Posts Tagged ‘Borneo’

Mar
02

The Origin of the Orangutan

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Borneo,community-based conservation,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,orangutan

A timely note as we prepare for our next Pongos Helping Pongs: Art by Orangutans for Orangutan Conservation Event

As told to me by a colleague in Malaysia:

The origins of the orang-utan

Long ago, human beings (or orangs) lived in the virgin jungles of Borneo. They stayed in groups, sharing their long houses, subsisting on plants and animals provided by Mother Nature. Within the different groups, this peaceful way of life was however troubled by all sorts of troubles and conflicts involving treacheries, malices, gossips and other problems that are specific to our species.

A peace-loving minority of orangs decided to split from the major group in order to escape the clamors of the village life and went deep into the jungle. They established a new home and lived happily for years. More and more orangs from their former community decided to join this idyllic existence, up to a point that the newly created village became overcrowded and full with problems that follow humans at all times and places (pollution, noise, habitat destruction, cruelty and meanness).

The original group decided to break up from their conspecifics one more time and wandered far away from this place. They established themselves on the mountains where life was paradise. Of course they didn’t stay on their own for long: more and more people joined them and troubled this peaceful existence. Fed up beyond belief, the original oranges decided that enough was enough: because they wouldn’t be able to find peace below the trees, they decided to climb up to the treetop and to settle down in the forest canopy. They also decided to not have any kind of relations with ground-dwelling orangs any more.

From this day on, this group became the orang-utans, or “people of the forest”.

Join us March 10th at The G Gallery in The Heights in support of orangutan conservation. http://www.houstonzoo.org/php/

Learn more about the effects of Palm Oil on Orangutan habitat: http://www.houstonzoo.org/palm-oil/

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Oct
28

A message from a Houston Zoo intern in Borneo

Posted by in Borneo,Carnivores,Conservation,Field Research

Lyndsey Stanton is an intern in the carnivore section at the Houston Zoo.  She was searching for an opportunity to see conservation in action and gain some field experience.  She approached us in July and inquired about our conservation partners.  After some discussion she felt the Borneo project was ideal.  We connected her with the Borneo folks, and the next thing we knew she was booking her flights. 

Enjoy Lyndsey’s message below. 

Orangutan using rope bridge

Hello from Borneo! I have been in Borneo for a little over two weeks and have already learned and seen so much! I’ve spent a great amount of time in the jungle helping with research. I’ve helped with small mammal trapping, used for measurements and blood samples in order to attempt to learn how many small mammals are in the area, camera trapping animals in the jungle, and tracking a radio-collared slow loris. I’ve also participated in a few other activities including learning to climb very tall trees up to the canopy, and helping to build a rope bridge for orangutans needing to cross nearby tributaries. I’ve seen many animals including, elephants, crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, macaques, hornbills, monitor lizards, a slow loris, civets, and more.

 

This has been the most amazing experience of my life! I’ve become friends with the other students (all from different countries) and even learned a little Malay. Danau Girang Field Center is simply wonderful and I just don’t want to leave. Thankfully I have another two weeks here! I’ll update more soon.

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Feb
07

Valentines Day Candy

Posted by in Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,orangutan

How is this related to Wildlife Conservation – really? Yes, there is a method and message, to our madness…

Palm Oil and The Great Chocolate Debate. It can help save the lives of Orangutans and many other species living on Borneo and Sumatra. Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil produced from the African oil plam tree (Elaeis guineensis) which has been planted on plantations throughout Malaysia and Indonesia, home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife. These plantations replace tropical rainforest acreage in staggering numbers.

Rainforest? No. Palm Oil Plantation? Yes.

What we are asking you to do is to be a responsible consumer and purchase products from companies which either do not use palm oil or are part of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm oil. You can do that by taking a quick look at this Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil Valentine Guide.

To learn more about the issues facing wildlife and palm oil just link here.

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Dec
06

Exciting new Bornean elephant pictures from the field

Posted by in Borneo,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Field Research

In the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, the Houston Zoo has partnered with the French non-governmental organization Hutan and the Sabah Wildlife Department - both of which support conservation programs in and around the 27,000-hectare Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.   Dr. Marc Ancrenaz is the Director of the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project.  KOCP participates in Bornean elephant conservation.  Dr. Ancrenaz took these beautiful Bornean Elephant shots the other day in Sabah.

