Article: High winds whip up big waves

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper:Nation  8 August 2009

Article: Coral Kingdom

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: 8 August 2009

Article: More apologies to Mother Earth

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation 8 August 2009

Image: Alleycats

Date : Sunday, 9-August-2009

by ChefonWheels

Our very own back street felines gathering for an audition on Cat Idol.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Thumbnails, 9 August 2009

Article: typhoon wreaks havoc in Taiwan

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World, 9 August 2009

Image: Morakot's fury

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W29, 9 August 2009

Image: Floral Attraction

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Nation N16, 9 August 2009

Image: Dinosaur Flower

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: Star Foto Folder: World W32, 9 August 2009

Article: First tarsier study begins

Sunday August 9, 2009

By MUGUNTAN VANAR

KOTA KINABALU: A young male tarsier named Jamil perched on a sapling at the Danau Girang Field Centre at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, not knowing it was becoming part of conservation history.

The tarsier, a primate species, became the first of its kind to be radio collared in efforts by scientist to carry out a detailed study of the nocturnal activities of the animal.

Tarsiers are characterised by eyes larger than their brain, teeth so sharp that they can pierce the bones of a frog or snake, and long legs like rubber bands allowing for spectacular three-metre leaps.

Unlike macaques and orang utans, however, no systematic study of these charismatic nocturnal creature has been undertaken in Malaysia for more than 20 years.

The project is aided by participants in an Oxford Brookes University field course in Primate Conservation and Ecology.

The small collar, weighing less than 3% of the tarsier's body weight, will not hinder the animal as it goes about its rapid nocturnal forays searching for insects, lizards and other prey.

It will allow field assistant and student Ridzwan Ali and his team to track it throughout the night. Being a wholly nocturnal animal, it is almost impossible to keep track of its movement.

The centre's director, Dr Benoit Goossens, said there was a need for better understanding of habitat needs, diet and social organisation of tarsiers that would be key to conservation policies for these unique little creatures.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said the study on tarsiers was part of a bio-diversity assessment and monitoring in ongoing efforts to develop an adaptive management strategy for the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife San-ctuary.

Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation and Primate Action Fund of Conservation International, Pri-mate Conservation Inc, and Primate Society of Great Britain are supporting the research project.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 9 August 2009

Article: 1,000ha ablaze in Sarawak

Sunday August 9, 2009

MIRI: Wildfires are raging in more than 1,000ha of forests and peat land near the Sarawak-Brunei border, resulting in a heavy concentration of thick smoke and ash which is choking the people living in the Kuala Baram area.

According to the Miri Fire and Rescue Department and local politicians, some 3,000ha have been burnt.

Miri Division Fire Chief Christian Olas said the fires were most intense near the bridge linking Sarawak to Brunei.

"More than 1,000ha in Kuala Baram district are still on fire.

"We have doused many fires over the past few days but they keep spreading due to the strong wind. New fires keep on appearing.

"Our firefighters are already on 24-hour duty. We only have 37 firefighters on the ground because we are short of manpower," said Olas.

Checks by The Star Saturday showed that the area was choked with thick smoke and burnt smell.

Visibility was still at dangerously-low levels, with some stretches of the Pan-Borneo Highway blanketed with smoke.

At some stretches, visibility was between 100m to 200m. The thick haze has also blotted out the sun.

State authorities have called for more measures to contain the fires.

Assistant state Infrastructure Development and Communication minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the fires in his Senadin constituency, which is located in the Kuala Baram district, had burned more than 3,000ha of land.

"The fire department will build a watchtower to detect the fires swiftly and to enable better and more effective enforcement against open-burning activities," he said.

The Air Pollution Index (API) in four locations in Sarawak - Bintulu, Miri, Samarahan and Sibu - were in unhealthy levels, with Sibu having a high API reading.

Kapit, Limbang and Sarikei had moderate air quality readings. There were no readings for Kuching.

The other three locations with unhealthy air quality were Bukit Rambai (in Malacca) and Muar.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 9 August 2009

Article: Outlaw open burning on peat land, Sarawak urged

Sunday August 9, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak should outlaw open burning on peat areas as they contribute to fires and the haze.

Environmental advisor to the Sarawak Government Dr James Dawos Mamit said he would advise the Natural Resource and Environment Board to review its current practice of issuing permits to plantations on peat land to use burning in their operations.

On Thursday, satellite images showed a high number of hotspots in Sarawak with a significant numbers in Sibu, Mukah and Miri divisions.

The haze map released by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre in Singapore showed the area around Sibu and Mukah shrouded in thick haze. The map also showed many hotspots in that area.

While open burning is banned in other parts of Malaysia, plantation operators in Sarawak can apply for an open burning permit under Section 30(1)(a) and (2) of the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance.

