Biodiversity in Malaysia - Zoo Negara report with 6 animals

TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY
UCM60203U3103069
Biodiversity Project
Report
Taylor’s University, No. 1, Jalan Taylor’s,
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor D. E., Malaysia
A Location: Zoo Negara

B
Course: SABD
Name of Project Leader & group members
1. Lim Joe Onn (0318679) (L)
2. Evelin Devina (0322176)
3. Ong Seng Peng (0319016)
4. Rajan Kulandaya (317164)
5. Ng Hong Bin (0319735)

C 1.1 Background on Zoo Negara
Zoo Negara is the first national zoo in Malaysia.
Built on 110 acres of land in Ulu Klang, near Taman Melawati, North-East Kuala Lumpur, Zoo Negara
was officially opened on 14 November 1963, a project initiated by Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku
Abdul Rahman.
Once set in virgin jungle, the place now stands like an oasis amidst a concrete jungle. It emphasizes on
four main areas: Conservation, Education, Research, and Recreation. Zoo Negara is a popular family
destination and a valuable resource for all visitors from within Malaysia and overseas. It’s a home for
5,137 animals of 459 different species. Over the years, the zoo has transformed itself to an open concept
zoo with over 90% of its animals kept in spacious exhibits with landscape befitting its nature.
The paths meandering between wooded groves and tree lined in the zoo are well-planned to allow
visitors to walk while enjoying the lush landscaping while observing the animals. The animals kept in the
zoo mostly are local which is very informative for tourists regarding the indigenous animal life in
Malaysia.
Timeline
2 January 1962 - The founding and management of the National Zoo was officially registered. The
discussions and investigations were based on the assumption of the Government would not be able to
provide a substantial sum of money to support the project. At that time, the Zoological Society was
recommended by the working party that they should be set-up to finance and administer the zoo. It
meant they could organize the zoo and a small area with animals in conventional cages in the early
stages. Once they have enough capital, they can develop more for Zoo Negara.
14 November 1963 - Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj opened the National Zoological officially.
However, ‘Zoo Negara’ means National Zoo whilst its location was 8 miles from the city center is
considered too far away from the city, so many people criticized the establishment of the zoo at the
beginning.
1970 - An approach was made to the Federal Government for financial assistance. As Zoo Negara
received the fund that agreed to provide by the Federal Government, the society decided to construct
and additional 22 acres of land to build Aquarium Negara.
1989 - The visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment was started and Y.B. Datuk
Amar Stephen Yong presented the year’s grant of RM 1,625 million for the zoo’s development purposes.
14 November 1966 - Zoo Negara received its one millionth visitors after three years from its grand
opening. At that time, the zoo was a regular stopping point on the itinerary for visitor to Federal Capital
and it is not unusual to see chartered busses from all over Malaysia parked outside the entrance. Many
animals were brought to the zoo to gain even more popularity as the profit of the Zoo Negara keep going
up.
1975 - The society and the zoo had a great loss and Patron Y.A.B. Tun Haji Abdul Razak had passed
away. However, the appreciated that H.R.H. The Sultan Selangor had agreed to the invitation to continue
as the Patron-In-Chief of the Malaysian Zoological Society.

1.2 Importance of Zoo Negara and its significance in sustaining biodiversity.
Involvement and consciousness of Malaysian people
Managed by a non-governmental organization known as the Malaysian Zoological Society,
Zoo Negara is a veteran in the zoo industry standing proudly for 52 years. It received MS ISO
9001:2008 certification in 2007, and is a member of the South East Asian Zoos Association
(SEAZA).
Biggest and diverse Aquarium
Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium inside the zoo the oldest and was biggest aquarium ever built
in Malaysia, displaying more than 130 species of aquatic animals of marine and freshwater.
Tourism Gold Award
Zoo Negara’s development throughout the years and its growing attendance was honoured as
the premier recreational amenity in Malaysia and voted best tourist attraction which earned it
the ‘Tourism Gold Award’ for 1988. Prestiged for its breeding successes and conservation
programs, Zoo Negara is held in high esteem by zoos worldwide.
First Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Malaysia
On May 21, 2014, the arrival of the giant pandas to Malaysia represents peace and a symbol
diplomatic relationship between China and Malaysia for 40 years.
Zoology Research
Zoo Negara provides a conducive learning platform for all. Researchers and students from the
Zoology, Biology and Veterinary fields have a variety of choices when conducting their
research at the zoo as there are more than 400 species to study on. Everyone is welcomed to
enter its doors of knowledge.
Training and development of other zoos
Zoo Negara strives to provide the very best in assisting other zoos in Malaysia through its
vast knowledge and experience in the field of wildlife management. Furthermore, they are
actively involved in the national and international zoological community thereby contributing
to Malaysia's overall national development.
Education
Zoo Negara founders believe that education is the major factor in increasing awareness on
wildlife conservation. Zoo Negara is an open classroom for young minds to learn and nurture
their interest and care for wildlife. Notably, with higher awareness of the young about our
nature richness, more actions will be done to protect it.

