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The Jungle Times
Independent newsletter of: Est. 2008 Issue: 93
Inside this issue:Page 2: ArrivalsPage 3: VisitorsPage 4: Quentin PhillipsPage 5: Pangolin found and collared!Pages 6 & 7: Elephant poachingPage 8: Ken, Liz and Andrew from Kyoto UniversityPage 9: PhD UpdatePage 10: Solar PanelsPage 11: New JettyPage 12: Christmas at DGPage 13: Proposed bridge at SukauPage 14: Conservation CornerPage 15: Word scramblePage 16: Photos of the month
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ArrivalsThis month we welcomed KyleHendrikson, of Boulder, Colorado.Here for a duration of three months,he will be working with theNocturnal Primates Project. Kyle hasa Masters from UCL in primatology,and has previously worked witholive baboons in Nigeria. Welcometo DG Kyle!
DG also welcomed Kenneth Keuk, ofParis, France. Kenneth arrived earlyin December with Liz and Andrew ofKyoto University. He is currentlyworking on the primates of theKinabatangan, investigating parasitecommunities in relation toecological changes. Kenneth haspreviously worked at DG,volunteering for the NocturnalPrimates Project. Welcome backKenneth and good luck with theproject!
Dec 2016/Jan 2017 Page 2
Visitors
In January we welcomed a numberof visitors, including Danica’sparents Loren and Sig! This is theirfirst visit to DG during Danica’sseven-year career here, they wereable to witness first hand the workwe do here, observe some of theamazing animals Borneo has tooffer and finally, were luckyenough to meet her second family.We hope to see you again soonLoren and Sig!
We were also happy to receive twoclose friends of ex-PTY Kieran,Juliet and Rhianna. The pair istaking six months out fromphysiotherapy to travel Australasiaand South-East Asia. During theirstay they followed a variety ofprojects and saw some of the rareranimals at DG including orang-utans and otters! The bright andbubbly girls provided endlesslaughter and brought fresh smilesto everyone at DG. Enjoy the restof your travels girls.
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Visit by Quentin PhillipsBorn and raised in Sandakan, QuentinPhillips moved to England as a teenagerto study economics at CambridgeUniversity. Ever since, he has been afrequent visitor to his birthplace ofBorneo, and throughout his life cultureda deep rooted affinity towards theisland’s vivid natural history.
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It has been our absolute pleasure here at DG to host Quentinfor the final four days of December. During his stay, Quentinwas accompanied by the remaining researchers and researchassistants whilst searching the forests surrounding DG for Ficusplants, particularly those which were fruiting, to collect leafand fruit samples for identification. The staff at DG alsocontributed as much local knowledge of the known Ficusplants and nearby wildlife as they could in order to help builda bigger picture of the dynamic ecological interactionsbetween the two. We wish Quentin all the best with finishingthe book!
In recent years, Quentin has committed his depth and wealthof knowledge to paper, publishing a revised version of thebook “Mammals of Borneo” as well as “Birds of Borneo”.Currently he is close to completing a third book, “Figs ofBorneo”, a field guide with up to date taxonomic identificationsfor all 150 of Borneo’s known Ficus plants based on non-herbarian fruit and leaf samples, as well as descriptions ofeach species ecology.
Dec 2016/Jan 2017
Pangolin found and collared!
When Mr Nasri Manjah of Batu Puteh found a Sunda pangolin inlate November, he did something unique. Ignoring the appeal ofa large cash sum being offered by illegal animal traders, MrManjah immediately notified Sabah Wildlife Department andDGFC. Elisa Panjang, who is currently carrying out a PhD onpangolins, used this unique opportunity to expand her research.A GPS tag was fitted to the pangolin’s scales, allowing Elisa togather entirely new data on the Sunda pangolin movementhabits and home range through VHF tracking, once the pangolinhas been collared and released into the forest.
The Sunda pangolin is one of the most heavily trafficked wildmammal species and is heavily endangered, yet so littleresearch has ever been carried out on them in the wild, andwith their diminishing numbers and reduction in habitat,potential for such research to be carried out is rapidly declining!A perfect example for the importance of local involvement inscientific research, the contribution of one farmer’s chance findopens the doorway for totally novel research to be carried out.
Congratulations Elisa!
