Tag Archives: conservation

In-Depth

Bright spots in the dark: Tracking Malaysia’s fiscal transfers for nature conservation

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Bright spots in the dark: Tracking Malaysia's Fiscal transfers for nature conservation

The federal government said its Ecological Fiscal Transfer funds have spurred state governments to add protected areas and run conservation programmes. Yet as environmentalists are calling for more EFT funding, our analysis finds little transparency on most of the money disbursed, despite some state-level data from Johor and Sabah.

A co-publication by Macaranga and Eco-Business.

Writer: Samantha Ho  |  Editor: YH Law

Published: 8 April 2025

Part 1 | Part 2

(Feature image by Macaranga) 

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Insight

Helping Sabah’s Sun Bears Return to the Wild

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(Feature image: Sun bears Sunbearo and Loki being released into the forest in 2021. The two were among the 12 bears released by the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) between 2015–2022. (Tee Thye Lim/BSBCC))

Returning rescued sun bears to their wild homes is tough and too many die in the process. While conservationists labour to help these bears, they say it is better that the bears never left the forests.

INSIDE SABAH’S Tabin Wildlife reserve, just over an hour’s drive from the seaside town of Lahad Datu, 4 men trudge into a natural clearing in the forest, their footing sure despite the muddy terrain. They are carefully hauling the disassembled parts of a wild bear trap.

One man empties a packet of bait into a small cage made of wire mesh. He hoists and suspends the small cage into the air. His 2 other teammates rapidly assemble the bear trap.

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In-Depth

Jury Out on Whether Petting Zoos Aid Conservation

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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)

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In-Depth

Petting Wildlife Sending Mixed Signals

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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)

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Blog 2024

2024 Wrap-Up: Carbon, Climate, Sharks

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16 Dec 2024: We looked back at Macaranga’s stories in 2024 in this Annual Wrap-Up on the Earth Matters segment on BFM89.9FM Radio. We went from the local to global, linking our stories on deforestation of peat swamp forests, social media wildlife pet trade, and dumpsites to global dynamics of rising carbon emissions, illegal wildlife trade, and the climate crisis.

There were encouraging stories too, such as wins on mapping important areas for conservation of conservation of sharks and rays, and Sabah’s 10-year mangrove action plan.

Produced by Juliet Jacobs for Earth Matters.

In-Depth

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

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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

Listen to the Birds to Save Mangroves

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Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Amar Singh-HSS)

Listen to the Birds to Save Mangroves

When birds disappear from back mangroves, the mangrove forest’s very survival could be at stake.

Produced by: Ashley Yeong, Amar-Singh HSS & SL Wong
Edited by: YH Law

Co-published with the Malaysian Bird Report

Published: June 14, 2024

(The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis is absent in many mangroves in Selangor | Photo by Amar-Singh HSS)

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In-Depth

Strolling Through Magical Matang Mangroves

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Strolling Through Magical Matang Mangroves

A  walk in a thriving , healthy mangrove forest is full of splendour, diversity and birdsong.

Produced by: Ashley Yeong, Amar Singh HSS & SL Wong; Edited by: YH Law

Co-published with the Malaysian Bird Report

Published: June 14, 2024

(Boardwalk in the Pusat Eko-Pelajaran Hutan Paya Laut Matang, Kuala Sepetang, Perak  | Video by Ashley Yeong)

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Insight

Langur In City Spotlights Efforts To Tackle Wildlife Trade Online

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IN OCTOBER 2023, ecologist Izereen Mukri received a phone call and a photo about a “weird monkey” in the urban park near his house called Taman Subang Ria in Selangor.

Izereen glanced at the photo. Greyish black with a long tail – it was a Selangor silvery langur, Trachypithecus selangorensis, a primate species classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. These langurs live in mangroves or by rivers, not in a park surrounded by roads and buildings. 

He went to observe the langur. It was a female that must have felt terribly alone as the species naturally lives in a group. It was not eating its natural diet of shoots, but the apples and bananas left by park visitors. It was also relaxed when humans got close. Izereen, who spoke to Macaranga in his personal capacity, suspects that it used to be someone’s pet.

(Feature image: The lone female Selangor silvery langur found lingering in an urban park in Subang Jaya, Selangor. “It was a beautiful shot. But I rather not have it,” said wildlife photographer Izereen Mukri of this January 2024 photo. | Photo by Izereen Mukri)

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