D -Select 6 different species from your trip and include the photos for all the selected species.
Animal 1: MALAYAN TIGER
The Malayan tiger is a smaller-sized subspecies of tiger found throughout Malaysia and parts of
Thailand. It is endangered but one of the more numerous wild tiger species.
They have a gestation period of 3 months and can live up to 10-15 years.
Photo of a Malayan tiger (Ng, 2016)
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P. tigris
Subspecies: P.t.jacksoni

Physical Characteristics
The Malayan tiger is the smallest tiger of all the subspecies. Male adults only weigh around 120
kilograms while females are slightly lighter at an average 100 kilograms. The male’s length from head
to tail is roughly 235cm while females are a bit shorter at approximately 200cm long.
Their striped fur is orange, black and white in colour. Sharp claws and teeth enable these tigers to tear
and rip their prey apart.
Origin of Species
Tigers, lions and leopards are classified as part of the Felidae family of cats. These felines share a
common ancestor. Around 2 million years ago, one branch of Felidae migrated east into Asia and
evolved into the tigers we know today.
These tigers establish their new habitats in Asia as glacial fluctuations and geographic boundaries made
it difficult for tigers to return to Africa. Tigers did not disperse westward to India until 16,000 years ago.
The spread of tigers to Southeast Asia resulted in new species of tigers that are smaller-sized including
the Sumatran tiger and Malayan tiger. This is due to lack of large-sized predators in dense tropical
rainforests.
The Malayan tiger was once thought to be the same as the Indochinese tiger, a larger tiger species
found in the northern parts of Southeast Asia, and it was only recently that the two were classified as
separate subspecies. (Melina, 2010)
Geographic Range
The Malayan tiger is found mostly in the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula with its range
extending into Southern Thailand. They are found inhabiting the less-dense forests where there is ample
food supply.
Tiger signs were reported from agricultural areas outside forests in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and
Johor. Most of the major rivers that drain into the South China Sea such as the Sungai Pahang and
Sungai Kemaman had evidence of tigers, whereas those draining into the Straits of Malacca in the west
of the peninsula did not. Due to rapid development and heavy urbanisation, wild tigers were not reported
in the Klang Valley and states of Melaka and Penang.
The Malayan Peninsula is a place with tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests. As tigers prefer to stay
concealed in the dense greenery, these are ideal conditions for the Malayan tiger, as they surreptitiously
stalk their prey and retreat back into seclusion. They also appear in riparian zones, which are interfaces
between land and river.
Habitats where wild tigers spawn are valuable ecosystems that provide vital services to humans, such
as carbon sequestration, hydrological balance, pollination services, protection from natural disasters
and soil erosion. About 71% of the tiger landscapes lie in one of the designated 25 biodiversity hotspots
of the world.

Behaviour
Malayan tigers are dominant and carnivorous predators, hunting its prey by stalking it until the
opportunity to catch it off guard. They primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle
and goats.
These tigers occur at extremely low density. They are solitary animals occurring at less than 2 per 100
square kilometre. Territories sometimes overlap and males do contest their territory. It is highly unlikely
that a male will attack a female with cubs.
Female tigers become adults when they are 3 years of age, which is a year ahead of the males. Mating
is more frequent between November and March but the cause is still unknown. After a gestation period
of around 103 days, a litter of 2-3 cubs are born. New-born tiger cubs weigh around exposed to meals
of raw meat. The cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months before hunting on their own. When
they are 3 years old, they will leave their mother’s territory.
Communication and Perception
Malayan tigers use body language to express fear, contentment, and aggressiveness and so on. An
aggressive tiger displays twisted ears that shows the back of the ears to the front, a lashing tail, wide-
open eyes and an agape mouth. If the tiger gets defensive, the ears will lie down flat, the teeth will be
bared, the eyes narrowed into thin slits and the tail low. Oppositely, if the tiger is relaxed, the tail and
ears will be upright.
Malayan tigers are capable of making impressively loud roars that can be heard for more than 3
kilometres. A tiger will roar to warn other tigers that may be a threat to their mating partner or their
territory. This strong roar may also serve as an invitation to potential mates wanting to know where a
female that is ready and willing to mate may be living. Scent-rich urine is also used to mark their own
territory. (tigers.org.za, n.d.)
Role In Ecosystem
As a keystone species, the tiger plays an essential role in the health of the ecosystem it lives in. As the
top predator on top of the food chain, it determines the populations of its prey species. Most of the tiger
prey species are herbivores which in turn control the vegetation within the ecosystem of tropical
rainforests. The decline of large predators leads to over-abundance of herbivores such as deer, which
in turn has repercussions on tree regeneration and seed dispersal. Such effects reverberate through the
food web, causing long-term changes in flora and fauna. This justifies the Malayan tiger’s significance
as the apex of the overall ecological system in our tropical rainforests. (wn.com, n.d.)
The overall ecology is imbalance if the population of tiger declines to a low level. Thus, affecting all life
within the ecosystem. This may result in disease and fast natural local extinction rate among multiple
species. The Malayan tiger can be described as the protector of all animals and vegetation in its domain,
justifying its term as the ‘King of the Jungle’.

Current Status and Causes of Endangerment
Due to rapid deforestation and hunting by human poachers, the Malayan tiger is considered to be an
endangered species. New estimates suggest that the current wild Malayan tiger population is between
600 and 800 individuals, making it one of the more numerous tiger species. (a-z-animals.com, n.d.)
The Malayan tiger qualifies for listing as ‘Critically Endangered (CR)’ under criterion C1 because the
best available evidence indicates that the number of mature individuals is likely less than 250 animals
and has declined more than 25% in one generation. Repeated studies of Malayan tiger populations
suggest that over one generation exist only in these two areas: Gunung Basor Forest Reserve and
Taman Negara. In these areas, the density estimates declination of at least 50% and 90%, respectively.
(Clements et al. 2011)
Conversion of natural forests within forest reserves to rubber plantations increased fifteen times from
2005 to 2012, threatening Malayan tigers as their natural habitat is loss. Deforestation especially in
states of Kelantan and Pahang and the construction of the Kenyir Dam in Terengganu became key
factors of the drastic decline in tiger populations due to disruption of the ecological system. Growing
demand for illegal tiger parts among the Chinese population poses as a strong threat to these tigers as
well.
Malayan tigers were also hunted for their valuable fur, making them threatened by illegal commercial
trade. Prey based depletion were considered a leading threat across much of their range. Their
principle prey animals such as the deers and wild boars were excessively hunted, starving the tigers in
the jungle. Due to its size and power, humans are the sole threat to Malayan tigers, hunting them
down and destroying their habitat.