Secondary forests of the Lower Kinabatangan are also home to approximately 200 of the 1200 to 1500 Asian elephants believed to remain in northeastern Borneo.  Recent research indicates that they may be genetically distinct and potentially separated from mainland Asian populations thousands of years.  Today this subspecies is only found in Sabah (although some individuals roam in Northern Kalimantan), making the State of Sabah the sole custodian of a unique sub-species of elephant.

If you would like to help support Borneo’s Elephant Conservation Unit, link here for more information and follow the page down to the support button.

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Nov
01

Help Orangutans in the Wild by Coming to the Houston Zoo Next Weekend

Posted by in Borneo,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,orangutan

Life on Earth is not evenly spread around our planet.  Borneo-the world’s third largest island- is one of its richest treasure-houses, full of an immense variety of wild animals and plants, all living in a magnificent tropical forest.

A single, vast, unbroken area of this forest still cloaks the mountains, foothills and adjacent lowlands that stretch along the inland borders of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.  This is the Heart of Borneo; and all of us who value life on this planet should support the efforts to conserve it.


Orangutan Conservation

Ten thousand years ago, orangutans were found throughout Southeast Asia and into southern China.  Scientists believe their populations numbered in the hundreds of thousands.  Today orangutans are only found in their last strongholds on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.  Due to habitat encroachment and illegal logging, the wild population of orangutans is estimated to have diminished in the past decade by as much as 50 percent.  Today, orangutans are critically endangered.  Optimistic estimates place the current population between 15,000 and 25,000.  One of man’s closest relatives, the orangutan could go extinct in the wild if the destruction of their habitat continues at the current rate. 

 

Please Join us in Participating in Conservation

On November 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, join the Houston Zoo’s primate staff, volunteers and docents to celebrate all things orangutan!  There will be primate related gifts and crafts for sale, and all proceeds will go back to the wild orangutans. 

 Written by, Primate Keeper, Tammy Buhrmester

 

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May
21

Bornean Orangutan update

Posted by in community-based conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,orangutan

Bornean Orangutan photo by KOCP

Our partners at the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP) are developing a new website focused on their activities. Now, instead of waiting for me to randomly toss out an wild orangutan or elephant update, you can visit them anytime you like at this site: http://www.hutan.org.my/Orangutans.html

 The work carried out by KOCP in Sukau marked a landmark in the scope of orang-utan research. It was the first time that orang-utan research was carried out in secondary (that had been previously logged or disturbed) forest. The conventional thinking among primatologists studying orang-utan in the wild was that they could only live and survive in primarily (un-logged or disturbed) forest.

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May
17

Clouded Leopards

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Endangered Species

Few animals rival the beauty of the clouded leopard, one of nature’s most mysterious felines and a species which can be seen at the Houston Zoo.

Named for its cloud-shaped spots or “ellipses,” this nocturnal creature makes its home in the tropical rainforests and dry woodlands of Southeast Asia, and is considered one of the most acrobatic climbers in the cat family.  “Cloudeds” can leap from tree to tree, maneuver quite well both above and beneath branches, hang upside-down by their hind feet, and even race head-first down vertical trunks. The cat’s long tail, which can reach three feet and is equal in length to the body, helps the animal maintain its balance high up in the forest canopy. Another unique feature of this species is its long canines, which are longer in proportion to body size than those of any other living cats.  In a sense, the clouded leopard is a medium sized saber-toothed tiger designed for the treetops.

Bornean Clouded Leopard, photo Wilting&Mohamed, ConCaSa

Although widely distributed and found in Indonesia, Burma, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sumatra, southern China and Borneo, the clouded leopard is still categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  Its numbers are believed to be declining throughout its range and the population on Taiwan was recently extirpated – that is, wiped out.  Being nocturnal and largely solitary in nature, this species has revealed little of its social behavior to even the most determined field researchers.  However, recent genetic studies suggest that what was once thought to be a single species is actually two; populations inhabiting the islands of Borneo and Sumatra are significantly distinct from those of the mainland.  This doesn’t come as a total surprise to evolutionary biologists, but it does give higher priority to conservation actions that target these isolated populations. The Houston Zoo currently supports several wildlife projects in the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo: orangutan field research, human-elephant conflict mitigation, and camera-trapping surveys for native cat species including the clouded leopard.    