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Director Dr Benoit Goossens presenting Mr Nasri Manjah with a small gift, as
thanks for his kind deed.
The pangolin, collar attached, being released into the forest
around DG.
Dec 2016/Jan 2017
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Elephant poachingEveryone at DG wasdevastated to hear of thepoaching of two Borneanelephants. The carcasses ofthe two bulls were found by acombined team of WRU andDG members in the closevicinity of Ulu Segama ForestReserve.
The remains of the elephants were found no more than akilometre and a half from one another, though bothelephants were not killed at the same time. It is believedthat poachers bypassed checkpoints into the reserve byusing boats to pass along the unpatrolled Segama River.One of the elephants lost was the beloved Sabre, an adultmale that had been rescued in August 2016 from an area ofplantation near Tawau. Sabre had a unique congenital defectthat meant his tusks grew backwards, giving him theappearance of a sabre toothed tiger, from which he wasnamed. Sabre was known to be a docile animal, his invertedtusks prevented him from properly jostling with other males,and so would shy away from confrontation.Evidence suggests the rounds used to kill the bulls were firedfrom high powered rifles, the use of these expensivefirearms suggests the involvement of professional poachers.
Sabre being removed from oil palm plantation
Dec 2016/Jan 2017
While progress has been made in the fight against theivory trade with China set to officially ban it, theseincidents highlight that the elephants in Sabah are still atarget for poaching. The ban is a step in the rightdirection, but it is likely that there will be an increase inthe price of ivory, providing greater incentives forinternational poachers .The Bornean elephant population within Sabah draws alarge number of tourists into the region and is of greatecological importance, by maintaining the forests throughseed dispersal. The loss of two breeding age males is onethe population cannot afford. More must be done by therelevant authorities who are responsible for theprotection of these majestic animals to ensure theirsurvival.
Bornean elephants photographed on the banks of the Kinabatangan.
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Visitors: Andrew, Liz and Ken from Japan
Whilst Kenneth Keuk is staying at DG for several months,the first two weeks of his arrival were spent alongsidePhD student Liesbeth Frias and her supervisor Prof.Andrew Macintosh.
Liz, Ken and Andrew are recurring visitors from KyotoUniversity, who aim to collect ecological data as well asfaecal samples from as many primate species along theKinabatangan, for an ongoing project analysing thevariation of parasite communities amongst their differenthost species. The group spent a lot of time conductingboat surveys to measure relative abundance of primatesand to acquire faecal samples, before using the lab atDGFC to observe and extract nematode larvae from thefaecal samples as well as preparing the faeces for furtheranalyses at Kyoto University. Whereas both Liz andAndrew have already returned to Japan to further analysetheir samples, Ken will remain at DGFC until the end ofFebruary. We wish them all the best of luck with theircontinued study!
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PHD Update: PythonsPage 9
Rich continues to experiment with sampling techniques, thismonth trialling longer surveys from the river and along pathsin jungle and plantation, and is happy with his capture rate sofar. Originally, he expected to capture 50 snakes in five yearsbut in six months has already caught 30.Recently, collaboration with Sepilok has led to Danau Girangreceiving three snakes that had all been rescued fromplantations. One of these snakes was large enough to becollared. Chahaya, a 4.2m female has now been fitted with anew type of GPS collar that allows for downloads over UHFfrequency. This allows for downloads at a much greaterdistance, so that Chahaya’s movements can be tracked moreaccurately. Chahaya was kept under observation for two weeksafter the attachment of her collar to make sure she did notsuffer any adverse effects before her release on the 3rd ofJanuary.After an initially turbulentperiod where Chahayawas regularly moving upto 500m a night she hassettled down slightly upriver from DG. Rich hopesshe will remain in thisarea so that she canbegin to establish herhome range.Congratulations Rich!
.Chahaya on the night of her release
Dec 2016/Jan 2017
Solar panels
This month saw DGFC take a big step towards “GoingGreen” by massively reducing its fossil fuel demand byfitting solar panels to the roof of the main building!
Solar power will henceforth be used in conjunction withthe fuel powered generator, providing power to all thefacilities and buildings throughout DGFC. This will notonly prove to be more economic, but also greatly reducethe amount of gaseous CO2 – a catalyst for climatechange – that is produced by the field centre.