Animal 2: BORNEAN ORANGUTAN
The name orangutan means "man of the forest" in the Malay language. They are highly intelligent
species and share as much as 96.4% of our genetic makeup with us. Orangutans have shown
intelligence by using common routes and showing the ability to back track to their original route if need
be.
Photo of a Bornean orangutan (Ng, 2016)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Pongo
Species: Pygmaeus
Physical Characteristics
Their hair is typically reddish-brown. Males and females differ in size and appearance. The Sumatera
Orangutans have distinctive cheek pads that intimidate their rivals while Borneon Orangutans have no
distinctive physical differences between male and female. Younger males do not have these
characteristics and resemble adult females.

Origin of Species
Orangutans in general are originate from the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, both islands are tropical
near to the equator. They are highly intelligent and share as much as 96.4% of our genetic makeup. The
common ancestor of humans and orangutans is thought to have lived around 14 million years ago.
Male Orangutans can weigh to 90 kg, while females weigh between 30-50 kg. Orangutans have an
enormous arm span. They could stretch up to 2 meters of arms from fingertip to fingertip, longer than
his standing height around 1.5 meters.
When orangutans do stand, their hands nearly touch the ground. Orangutans spend much of their time
in the forest, hence their arms are well suited to their lifestyle.
Geographic Range
The islands of Borneo and Sumatra have vast mountain ranges. Orangutans are rarely seen in
elevations that exceed 1000 meters. Orangutans, in fact, were once distributed widely across Southeast
Asia, roaming as far north as southern China, and as far south as the Indonesian island of Java. But
today, Asia's great ape is confined to just two islands, Borneo and Sumatra. (WWF)
Orangutans exist at the place where the waterways exist nearby. They are more frequently seen in peat
swamp forests where it is situated right behind the coastline and extend inland along major river systems.
Their habitat indicate regions where most of food is available.
Behaviour
Orangutans have shown intelligence by using common routes and showing the ability to back track to
their original route. Orangutans are more solitary than other apes. Males are loners.
Orangutans have the longest childhood of any wild animal in the world. Usually it takes 6 to 7 years for
a young orangutans to develop the skills to survive their own. In the mean time they will be staying with
their mother. Orangutans are long-lived animals. They can live up to 60 years, however they only gives
birth once every eight years.
As mentioned that Orangutans are loner, they are relatively protective. To ensure their solitary, they will
make plenty of loud calls to ensure that other species stay out of thier way. The "long call" can be heard
as far as 2 kilometres away. However, their howl may also use by the male Orangutans to attract the
females Orangutans during the mating season.
Role in Ecosystem
Orangutans are mentioned as the “umbrella species” as they are vital to efficient in-situ conservation
efforts. Because of the roaming behavior of foraging orangutans, each orangutan requires a large

amount of space. An orangutan spends most of its time venturing in the woods, searching the canopy
for food sources. In Borneo, the productivity of fruit is relatively low. Due to this, orangutan density is
lower than in Sumatra where fruits are more abundant. Orangutans are solitary animals and do not live
together in large social groups, further adding to their need for large home ranges.
The ecology and behavior of this great ape makes protecting large areas of forest key to successful
orangutan conservation. Since the majority of other species can live sustainably within the large areas
of forest needed for the survival of orangutan populations, by protecting orangutans many other species
are also being protected. Forest species richness and quality also positively correlates with orangutan
density. To sum up, by protecting the orangutans, others species can be benefits as well. (Hull, 2016)
As the orang-utan's range has decreased so have its numbers. It is estimated there were around
230,000 orangutans during a century ago, 4 times more than the population today. Both Bornean and
Sumatran Orangutans have experienced sharp population declines.
Orangutans are highly dependent on trees for their habitation, which is the main reason why their
population is decreasing when the deforestation activities are so rampant. Activities such as illegal
hunting also has placed them in the danger of extinction.
Orangutans are vulnerable to predators such as leopards, crocodiles and tigers. However, tigers are the
number one predator among all. Also, leopards can kill orangutan adolescents and small adult females,
but killing of adult males are yet to be observed. If compared to Sumatran orangutans, Bornean
orangutans, have a smaller risk of being hunted by natural predators. Therefore, they can be seen more
frequently on the ground than their Sumatran counterparts. Female orangutans remain high up due to
smaller size
Orangutans lost their habitat as tropical rainforests are logged down to make paper and furniture and
the land is sacrificed for palm oil plantation. The lands that are being used to plant palm oil trees reduce
the diversity in the forest including the Dipterocarpaceae family forests which the Orangutans rely on as
their habitat.

