Star indicate that online chatter via underground poaching channels has intensified, with offers being repeatedly made to those who could supply syndicates with the hornbills� crowns. The Helmeted Hornbill crown or casque is a solid thick layer of keratin found above its beak, similar to fingernails or rhino horn. It can fetch thousands of ringgit in the black market as these casques can be carved into beautiful a...

TESSA OH Today Online 27 Aug 19; SINGAPORE � A small crowd gathered at Jalan Lekar on Tuesday (Aug 27) for a heartwarming send-off, as turtles Barni and Queen B set off for their journey back into the wild. The turtles, who were rescued by the Animal Concern Research and Education Society (Acres) in the middle of last year, will be released at an undisclosed protected area in Malaysia where they can live freely again, in their natural habitat. Barni, which weighs 11kg, is a Malaysian male giant turtle � an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list. It had been kept illegally as a pet before being rescued by Acres. Malaysian giant turtles are the largest freshwater turtle species in Southeast Asia. Queen B, which weighs 4kg, is an Asian pond turtle, which has been classified as a vulnerable species. A spokesperson from Acres said that it is likely that Queen B was abandoned and subsequently run over by a vehicle � it was found stranded on the ...

Forests Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini (inset) said the squad would focus on anti-poaching operations from Sept 1. NSTP Roy Goh New Straits Times 28 Aug 19; A total of 25 specially-trained contract staff will start operations under the department's Enforcement, Tactical, Operational and Protection squad or Protect Unit. Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini said the squad would focus on anti-poaching operations from Sept 1. �They will boost the enforcement capacity of the state government in reducing the number of poaching cases in Sabah,� he said. The formation of the team was made possible from a grant of RM4 million provided by the Sime Darby Foundation to the department. From 900 locals who applied, 70 candidates were picked before 30 were shortlisted for the special training at the Sabah Forestry Institute in Telupid. Mashor said a two-day selection course was held for the 70 candidates in Ranau. �They were put through written, physical and mental aptitude test, follo...

Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah New Straits Times 26 Aug 19; PASIR PUTIH: Marine police foiled an attempt to smuggle 90 palm civets and 14 tortoises near Sungai Semerak here on Sunday. The animals, which were seized near a jetty in Taman Sara about 11am, are estimated to be worth about RM19,000. Marine police third region commander Assistant Commissioner Norzaid Muhammad Said said a marine police team from the Tok Bali base had spotted 90 baskets containing the palm civets and two plastic containers with the tortoises. He said no suspects were nabbed during the operation, which was launched after a tip-off. �After waiting for almost an hour, no one turned up to claim the animals. The marine police officers then seized them. �The animals were believed to be intended to be sold to exotic food lovers in Thailand and Vietnam,� he said. Norzaid said initial investigations showed that the palm civets and tortoises were captured from jungles in the state. �Investigation also revealed that the ani...

The Star 21 Aug 19; PETALING JAYA: The international trade of South-East Asia's most popular songbird, the white-rumped shama, has led to "incredible numbers" of birds seized in markets in and around Malaysia, a 2018 study revealed. According to wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, the study found that close to 70% of 15,480 white-rumped shamas seized in South-East Asia between 2008 and 2018 were destined for international trade. The wildlife trade routes run mainly from and through Malaysia, and to Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. In 2017, the single biggest cross-border seizure involved 4,280 white-rumped shamas smuggled from Malaysia to Indonesia by boat, the study published in Oriental Bird Club found. The keeping of songbirds as pets and for participation in singing competitions is a tradition in the Asian region. The excessive sale of these songbirds in bird markets and online have led to calls for greater protection and regulation. The study's...

Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 21 Aug 19; SIBU: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation seized more than 400 wild animals which included protected species during their operations last week. Its Chief Executive Officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said a total of 366 animals from 38 species protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) were rescued. �Our team also seized four Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea) and a black hornbill, which are among the total of protected species,� he said. Other protected species included pheasants, Hill Mynas, owls, Prevost's squirrels, parrots, mousedeer, peacocks, kijang (barking deer), punai (green pigeon) and tortoise. �All these animals will be sent to the Matang Wildlife Centre and will be kept for monitoring before they are released and returned to the wild,� he said in a statement. Zolkipli urged pet shop and animal farm operators to apply and obtain permits or licences from the Controller of Wildl...

MEI MEI CHU The Star 20 Aug 19; PETALING JAYA: As alarm bells ring with Malaysia�s Sumatran rhino population plummeting to a single surviving female, one wildlife biologist is racing to set up a captive breeding programme for the critically-endangered Malayan Sun Bear. Malaysia�s leading sun bear conservationist Wong Siew Te (pic) is targeting to launch the programme by 2025 at his Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC) in Sandakan, Sabah. �Forest fragmentation is becoming increasingly serious, more poachers have access to forested areas and I�ve seen places that used to have lots of sun bears now no longer have any, � Wong said in an interview. He said the empty forest syndrome was growing in Malaysia. The extinction of sun bears, a keystone species, would have ripple effects on the survival of other wildlife and plants in the forest, he said. �Without sun bears, the forest will be very different... It is my mission to make sure that there are sun bears living in our forests, �...

