Animals

World Wildlife Day: Malaysia and its circle of life

Our wildlife needs us more than ever, as we need them

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 03 Mar 2021 9:00AM

World Wildlife Day: Malaysia and its circle of life
(From left) Titiwangsa horned tree lizard, Selangor silvered langur, and ruby-cheeked sunbird. – Peter Ong pix, March 3, 2021

by Peter Ong

“This is the assembly of life that took a billion years to evolve. It has eaten the storms, folded them into its genes, and created the world that created us. It holds the world steady.” – E.O. Wilson

DID you know that Malaysia is considered a megadiverse country? Besides the whole “cultural melting pot”, “berbilang-bilang kaum”, “multi-religious, multi-ethnic”, and countless other adjectives and nouns used to describe the amazing societal fabric of Malaysia, this land is also home to plenty of flora and fauna that is a wonder of the world. Only 17 countries on the planet are considered megadiverse and we are in the top leagues.

“Biological diversity is messy. It walks, it crawls, it swims, it swoops, it buzzes. But extinction is silent, and it has no voice other than our own.” – Paul Hawken

Yet, it is something that is not taken notice of or appreciated by many. Much of our wildlife still face threats such as habitat loss, conflicts with humans, and the illegal wildlife trade. As recently as 2019, Malaysia lost her last rhino in the wild.

This generation has witnessed the snuffing out of an entire species from our land. The question is what can we do as an individual and as a society to prevent this from happening again. In the case of our national animal, the Malayan tiger, everyone has a role to play to prevent its imminent extinction.

Large niltava (left) and wood nymph. – Peter Ong pix
Large niltava (left) and wood nymph. – Peter Ong pix

Malaysia is more than just the land of tigers, orangutans, hornbills and tapirs. We have 25 species of primates, second only to Indonesia in Asia. Yet, we still have primate species that have never been studied before, and some with fewer than a dozen usable hi-res photos. Discoveries are constantly being made. For example, the Selangor silver leaf monkey was declared to be a whole separate species in 2008.

Its Latin name Trachypithecus Selangorensis is in honour of its home state. Their beautiful orange coloured babies are sadly highly poached alongside dusky leaf monkeys for their ‘cuteness’. These beautiful golden babies are often sold and bought over social media for as little as RM500. But, many do not survive till adulthood as they are fed the wrong types of food leading to their premature deaths.

The other iconic primate species that we have, apart from the orangutan, is the gibbon. Gibbons are only found in Southeast Asia and all five species found in Malaysia are presently classified as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Gibbons are highly arboreal which means they rarely come down to the ground. They prefer living high up in the canopies of the rainforest.

Banded woodpecker (left) and Lar gibbon. – Peter Ong pic
Banded woodpecker (left) and Lar gibbon. – Peter Ong pic

They also live in monogamous family units with daddy and mommy gibbon mating for life. They are one of the prime targets for the illegal wildlife pet trade as they are captured and sold as far across the world like the Middle East and the US. To get hold of the cute baby gibbon, the poachers must slaughter the parents and any older sibling that might put up a fight to prevent the poaching of the infant. This has resulted in a rapid decline in their population. Many of the babies do not live till adulthood either. Many have been fed with human foods which they cannot digest, ultimately leading to a painful death.

Deforestation is also a major concern as it hugely impacts not just megafauna, but also the tiny animals like butterflies, frogs and birds that call it home. Many people do not realise that our forests are home to so many living things. Many call this land their only homes. Like the Malaysian partridge that is found nowhere else on Earth apart from a few locations in Fraser’s Hill and Cameron Highlands. Wiping out these forests would lead to the wiping out of this unique species. The Titiwangsa horned tree lizard is only found along our Central Forest Spine that provides up to 90% of the water needs of peninsular Malaysians. Any change to its habitat will also result in the disruption of our water supply sources.

Pit viper (left) and Malaysian partridge. – Peter Ong pix
Pit viper (left) and Malaysian partridge. – Peter Ong pix

Many of our plants and trees rely on the 1,300 butterfly species for pollination and survival. Even species like the Bornean bearded pig is vital to disperse the seeds of local trees by eating the fruit and defecating the seeds further afield. Without these gardeners of the forest, many of our native plant species will die out, leaving us vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.

Malaysia is also home to an innumerable number of frog species, many endemic like the Borneo eared frog. They are a small part of the circle of life that plays out every day in our forests alongside the countless number of insect species, snakes, reptiles, and so much more. There is so much life in our forests that you can hardly take a few steps without encountering another living being. And that is one of the blessings of this rich and abundant land we all call home.

Bornean bearded pig. – Peter Ong pic
Bornean bearded pig. – Peter Ong pic

Many Malaysians hold the mistaken view that biodiversity is only found in our remote verdant hinterlands. Urban Kuala Lumpur holds an enormous amount of birds such as hawks, eagles, and owls that patrol our green spaces for nesting and feeding spots. Tiny sunbirds flit in and out of neighbourhood gardens feeding on the nectar of red ginger flowers. Smooth-coated otters now frolic and play in our urban rivers and lakes. Woodpeckers knock out nests in tree barks that will be used later on by bees and other birds to make new homes once the chicks take flight. This immense circle of life is happening all around us – if we only stop to look. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Otters. They now frolic and play in our urban rivers and lakes. – Peter Ong pic
Otters. They now frolic and play in our urban rivers and lakes. – Peter Ong pic

“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” – Dr Jane Goodall

Malaysia has an estimated 306 species of mammals, 742 species of birds, 242 species of amphibians, 567 species of reptiles, over 449 species of freshwater fish, over 500 species of marine fish and more than 150,000 species of invertebrates, according to the Society for Conservation Biology Malaysia Chapter. Although this count may continue to climb as new species are discovered, we cannot allow this count to fall as a result of extinction. Our wildlife needs us more than ever, as we need them. For when one part of this intricate web of life breaks apart, the whole structure collapses. 

Siamang (left) and crested goshawk. – Peter Ong pix
Siamang (left) and crested goshawk. – Peter Ong pix

“I do have reasons for hope: our clever brains, the resilience of nature, the indomitable human spirit, and above all, the commitment of young people when they're empowered to take action.” – Dr Jane Goodall

Animals like the panda have been brought back from the brink of extinction. Green and renewable energy options are growing. Many businesses are limiting disposable plastics in their response to consumer demand. Entire countries are committing to sustainable development goals. 

We still have a window to make a positive impact on our environment as well as the preservation of our wildlife if we all come together.

Colugo (left) and Borneo eared frog. – Peter Ong pix
Colugo (left) and Borneo eared frog. – Peter Ong pix

You can make a difference by supporting any of our non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working tirelessly to save our wildlife. You can also make a difference by changing your consumption habits that will reduce the number of forests we need to clear to turn into landfills. Even just taking a slow walk in nature to observe and document what you see provides an invaluable resource in protecting these green spaces from further encroachment thus saving our wildlife. We all call this rich and fertile land home. We need to learn how to share and to be better neighbours to all. – The Vibes, March 3, 2021

Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” – Dr Jane Goodall

Peter Ong is head of Research and Outreach of Roots & Shoots Malaysia. He is an active wildlife photographer and founder of Project Monyet which serves to photographically document all of Malaysia’s primate species. He has discovered the joys of the backyard and urban birding during these MCO periods. He hopes more Malaysians will join in to get to know, protect and conserve our amazing biodiversity. Peter is also a professional musical theatre performer and theatre producer. 

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