Animal 3: MALAYAN TAPIR
A Malayan tapir is a nocturnal hoofed mammal with a stout body, sturdy limbs, and a short flexible
proboscis, native to the forests of Malaysia.
Photo of a Malayan tapir (Lim, 2016)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Tapiridae
Genus:Tapirus
Species: indicus
Physical Description
They have small eyes and ears. Their body are teadrop shaped which is wider at the rear and tapered
at the front. Their noses and upper lips combine into a flexible snout which can be used as a snorkel
when underwater. They have 4 toes on each front foot and and 3 toes on each back foot. They range
from 250 to 540 kg, with a length of 1.8 to 2.5 m and a height of 0.9 to 1.1 m. Females tend to be larger
than males by about 25 to 100 kg. The average lifespan of Malayan tapirs is approximately 30 years.
Malayan tapirs put food in their mouths using their noses, just like an elephant.

Origin of species
Tapirs share common ancestors with the primitive horse and the rhinoceros. The prehistoric tapirs
inhabited Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. The first tapirids, such as Heptodon, appeared in
the early Eocene of North America. They appeared very similar to modern forms, but were about half
the size. Asian and American tapirs were believed to have diverged around 20 to 30 million years ago.
Geographic Range
Malayan tapirs are restricted to southern Vietnam, southern Cambodia, southern Myanmar (Burma),
the Tak Province of Thailand, the Malayan Peninsula, and Sumatra south of the Toba Highlands.
Habitat
Malayan tapirs are forest dwellers which live in rain forests, jungles, primary forests, secondary forests,
mature rubber plantations and forest edges.
Behavior
Malayan tapirs are conspecifics and demonstrate crepuscular rather than completely nocturnal activity
in undisturbed forests. They may form groups in times of food shortage. Their personalities vary from
solitary to social and from tame to aggressive. Individuals maintain regular patterns of sleep during the
day and activity during the evening or night. In addition, Malayan tapirs are good swimmers, they may
walk along the bottom of deep rivers, holding their breath for up to 90 seconds. They are agile and are
able to climb over small vertical barriers.
The communications of Malayan tapirs are whistles, clicks, and hiccup-like noises, often made in
response to fear or pain. They have an acute sense of smell and good hearing with large, round ears.
They smell and touch each other during the first meeting.
Role in Ecosystem
Malayan tapirs are seed dispersers and benefit native plant communities by maintaining the seed
predation and dispersal and nutrient recycling of the ecosystem. They transport seeds both by
swallowing them and defecating later and by eating fruit and spitting out the seeds. Seed dispersal may
be up to a number of kilometers, generating a complex and remote seed shadow, and may disperse
large numbers of seeds. Some seeds germinate faster after passing through a tapir gut.

Since the year 2003, the Malayan tapir is classified as vulnerable by IUCN due to sharp population
decline. Decades ago, the Malayan tapir can be observed throughout the tropical lowland rainforests of
Southeast Asia, including most ASEAN nations. However, its numbers have rapidly shrunk in recent
years, and today, like all tapirs, it is endangered. The main threat to the Malayan tapirs is human activity,
including deforestation for agricultural land clearing projects, the growth of palm oil plantations, flooding
caused by the damming of rivers for hydroelectric projects, and illegal trade. Besides, they are hunted
for sport in some regions or shot accidentally when mistaken as other types of wild animals. Protected
status set by the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, which seeks to eliminate the killing
of tapirs were legislated but does not acknowledge the issue of habitat loss. Thus, little effect can be
seen in reviving tapir populations.

Animal 4: MALAYAN SUN BEAR
The Malayan sun bear is a small-sized near native to the forests of Southeast Asia.
Photo Taken of a Malayan sun bear (Lim, 2016)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus:Helarctos
Species: Malayanus
Above being the smallest bear in its family, Malayan Sun Bear is the smallest among the other sun
bears. Average height of an adult male Malayan sun bear is about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall while standing on
its hind legs, which is only half of an American black bear average size and can weigh up to 140 pounds
(70 kg)
Malayan sun bears physical being are covered with black smooth and short fur, exempting golden patch
in U shape on their chest. They are aided with long claws with sickle shape on their four feet which are
extremely long (can grow up to 6 inches) to allow them to dig for honey and grubs which then they lick
up using their long tongues.

Origin of species
These bears evolved from Ursidae, the ancestor of bears who are believed to live 20-25 million years
ago. They are close relatives with Asiatic and American black bears.
Geographic Range
Sun bears can still be found in Southeast Asia, to the West as far as Bangladesh and northeastern India,
North until southern Yunnan Province in China, and down South in Sumatra and Borneo. Nowadays, in
Southern China, Burma, Malaysia, Laos, Sumatra, Vietnam, Sumatra, Borneo, and Cambodia tropical
rainforest, they are getting much lesser, very patchily occurs through much of its former range. Reports
of their sightings in Nepal are erroneous while their distribution in Myanmar and Yunnan are unknown.
Even though sun bears are not reported in much further North into China, their fossils from the
Pleistocene era had been found around the area. The lower abundance of sun bears was apparent from
the historical times, which is suspected that their decreasing numbers may be a natural gradient,
unrelated to human exploitation.
Habitat
Living in altitudes as high as 2000 metres above sea level, the Malayan sun bear inhabits both primary
and logged, dense Southeast Asian tropical forests, including tropical evergreen rainforest, montane
forest and swamp habitat. (Wildscreen Arkive, 2016)
Behavior
Malayan sun bears are nocturnal creatures, explaining the fact that they are not active during daytime
during the visit to Zoo Negara. Their diet includes fruits, berries, and roots and sometimes insects,
lizards, rodents, small mammals and birds as well. Through foraging, they might damage coconut palm,
banana, and cocoa plantations.
Like other bear species, sun bears have a keen sense of smell. They tend to use their senses of smell
and touch to find and manipulate food. They use olfactory cues to find potential mates and use some
vocalization. (Nowak, 1997) Their eyesight is not very good as they are nocturnal, which is why smell
is the most important sensory media for them.
Role in Ecosystem
In certain regions, sun bears are important in seed dispersal. In a study of the Malayan sun bear in
Borneo, one sample of these bear feces was found to contain 309 seeds of different plants. They also
impact the colonial insect populations that they prey on. (McConkey and Galetti, 1999)