Closure of tiger farms among urgent steps needed to protect species, wildlife summit hears Damian Carrington The Guardian 21 Aug 19; Two illegally smuggled tigers per week are being seized by officials, according to a report, but this represents only a tiny fraction of those being killed. The report, by the wildlife trade experts Traffic, was released at a summit of 183 countries under the Convention in the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), where many delegates have called for stronger action. Traffic also found a surge since 2012 in seized carcasses, skins and bones from tiger farms. International trade in the species is banned, but the researchers said the captive-breeding facilities, mainly in China, undermine their protection by maintaining demand in domestic markets and enabling the laundering of wild tiger products. There are fewer than 4,000 tigers in the wild but more than 7,000 in tiger farms, which sometimes masquerade as zoos. In 2016, more than 180 animals...

Singapore�s ivory ban is a win for conservation but we must double down on wider conservation efforts, says WWF-Singapore�s Kim Stengert. Kim Stengert Channel NewsAsia 17 Aug 19; SINGAPORE: This week marked the end of a long wait for Singapore to stop the sale of ivory and ivory products and a victory for those working to put this in place. Over the last six months, Singapore authorities seized an unprecedented amount of 38 tonnes of pangolin scales and almost 10 tonnes of elephant ivory worth more than S$170 million - with some close to the largest seizures the world has seen. Led by the National Parks Board (NParks), these acts of enforcement were a true testament of the country�s zero-tolerance to illegal wildlife trade. Just two days after the most recent seizure of 15 baskets containing 815 birds over the National Day weekend, Singapore announced the latest highlight of our fight against illegal wildlife trade: An ivory ban. THE WORK IS FAR FROM COMPLETE It is generally estimated...

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 15 Aug 19; JOHOR BARU: A total of 298 wire snares and 23 illegal camps set by poachers to trap animals, especially tigers, were discovered in jungles in Johor from January to July this year. The discovery was made during a boots on the ground programme called Ops Belang, said state Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director Salman Saaban (pic). Ops Belang, which was started by the government to protect tigers and their habitat as well as to combat poachers, is carried out in collaboration with the Johor Forestry Department and Johor National Parks Corporation.�We know where their hotspots are as we found many of the snares around the Panti Forest Reserve and Endau Rompin National Park during our patrols under Ops Belang, � he said yesterday. Salman pointed out that the poachers would buy tools such as wire cables from hardware shops to make the snares. He believed the poachers also received help from locals, who provided them with inform...

The Jakarta Post 15 Aug 19; Semparuk Police in Sambas regency, West Kalimantan, confiscated 1,340 turtle eggs allegedly being smuggled by a passenger of the KM Sabuk Nusantara 38 vessel during an operation in Sintete Port in the regency. The turtle eggs were carried by a passenger identified as N, a resident of Sedau subdistrict in the province�s Singkawang city, Semparuk Police chief First Insp. Aswin Mahwan said on Thursday. Authorities launched the operation on Wednesday after they received information from local people that the KM Sabuk Nusantara 38 would arrive in the port and one of the vessel�s passengers was bringing turtle eggs. The police waited for the passenger accused of carrying the eggs and officers from both the Semparuk Police and the Sambas Police searched his belongings, Aswin said. �[We] found thousands of turtle eggs packed in boxes, plastic containers and plastic bags,� Aswin said as quoted by Antara news agency. Article 21 point 2 of Law No. 5/1990 on conservati...

Antara 18 Aug 19; Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) said that based on the 2014 data, the population of Bondol eagle (Haliastur indus) is only 18 in Seribu Islands District, Jakarta Special Region. "The data is from our latest research carried out on several islands out of the existing 87 islands (in Seribu Islands District) in 2014," JAAN Chairperson Benfika said on Kotok Isle, Seribu Islands, on Sunday. JAAN's team conducted its research on the isles of Kotok, Panjaliran, and Rambut. Benfika believed that Bondol eagle does not exist in Jakarta urban area any longer. This is because Bondol eagle, one of the mascots of Jakarta, can only live in unpolluted and healthy ecosystem. Bondol eagles found in Jakarta are only those traded illegally and put in cages as hobby, according to Benfika. "In a year, JAAN can get six to 10 Bondol eagles from poachers or black market," he said. The NGO took the eagles to a breeding center on Kotok Timur Isl...

Malavika Menon Straits Times 12 Aug 19; SINGAPORE - Singapore will ban the domestic trade of elephant ivory from Sept 1, 2021, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Monday (Aug 12). The sale of elephant ivory and ivory products as well as the public display of such products for the purpose of selling them will be prohibited in Singapore once the ban comes into effect. The ban highlights Singapore's resolve in the fight against the illegal trade in species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), said NParks. Singapore is a signatory to Cites, under which international trade in elephant ivory has been banned since 1990. Once the ban is in effect, traders can donate their stock to institutions for educational purposes or keep them. NParks said it will continue to work with traders to ensure a smooth transition. "Public display of elephant ivory or ivory products for educational or religious purposes will conti...