This post is written in support of PK Tan’s Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Awareness Campaign. It is really heartening to know that there are people who are concerned with the conservation status of the Malaysian wildlife.

We all know that Malaysia is one of the world’s mega-diverse countries. The diversity of vertebrates in the country includes about 300 species of wild mammals, 700 to 750 species of birds, 350 species of reptiles, 165 species of amphibians and more than 300 species of freshwater fishes. A conservative estimate places the number of species of invertebrates at more than 100,000. On the other hand, the flora of Malaysia is conservatively estimated to contain about 15,000 species of higher plants with over 1,100 species of ferns and fern allies, many of which are endemic (native to the country).

Image credit: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

However, the vast majority of species that have ever lived are now extinct. As dramatic as mass extinctions are, many species go extinct seemingly independent of one another. This background rate of extinction is roughly 1-2 species per year. An extinction at the species level may simply mean that one named form has evolved into another named form (its descendant) but when a family or other higher taxonomic lineage disappears, clearly something more is going on.

To this end, both the Malaysian government and non-governmental organizations are actively carrying out various conservation projects and activities in the hopes of slowing down the extinction rates of some of the critically-endangered species.

Image credit: Malaysia Travel Guide.

Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) has listed six endangered species to be given priority for in situ conservation. The six priority species are the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis), gaur (Bos gaurus), tiger (Panthera tigris), elephant (Elephas maximus), 6 species of pheasant and milky stork (Mycteria cinerea).

Turtle Aid Malaysia (TAMY) @ Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
Turtle research at UMT has developed into a multi-disciplinary program aimed at studying all aspects of the biology and ecology of sea turtles and river terrapins, threats to their survival, and how they can be managed in order to restore the various species to a stable population level. Besides carrying out conservation-oriented research on sea turtles and river terrapins, Turtle Aid Malaysia @ TAMY is also directly involved in education of university students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, village children, and the public at large on the conservation of the turtles.

WWF-Malaysia
WWF-Malaysia works with its partners, including local communities, towards the protection and management of six different species — the tiger, Borneo Pygmy elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros and orang utan in the forests and both the hawksbill and the green turtles in the seas and on the beaches.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is also carrying out various species conservation projects such as the following:

• Fins-Best on Sharks Campaign — with a goal to garner at least 100 Malaysian or Malaysian-based companies that have declared not to serve shark’s fin soup by the end of 2007.
• The Hornbill Project @ Belum Temenggor — it is hoped that the project will contribute towards understanding the ecology and biology of the globally threatened and near-threatened hornbills. It is also hoped that the knowledge gained through the project will help to improve protection for the hornbills and its habitat.
• The Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) — to increase communication and opportunities for collaboration among the partners whose tiger conservation priorities include habitat protection, human-tiger conflict resolution, law enforcement, monitoring of illegal trade, research, education and public awareness.

References:

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• The Emergence of Complex Life @ University of Michigan
• Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
• Turtle Aid Malaysia (TAMY) @ Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
• WWF-Malaysia
• Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)