Malayan sun bears have recently been re-classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, primarily due
to the continued destruction of its habitat. Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation of the sun bear’s
tropical hardwood forest habitat is a huge threat to the Malayan sun bear population. This is caused
particularly by human encroachment and illegal logging from both within and outside protected areas in
order to grow coffee, rubber plants and oil palms. Another threat facing these bears is poaching, even
within protected areas, to serve the trade in bear parts.
Bear gall bladders and bile products are used in traditional medicines despite the fact that many herbal
alternatives are equally beneficial, more readily available, legal and cheaper. Further threats include the
capture of sun bears as pets and the killing of bears due to increasing human-bear conflicts. Catastrophic
events such as fire and drought have also been having an impact on sun bear populations, causing a
decrease in suitable habitat and food availability, resulting in many bears suffering from starvation. As a
result of this ongoing habitat loss and excessive human-caused mortality, many sun bear populations
have already become extinct. (Wildscreen Arkive, 2016)
Habitat destruction has been the primary reason of the Malayan sun bear. Their habitat has been wiped
out due to logging and conversion of land to agriculture. Furthermore, due to site clearance, logging
roads create easier access for poachers into the woods. Consequently, with the loss of home and food,
they approach the villages to search for food but instead, get shot or trapped by angry farmers.
The demand for bear products is the greatest threat to all bears. Traditional Asian medicine prescribes
bear fat, gall, meat, paws, spinal cord, blood, and bones for complaints ranging from baldness to
rheumatism. Bear entrees are popular in restaurants, and sun bear paws are favored in Taiwan for soup.
People are willing to pay for sun bear galls which cost 18 times more than the price of gold, fueling the
greed of hunters. In some places, the mother bears were killed by humans in order to obtain their young
cubs as pets.

Animal 5: MALAYAN GHARIAL
Malayan gharials are large fish-eating crocodiles with narrow stouts that widen at the nostrils native to
Southern and Southeast Asia.
Photo of a Malayan gharial (Lim, 2016)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodylia
Family: Crocodylidae
Genus:Tomistoma
Species: Schelegeli
Malayan gharials have long, narrow snouts filled with 76-84 sharp pointed teeth. Its steamlined body is
continued with a long tail. Laid on top of its head are its eyes and nostril, and a palatal valve that prevents
water from entering its throat while its underwater. Commonly, its length range from 4-5m or even larger
and weighs from 93-201 kg. Females are shorter and lighter than males. Its skin varies from chocolate
brown to dark with black bandings on the tail and body and dark patches on the jaws.

Geographic Range
They are found throughout Indonesia, parts of Malaysia (including Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak),
and Brunei. Gharial populations are isolated and occur in low densities throughout their range. More
significant populations are in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with smaller established populations in Malaysia.
The highest density population of Malayan gharials is in Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan.
(Foster, 2016)
Nowadays, they still can be found in Kalimantan, West Java, and East Sumatra, Malaysia and Brunei.
Scientists assume that they cannot be found anymore in Southern Thailand since the 1970s. Tanjung
Puting National Park in Kalimantan hosts the highest number of their population.
Smaller population can be seen in Sarawak, including the regions of Batang Lupar, Simunjan, and
Ensengai. Confimed localities are in Perak river, Selangor swamp, Pahang river, and Tesak Bera
Ramsar Site. They are under severe threat as the continuing loss of lowland swamps and increasing
urban development.
Habitat
Lowland, freshwater swamp forests, peat swamps, lakes, flooded forests, blackwater streams and river,
and the fringes of rainforests nearby slow-moving rivers are the places where Malayan gharials are likely
to live due to its low elevation and acidic, muddy water. Their secondary forests habitat are more defined
river channels and banks with higher pH, elevation, and lack of peat mounds. Terrestrial areas are
needed for them to bask and nest. (Foster, 2016)
Behavior
Unfortunately, their nesting, size, sexual maturity and behaviour, diet, and population demography are
little known by scientists as less than 20 wild nests are documented. Their nesting occurs during the dry
season and only around 13-41 eggs are laid which are then left to hatch in the late dry season or early
wet seasons after 70-80 days of incubation. Their eggs are considered larger compared to other types
of crocodilians.
From their mating behaviours, it is assumed that they communicate visually, tactilely and through
olfaction. Most crocodilians use a variety of calls to communicate which has not been recorded to be so
with Malayan gharials as their mating process is entirely silent. Skin is where the integumentary sense
organs are located, covering their tail, body, cloaca, head, jaws, and inner surfaces of the legs. Their
sense to detect changes in water pressure caused by the movement of their prey is used for hunting in
murky water. (Foster, 2016)
Role in Ecosystem