For more information about clouded leopards, go to www.cloudedleopard.org.

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Feb
22

Spain has Picasso. France has Monet. The Houston Zoo has Cheyenne

Posted by in Endangered Species,orangutan,Uncategorized,What You Can Do

Cheyenne's Electric Passion, 2008

Cheyenne's Electric Passion, 2008

Artists come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and skill levels, and now – in all species. Cheyenne, a 36-year-old orangutan, is our local art scholar. She is known for having a multi-faceted personality, which is reflected in the wide-range of art she has produced.

Whether she is being silly, serious, or serene, Cheyenne’s art is widely considered to be the most beautiful and impressive at the Zoo. So much so that one of her paintings was once featured on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Cheyenne’s limited edition artwork will be part of our next Pongos Helping Pongos Art Event and Auction to raise funds for Orangutan and Elephant conservation programs in Borneo. Visit Cheyenne’s webpage at https://www.houstonzoo.org/meet-cheyenne/

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Feb
18

Clouded Leopards and wild cats of Borneo

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Endangered Species,What You Can Do

The Houston Zoo is involved in a number of efforts in Borneo focusing on elephants and orangutans and help out where we can in other areas. One of those areas is the Conservation of Carnivores in Sabah managed by our friends from Leibniz Institute for Wildlife Research and The Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC). The two primary investigators have recently shared some amazing footage with us from the project which can be seen here on the BBC Earth News Website.

The website notes: The film, the first footage of the cat in the wild to be made public, has been released by scientists working in the Dermakot Forest Reserve in Malaysia. The Sundaland clouded leopard, only discovered to be a distinct species three years ago, is one of the least known and elusive of all cat species. Two more rare cats, the flat-headed cat and bay cat, were also photographed.

There are 5  species of cats in Borneo and all five can be found at the research site which is pretty unique in itself. That the project has turned up a species known as the (Borneo) bay cat is newsworthy as the cat is little known and rarely seen, and even more rarely photographed. Other cats on the island include the Marbled cat and the Leopard cat.

We need to take this opportunity to thank our supporters in “Wildcat” conservation – the students of Velasquez Elementary in Richmond, Texas who for the second time in three years, have held a fundraiser to support wildcat (which is the school mascot) conservation in Borneo.

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Feb
05

Hornbills I have known…

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts

I am not a birder. Birding takes patience, binoculars and the ability to stare skyward for hours looking for unidentified flying birds. But sometimes, you just cannot help it. Two places I have found birds particularly easy to see, even if I am not looking straight up, was Brazil’s Pantanal region and Borneo’s Kinabatangan River.

The Kinabatangan River region of Borneo contains 8 species of Hornbills: Rhinoceros, Papuan, Oriental Pied, Wreathed, Wrinkled, Black, White-crowned and Bushy Crested. I think. You recall earlier – I am not a birder. I have been lucky enough to visit this region a number of times and have seen at least 7 species of Hornbill there including 5 species on one trip. My favorite is the White-crowned but the most impressive is the Rhino Hornbill whose wingbeats you can hear coming out of the forest far before you can see them.

Rhinoceros Hornbill photo credit Paul Swen

Rhinoceros Hornbill photo credit Paul Swen

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is one of the largest, weighing in at up to 6lbs with a 40-50inch wingspan.  The ultimate resource to everything we want to know (Wikipedia) tells us that the courtship and bonding of these birds are critical, as the female must trust the male to provide her with everything when she is incubating and raising chicks. These Hornbills lay their eggs inside tree trunks, the females stay inside with the eggs, while the male will bring her and the young food. After the eggs are laid the male collects mud, and the male and female pack that mud, food, and feces to ‘mud-up’ the tree cavity entrance. This creates a very small hole, only large enough for the male to feed the female (and later chicks) and for the female to defecate out the hole. Once the babies are old enough (fully feathered) to leave the nest the female and male chip away the dry mud so the babies can get out.

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