We at DGFC would like to thank Cardiff School ofBiosciences and Cardiff University, and especially ViceChancellor Professor Colin Riordan for their contributionof funds necessary for the completion of this project.
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New Jetty
Another DGFC project was also completed at thestart of this month: the building of a new jetty!
Due to the river frequently rising enough tosubmerge the steps of the previous jetty whichwould cause the steps to become slippery andtreacherous to climb, DGFC manager Peter took theinitiative to hire contractors and build a new, saferjetty better suited to fluctuating river levels.
All of us at DG are greatly appreciative of this saferway of getting to the boats, and would like to extenda big thank you to Peter on his great work.
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Christmas at DG!
Whilst many of DG’s staff, researchers, andvolunteers spent this Christmas period away onholiday, there were still plenty enough people leftin DGFC to throw a fantastic celebratory Christmasmeal of our own!
Masters student Oriana Bhasin, alongside visitingresearchers Ken and Liz, took charge of thekitchen, cooking up a feast of delicacies traditionalto their respective heritages, mostly drawn fromIndian and Mexican cuisine. Everyone contributedtoward preparing the food, before sitting downtogether for a particularly festive makan withChristmas hats and Music.
Selamat Hari Natal to all!
Page 12Dec 2016/Jan 2017
Proposed Bridge at Sukau
In early January an area of forest was cleared to make way for anoffice for a construction contractor and for storage space of heavymachinery. Work on the bridge has not yet started.
If plans are to go ahead there will be a significant negative impacton the amazing flora and fauna found in the Sanctuary. Theconstruction area passes directly through the last uninhabited routefor elephants in the LKWS, leading to major human-elephantconflicts. The sanctuary could also lose 30% of its proboscis monkeyand 10% of its orang-utan populations.
At a time when ecotourism is booming, Sabah could loose some ofits most popular attractions. It seems madness that a fully protectedwildlife sanctuary should have a RM220 million bridge, withconnecting tarmacked roads, should be considered, let alone built.
All of us at DG urge the government to look at the evidence andreconsider their choice, for the sake of the wildlife and a largeportion of eco-tourism income.
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For over a year Danau Girang andseveral NGOs have been fightingagainst the construction of a bridge inSukau that will cross theKinabatangan river as well as 8.5kmof road that will cut right through theLower Kinabatangan WildlifeSanctuary (LKWS).
Dec 2016/Jan 2017
Common name: Short-toed coucalScientific name: Centropus sinensis
IUCN status: Vunerable
Description and Ecology: Like its larger cousin, the greater coucal, this nest-building cuckoo inhabits the understory of lowland primary forest. A clumsy-looking flyer, the short-toed coucal is often seeing hopping between branches, as it searches for fruits and invertebrates, particularly snails. Of all the coucals, this is the rarest, due to its sensitivity to habitat modification by man. In ancient Bornean medicine, young coucals were believed to have magical health-giving properties, and were pickled in brandy, which would be drank or rubbed onto joints.
Threats:• Destruction of lowland
forest • Conversion of riverine
scrub to farmland.
Conservation: • Protection of primary forest,
particularly those with riverine scrubland present.
Dec 2016/Jan 2017 Page 14
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1
2
3
Answers: 1. Giant squirrel 2. Praying mantis 3. Hawk wasp
Word scramble
Fact of the Month !!Tarsiers are the only exclusively carnivorous
primate, with a diet made up mainly invertebrates, but can include vertebrates such as
frogs, lizards and even bats!
Stireug Liarnq
Grinpay timans
Kawp shaw
Dec 2016/Jan 2017
Photos of month
Page 16Dec 2016/Jan 2017
Photos by Jack Devlin
Danau Girang Field CentreDanau Girang Field Centre was opened in July 2008.
It is located in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary,Sabah, Malaysia.
Danau Girang is owned by the Sabah Wildlife Department and supported by Cardiff University. Its purpose is to further scientific research with the aim of contributing to long-term
conservation projects in the area, and develop a better understanding of our environment and the living things we
share it with.
Danau Girang Field CentreLot 6The JungleLower Kinabatangan Wildlife SanctuarySabah
Email: [email protected]
Editors: Francis Roy, Jack Devlin, Toby Stock, Angus Chaplin-Rogers
Director of Publication: Benoit Goossens
The opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Cardiff University.
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