Müller (1838) stated the diet of T. schlegelii comprised fish, monitor lizards (Varanus), waterbirds and
mammals. Predation of monkeys by T. schlegelii has been observed (Galdikas and Yeager 1984,
Galdikas 1985, Yeager 1991). Stomach contents of juvenile wild T. schleglii included shrimp (Bezuijen
et al. 1998) and other invertebrates (Staniewicz and Behler 2010).
This species qualifies as Vulnerable as global populations have been reduced, almost certainly by over
30% in the past 75 years / three generations (assuming a generation time of 25 years), principally due
to continuing loss and fragmentation of swamp forest over the past three to four decades. It appears
unlikely that <2,500 mature individuals remain globally (the IUCN definition for Endangered), as a
relatively small number of sites with small subpopulations (e.g. 50 sites each with 50 individuals or 100
sites each with 25 individuals) is required to meet this criterion. The previous IUCN Red List status (vers.
2.3) for this species was Endangered (Crocodile Specialist Group 2000): the current downgrade in global
status to Vulnerable does not imply an increase in the global population/range or a reduction in threats,
but a more accurate assessment than was previously possible. Nonetheless, it remains possible that T.
schlegelii qualifies as globally Endangered, due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. At the national
and/or site level, this is almost certainly the case for some range states, particularly Malaysia. T.
schlegelii was accorded the IUCN Red List status of ‘Endangered’ in 1998 at an expert workshop during
the 14th
Working Meeting of the IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group. Since that time, new survey data
for sites in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia have become available, enabling a more
accurate assessment of global threat status. (IUCN, 2016)
Severe and continuing loss of swamp forest habitat throughout the global range of T. schlegelii is the
key threat to most wild populations. Loss and fragmentation of swamp forest has been occurring for over
three decades throughout Southeast Asia due to large-scale commercial and illegal logging, plantation
development (especially the establishment of paper pulp mills and palm oil plantations), forest fires, and
deliberate swamp drainage through construction of channels and dykes. Large areas of swamp forest
in East, Central and West Kalimantan were destroyed or severely degraded by the El Niño-induced
drought of 1997 and 1998 (Stibig et al. 2007). The expansion of oil palm plantations is currently the main
driver of loss of swamp forest in Sumatra and Borneo (Stibig et al. 2007). Based on satellite imagery
from 2000, almost 45% (>one million hectares) of peat swamp in Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand has
been converted to various land uses, and over a million hectares has been converted in Borneo and
Sumatra (Yoshino et al. 2010). Across the global range of T. schlegelii, Borneo retains the largest area
of peat swamp under natural cover (70-90%), but which is of varying quality and much is degraded
(Yoshino et al. 2010).
A significant threat appears to be predation of T. schlegelii eggs by the introduced wild pig Sus scrofa;
four of seven T. schlegelii nests recorded along one river were predated by this species (Bezuijen et al.
1997). A smaller but potentially significant threat is opportunistic removal of T. schlegelii and eggs from
the wild, usually by residents and crocodile farmers.
Commercial hunting of T. schlegelii occurred in some regions from the 1950s-1970s and probably
contributed to the decline of the species, but no longer occurs. Individuals sometimes drown in fishing
nets. In areas with depressed and threatened populations, the continuing low-level removal of mature
individuals (e.g. from drowning or capture in fishing gear) may cause disproportionately large impacts;
this may be the case along some rivers in southern Sumatra (Bezuijen et al. 2001). Fishing appears to
be less of a threat in Sarawak, where fishermen apparently release T. schlegelii caught in fishing gear
due to local beliefs that harming the species will bring bad luck or illness.

Animal 6: RHINOCEROUS HORNBILL
The Rhinocerous Hornbill is Southeast Asian in nature with black-and-white plumage and an upturned
casque. It is one of largest from the hornbill family in the world. The Rhinoceros Hornbill is the state bird
of the Malaysian state of Sarawak and is the country's National Bird.
Photo of a Rhinocerous hornbill in Zoo Negara (Ng, 2016)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Bucerotiformes
Family: Bucerotidae
Subfamily: Bucerotinae
Genus:Buceros
Species: B. rhinoceros
Rhinoceros hornbills are 75-90 cm long. Male hornbills are slightly larger than females. They weigh four
and a half to six and a half pounds (2.0-3.0 kg). Feathers on the head, back, wings and breast are black
with white feathers on the belly and a white tail with a black band through the middle. They possess a

long curved bill with a casque on top. The bill and casque are ivory white tinged with yellow, with bright
red coloring at the rear end of the casque. (Denver Zoo, 2016)
Origin Of Species
There are 3 main areas where the hornbill species are native in. They originate from the Indomalayan
region( species restricted to South-east Asian mainland forests, including parts of South Asia), species
in the Sunda shelf forests and species that cultivate in the myriad of island archipelagos. Species in
Indonesia and Thailand are the richest with 14 and 13 species respectively. In terms of the geographical
range for our chosen species, the Rhinoceros hornbill is found only in the middle of the Malaysian region,
and their dispersal borders Thailand as well as Indonesia. The bird can be seen living in tropical and
subtropical climates, lowland and montane areas and in mountain rain forests up to 1,400 metres altitude
in Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and southern Thailand.
Geographic Range
For our chosen species, Rhinoceros Hornbill is found only in the centre of the Malaysian region, and
they can be found at the Malaysian borders of Thailand and Indonesia.
Reproduction
The male hornbill begins to impress the female by bringing her food roughly a month before mating
season. Together, the male and female select a nest hole high up in a tree and set up the nest by
plastering up the hole with mud and droppings. The male plasters the hole from outside and the female
from inside until only a small opening remains, trapping the female within. The female lays two to three
white eggs and remains enclosed in the nest for three months, incubating the eggs and caring for the
chicks while the male delivers food to her and to the offsprings. The chicks hatch after 39-45 days. Once
the chicks have their first feathers, the female breaks out of the nest chamber and joins the male in
providing food for the young. The chicks remain in the nest for about 80 days and then break through
the opening. Rhinoceros hornbills are not sexually mature until they are about four years old. (Denver
Zoo,2016)
Habitat
It is found in lowland and montane, tropical and subtropical climates and in mountain rain forests up to
1,400 metres in altitude
Behavior
Rhinoceros hornbills mainly live off fruits and insects, but may also prey on small reptiles, rodents and
smaller birds. Like other hornbills, the adult Rhinoceros Hornbills form breeding pairs and exhibit peculiar
nesting habits. The pair build a nest in a hollow tree and seal the opening with mud, faeces and food

