« alternative malaysian news | Main | what sense is there in this »
June 14, 2006
wild rhino picture captured in sabah
the first wild rhino picture has been captured recently using a motion-trigger sensitive camera. these cameras are planted in the heart of borneo jungles since february 2006 by a full-time rhino monitoring group established in end of 2005. when animals walk by, infrared signals are triggered and the photograph is captured.
the Sabah Wildlife Department and WWF announced the rhino to be a subspecies of the Sumatran Rhinoceros, a critically endangered species whose existence is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat.
rhinos being very shy animals are rarely seen alive in the wild. they spend most of their lives deep in dense remote forests. this picture gave assurance that the rhinos are indeed roaming the jungles of borneo. healthy ones too.
it is believed that only 300 sumatran rhinos are left in this world, out of which about 13 resides in borneo. this was concluded in an elaborate field survey carried out in may 2005 by a group of 120 people split into 16 teams. the rest of the rhinos live in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sumatra.
they are hunted for their horns. almost all their body parts are valuable in the black market.
this rare photo of the nearly extinct species is an encouraging sign of conservation works in Sabah, which is spearheaded by WWF-Malaysia's AREAS (Asian Rhinoceros and Elephant Action Strategy) Project.
posted by nyx at June 14, 2006 8:48 AM
Comments
Post a comment
| Main |