Category Archives: In-Depth

Long features 1200-1500 wds

Jury Out on Whether Petting Zoos Aid Conservation

January 9, 2025 Lee Kwai Han Leave a comment

Petting zoos are gaining in popularity and host local and exotic animals. In Part 2, we ask how petting zoos are sourcing their wildlife, especially animals that are legally protected.

PALM COCKATOOS (Probosciger aterrimus) are handsome birds. Smoky black feathers, tomato-red cheeks, and a high mohawk crest. This bird – one of the few known to make tools for music – originates from New Guinea and northern Australia.

But in Malaysia, you might find them in petting zoos and zoos. Some have even been trained to perch on human arms for photos.

Wild individuals cannot be imported into Malaysia for commercial purposes, but captive-bred ones may. However, conservationists point to the murkiness surrounding sourcing these rare parrots.

(Feature image: Insta-worthy, but how much does providing such interaction help conserve wild parrots? | Photo by Lee Kwai Han)

In-Depth

Petting Wildlife Sending Mixed Signals

January 6, 2025 Lee Kwai Han Leave a comment

Petting zoos with their wildlife and exotic species, are becoming increasingly popular. In Part 1 of 2, we look at the impact of these facilities on the welfare of both wildlife and humans.

AS SOON as they entered the petting zoo, schoolchildren excitedly rushed towards the pygmy horse behind a wooden fence. Quickly, they grabbed carrot sticks from their plastic tub feeding kits. The next instant, they were waving more than a dozen carrots at the horse.

Each child was hoping the horse would pick the one in his hand. But that was just a starter for the children at Farm in the City, one of the largest petting zoos in Malaysia.

(Feature image: The boom in petting zoos has pros and cons, as they feature wildlife, including exotic creatures such as the Aldabra giant tortoise, endemic to Seychelles | Photo by Lee Kwai Han)

In-Depth

Fighting Floods with Better Drainage in Kuching

November 4, 2024 Liani MK Leave a comment

Outdated drainage in Kuching is intensifying flash floods and leaving communities vulnerable. Infrastructure must improve, plans streamlined and solutions account for state-specific conditions.

WHEN A deluge of rain hit Kuching, Sarawak in late August, it brought back the nightmare of the flood in 2021 that left Jeremy Aaron and his family stranded for 3 days.

“The first day was very kelam-kabut (hectic),” says the resident of Kampung Tabuan Dayak. “Everyone rushed to salvage their electric items…We stayed on the second floor the whole time, and called our elderly neighbours to check on them.”

(Feature image: Drains in Kuching are woefully inadequate to cope with denser cities and extreme rainfall | Photo by Arieff Zafir)

In-Depth

Where Sharks Swim

October 14, 2024 SL Wong Leave a comment

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In-Depth

Divers, Fishers and Scientists Map Sharks and Rays to Save Them

October 13, 2024 SL Wong Leave a comment

Knowing where different sharks and rays reproduce, feed, hang out, and rest, is important for conservation. But it is hard to do – unless everyone joins in. Now, thanks to scientific evidence, collaboration with divers and fishers, and the mining of public data, a new atlas of these areas is sparking optimism for the threatened fishes.

Read the story here: Divers, Fishers and Scientists Map Sharks and Rays to Save Them

From Sipadan to Kuala Pahang, explore the interactive map of Malaysia’s 10 Important Shark and Ray Areas and 1 Area of Interest. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

(Photo: A newly tagged juvenile Blacktip Reef Shark is released at its initial capture site at Chagar Hutang Bay | Pic by Nicholas Tolen)

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In-Depth

The Climate-friendly Virgin in Terengganu

September 10, 2024 Yao Hua Law 1 Comment

Tropical peat swamp forests are key bastions in our defense against global warming. They store huge amounts of carbon in their soil, and their forests absorb more greenhouse gases than they release.

Malaysia, like many other countries, has established regulations to stop the exploitation of peatland.

But private company Pure Green Development Sdn Bhd is seeking to convert forests in Terengganu into oil palm. Its 2,228ha site includes 900 ha of virgin peat swamp forest.

We look at the project’s catastrophic climate impact and ways to protect the forest.

Read our interactive story and share your thoughts with us below.

In-Depth

Fixing Forest Plantations, Part 3: For Wood, Water, and Wildlife

July 11, 2024 Yao Hua Law Leave a comment

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Fixing Forest Plantations, Part 3: For Wood, Water, and Wildlife

Despite foresters and planters promising tight regulations in Perak, locals are protesting one of the biggest forest plantations in the state over fears of water security and wildlife attacks.

Writer: YH Law; Editor: SL Wong

Published: 11 July 2024

Part 1 | Part 2

(Omar Pandak (right) telling fellow villagers of Kampung Bukit Chermin about the forest plantations coming to Kledang Saiong forest reserve in Perak. | Pic by YH Law)

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In-Depth

Fixing Forest Plantations, Part 2: Faster Replanting Needed

July 10, 2024 Yao Hua Law 2 Comments

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Fixing Forest Plantations, Part 2: Faster Replanting Needed

By 2021, at least half of forest reserve sites cleared for forest plantations in Peninsular Malaysia were not replanted. Since then, Kelantan has sped up its replanting, but Pahang remains a laggard.

Writer: YH Law; Editor: SL Wong

Published: 10 July 2024

Part 1 | Part 3

(Batai saplings dot a site in the Krau forest reserve that was cleared for a forest plantation. | Pic by YH Law)

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In-Depth

Fixing Forest Plantations, Part 1: Take A Break

July 9, 2024 Yao Hua Law Leave a comment

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Fixing Forest Plantations, Part 1: Taking a Break

Forest plantations caused so much concern that the Malaysian National Land Council called for a pause on new projects in the peninsula. But 2.5 years into the moratorium, it is not appearing to work.

Writer: YH Law; Editor: SL Wong

Published: 9 July 2024

Part 2 | Part 3

(Planters are clearing sites in the Krau forest reserve for forest plantations. | Pic by YH Law)

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