remains with the female inside. Only a small hole is left, through which the male passes the female
regurgitated food, while the female incubates the eggs. (World Land Trust, 2013)
The lingo of a Rhinoceros hornbill sounds like a honk. The bird amplifies its honking squawk to
communicate. This piercingly brassy vocalization can often be ascertained between pairs and
occasionally have a sharper note used for flight take-offs.
Role in Ecosystem
Hornbills are both fruit and flesh eaters. They are diverse in their search for food and drop the seeds of
the fruits they eat as they go, dispersing them over a wide area. They are thus important seed
disseminators within the forests they inhabit, acting as agents of forest regeneration, at the same time
as controlling insects and other small animal populations. As such, they can be regarded as indicators
of high moist forests, ensuring the continuance of forest health and species richness.
Rhinoceros hornbills are listed as near threatened due to loss of habitat, poaching for their feathers
and hunting for food. The continued loss of habitat could threaten wild populations in the future. However
when ethics is of concern, The Rhinoceros Hornbill was considered as a gift from their deity Gods by
the Ibans (A local Dayak tribe of Borneo). The Dayaks in those days believed the Hornbill is the god of
war when soaring high up in the sky.
The Dayaks held on to their faith that the beak of Rhinoceros hornbills held mythical powers. The
Dayaks’ sacrificed it and took out its beak. Its yellow orange colour beak with a slightly curved out
shape, once carved and worn as a necklace, the possesser is capable of mind-control others (as they
believed).
The Dayaks believed their weapons made out of hornbill parts are magical and are capable of having
high durability fit for battle. As for the clothing today, they are well kept and preserved from
generations to generations and to be used only during the most grandest of occasions’ such as
marriages and celebrations. Local believes aside, rapid deforestation of vast jungles of Sarawak are
the major concern to the population of Rhinoceros hornbills.

E Explain other initiatives taken/ policies introduced by Malaysian government agencies to conserve your
chosen species.
The species selected exist in regions of high biodiversity. Thus, actions to protect these animals in their
natural habitat will automatically lead to global benefits for biological diversity. Conservation of these
animals require protection of habitat. To protect them is to reduce forest loss. Malaysia’s Department of
Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia helped ensure the auditors of the Malaysian Timber
Certification Council check on hunting infringements during field audits on sustainable logging practices.
Patrolling is conducted across forest reserves.
In July, 2015, several hundred bank accounts of logging companies have been frozen in Sarawak alone.
So far this year, the Government of Sarawak has conducted 240 raids on timber camps and companies
believed to be linked to illegal logging activities. The Sarawak Forest Department's Director recently
indicated that the department had submitted 122 investigation papers to the State Attorney-General's
office for further action. In addition, a new law recently passed making it easier to combat illegal logging.
Mobile spot checks and static checkpoints are also conducted at the entry points to the landscape to
prevent poachers.
Moving on to each separate species, the state governments of Johor and Pahang has been working
closely with the Wildlife Conservation Society of Malaysia to initiate a recovery of the tigers and other
wildlife in the Endau-Rompin landscape. To address threats to Malayan tigers, the state and federal
governments of Malaysia facilitate the following interventions: tiger-friendly land-use planning in the key
corridor areas; A robust, continuous, on-the ground anti-poaching effort across the whole Endau-Rompin
landscape; Outreach programs with local communities living in and around the Endau-Rompin
landscape to increase awareness on protecting the tiger and its prey and; regular monitoring of tiger and
prey population numbers to determine the success of the conservation effort. All these efforts are
ongoing and will require steady funding to recover Malayan tigers. (Wildlife Conservation Society of
Malaysia, 2011)
Funds from the Tiger Conservation Campaign are used to purchase curriculum supplies, salaries of
education specialists and transport to ensure commitment and publicity of these efforts. The National
Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia 2008-2020 carried out by Department of Wildlife and National Parks
Peninsular Malaysia and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia aims to research
on tigers and propose initiatives to increase wild tiger populations.
Malaysia has adopted the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan in November 2009, aiming to double
the tiger population by 2020. Besides that, the New Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 was passed in the
parliament, legislating mandatory imprisonment for poaching of tigers. The Chief Minister of Sarawak,
Tan Sri Haji Adenan Bin Satem, issued a video statement which highlights his intention protect
orangutans and other fauna and flora located in this biodiverse-rich region in Malaysia. To help achieve
that goal, The Wildlife Conservation Society, a global initiative had signed an agreement with the
Government of Sarawak to promote and implement conservation projects and activities in various
protected areas through scientific research, education, information sharing and capacity building. (WCS,
2011)
WCS Malaysia's first efforts to protect orangutans in Sarawak began in 1959 with the work of George
Schaller. Since then WCS Malaysia has worked in Batang Ai National Park and Lanjak Entimau Wildlife
Sanctuary Landscape beginning in the early 1990s to the present. In addition to orangutan conservation,
WCS works to protect tigers, elephants, and other wildlife, as well as to address logging issues in
Peninsular Malaysia.
An association called “Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre” in the Malaysian Sabah District of North
Borneo was founded in 1964 to rehabilitate orphan orangutans. Today, around 25 young orphaned

orangutans are housed in the nurseries, in addition to those free in the reserve. The facility provides
medical care for orphaned and confiscated orangutans as well as dozens of other wildlife species.
The rehabilitated orangutans have their diet supplemented by daily feedings of milk and bananas. The
additional food supplied by the centre is purposefully designed to be monotonous and boring so as to
encourage the apes to start to forage for themselves.
Sepilok is considered by the Wildlife Department to be a useful educational tool to educate both the
locals and visitors alike, but they are with conditions that the education must not interfere with the
rehabilitation process. Visitors are restricted to walkways and are not allowed to approach or handle the
apes. In the wild orangutan babies stay with their mothers for up to six years while they are taught the
skills they need to survive in the forest, the most important of which is climbing. At Sepilok, a buddy
system is used to replace a mother’s teaching. A younger ape will be paired up with an older one to help
them to develop the skills they need. The creation of reserve areas minimises the impact of deforestation
on orangutans and far fewer young apes become the victim of the illegal pet trade as a result of these
‘sanctuaries’. The Malaysian Government has clamped down on illegal trading, outlawing all such
practice and imposing prison sentences on anyone caught keeping them as pets. Whilst some of the
orangutans raised as pets can never be returned to the wild, others can be rehabilitated. (World Wildlife
Fund, 2012)
To conserve the Malayan tapir, Malaysian government agencies proposed Malay Tapir Conservation
Workshop. The main goal of this workshop was to gather, systematize and discuss all the available data
and information on Malay tapirs (population demographic parameters, for example: age structure, birth
rates, mortality, dispersal, and other biological data, the species current status and distribution, threats
to survival across its range, available habitat) and use this information to generate research and
establish management options and conservation priorities for the species. The specific objectives are to
define the limits of Malay tapir populations in remaining habitats, to determine the status of tapir sub-
populations, to determine the threats to tapirs in these sub-populations, to define geographic areas
where tapirs have a chance of long-term survival, to prioritize conservation and management actions
necessary to save Malay tapirs across these areas, and to develop a communication strategy to reach
policy and decision-makers. (WCS, 2011)
Apart from that, Malay Tapir Conservation Centre (MTCC) is built and located in Sungai Dusun Wildlife
Reserve in the northern tip of Selangor state. It is home to 12 tapirs (five males and seven females),
which is half of the captive population in Malaysia. Seven of these are individuals displaced from various
states in Peninsular Malaysia. Currently, the MTCC keeps the tapirs healthy and disease free and pair
up males and females at the right time for breeding. This can be predicted through the use of hormone
profiles and ultra-sonography. Furthermore, the MTCC investigate possible diseases via blood and
serum analysis and, in collaboration with Copenhagen Zoo, conduct a DNA study that looks into tapir’s
genetic makeup through DNA fingerprinting. Also, in 2002, the Malay Tapir Conservation Project (MTCP)
began its activities as collaboration between Copenhagen Zoo and Department of Wildlife and National
Parks (DWNP). The project’s overall objective is to develop a tapir conservation plan but a critical
prerequisite.
The Malayan sun bear on the other hand is understudied, and little conservation action has been
targeted at it. The Malayan sun bear has been listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) since 1979, which prohibits international trade, and the killing of
the sun bear is prohibited under national wildlife protection laws, however, little enforcement of these
laws occurs. The Malayan sun bear is part of an international captive breeding programme and has a
Species Survival Program under the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. More research is
required as only recently have field studies started to investigate the basic biology, ecology, and
behaviour of wild sun bears. Conservation of sun bears needs to focus on protection of their forest
habitat, proper management of these areas, strict enforcement of their legal status, minimizing human-
bear conflict near forest areas, and halting trade in bear parts.The most beneficial conservation measure

in Indonesia and Malaysia would be protection of remaining forests from conversion to other land-uses,
eliminating unsustainable logging practices, and prevention of forest fires. (Wildscreen Arkive, 2016)
Compared to other animal species studied, Malayan gharials were not considered a huge concern by
the Malaysian government. However since the 1990s, rapid status assessments for gharials have been
conducted. Reviews of national or global distribution (Sebastian, 1994) have been prepared.
In efforts of preserving Rhinoceros hornbills, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) has been actively
seeking the conservation of the Belum-Temengor forest through various public and scientific efforts
since 1993. The Hornbill Conservation and Monitoring Programme primarily seeks to understand the
ecology and biology of the globally threatened hornbills. Through the programme, MNS hopes to
improve protection of the hornbills and its habitat while also increasing awareness on the plight and
importance of these majestic birds. The Hornbill Volunteer Programme, a spin off from the Hornbill
Conservation and Monitoring Programme was started in 2008 to enable anyone to learn and contribute
towards the conservation of hornbills.
In addition to the Western Sarawak Hornbill Project, other hornbill conservation activities have also been
conducted such as population status studies, ecological studies, habitat enrichment and activities that
involve local communities. Sarawak is exploring the eco-tourism potentials of hornbills as Community-
Based Ecotourism (CBET) products which have been very successful in Thailand by providing
alternative sources of income. Sarawak Forestry will be also organizing 7th International Hornbill
Conference 2017 in Sarawak. The government urged people to make the best out of the conference by
learning from one another on how best to protect the majestic birds for the future generation. So we
could also do a better job to conserve this endangered animal.” (The Borneo Post, 2015) We can
conclude that the government of Sarawak is concerned about this species by setting up laws and
regulation, organizing campaign, and also actively raising the social awareness among people.

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