In the application form, the applicant is asked to state whether the land is mineral or peat soil.

"It is a known fact now that it is detrimental to use fire on peat land as it is very difficult to put out.

"They should look at it objectively," said Dr Dawos in reference to certain quarters in Sarawak that had dismissed environmentalists' criticisms of oil palm development on peat land.

Dr Dawos is also the president of the newly-formed Malaysian Peat Society.

Peat expert Faizal Parish of the Global Environment Centre urged plantation companies to avoid peat soil as 95% of peat land in Sarawak are deep peat (more than 3m deep).

"Plantation should only be allowed on degraded areas.

"The state government should reconsider permitting open burning on peat land," he said.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 9 August 2009

Image: Opposites attract

Date : Saturday, 8-August-2009 

by Rayel Jesudass

"Why hello, you must be new around here. Allow me to show you around."

This image was taken from: The Star Online: Thumbnails 8 August 2009

Image: The Mummy, Part 4

Date : Saturday, 8-August-2009

by Charlotte Beh

Look at this pair of lizard sentinels guarding the entrance of the TNB meter box. Now they only have to pray Brendan Fraser doesn't find them.

This image was taken from: The Star Online: Thumbnails 8 August 2009

Article: Woof & poof

Saturday August 8, 2009

Stories by KEE HUA CHEE

When was a poodle not a poodle? When it became a dragon, leopard and panda! The sky was the limit as poodles took the form of the sun, moon and even the Eiffel Tower at the PetExpo in Bangkok.

Words failed me as I watched with increasing incredulity a parade of poodles in bizarre costumes unleashed on an unsuspecting audience at the Pet Expo at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.

At the standing-room-only show entitled Creativity with Love, the stars on stage were poodles but there were canines of every breed everywhere. Even the photographer next to me brought his Schnauzer and it was a miracle no one stepped on any paws. I heard barks, yelps, yaps and woofs but no squeals of pain so everything must have been paw-fect.

Poodles all dolled up for the dogwalk.

I live in mortal fear of stepping on doggie poo but I only saw one "accident" during my three hours there. Many owners came with prams, trolleys and special wheelers to carry their dogs. Each trolley was filled with food, drinks, toys, blankets and toilet rolls for "accidents".

"My dogs ARE my children!" said one owner of five pooches.

Said another, "My wife and I left our human babies at home with the maid to bring our dogs here. It's their day out!"

There were pet products galore and obligatory dog contests but the highlight of PetExpo Thailand 2009 was the poodle parade.

The dogshow was a catwalk success. But more confusion followed. The show was presented by Starwood Group which I mistook for Starwood Group of Hotels. It turned out to be Starwood Grooming School of Bangkok with no affiliation to room rates.

According to Ladda Mongkolchaivivat, general manager of PetExpo, "The show was created by Sathit Suratphipit from Starwood Grooming School which is certified by Thailand's Ministry of Education.

Cupid poodle. — KEE HUA CHEE

"The poodles' owners lent their dogs to Mr Sathit to be dressed and coloured. There was no contest. Every poodle was a winner!"

Said the rather corpulent Sathit, "The show also featured the 'National Dog' theme as certain countries are associated with certain breeds. This was the perfect combination between grooming, colouring and dog fashion show."

Purists may be appalled at what the pooches had to undergo to be transmuted into a dragon with coiling scales, Parisian with Eiffel Tower growing on its back and an entire leopard's head stuck next to its own. The most sensational was the Panda Poodle which brought the house down as the poodle bore a striking similarity to China's national living treasure.

"None of the dogs suffered discomfort!" declared Nop, a poodle owner.

"Their fur was sprayed with hair colour, back combed and hair conditioner applied to make the fur erect. The Eiffel Tower, sun, moon and star symbols were made of Styrofoam so they were very light.

"You must remember this was a dog show and if any of the animals suffered even a little bit, there would be big, big trouble!"

Poodle-monium!

The show started with a sexy deejay and two dancers before the music console was hastily removed as the bemused crowd began fidgeting.

First came the celestial canines with the poodles garbed as the sun, star, moon and Earth. As expected, they were decked with sunburst and crescent moon cutouts while the Earth Poodle had half a globe stuck on its rear and what looked like an erupting volcano on its head.

The show came down to earth by showing how man's best friend went into battles with their masters. Explained Sathit Suratphipit from Starwood Grooming School, "The human models wore traditional battle costumes called 'Tabengman'. The warrior dogs we showed were a local breed called 'Lan Arn' which is a v er y tough and strong dog.''

A shirtless male model carried the Leopard Poodle which hardly looked the role as a toy leopard's head was attached to the dog's neck. The Warrior Poodle also looked more defeated than victorious as the spears and arrows appeared to pierce its body.

The appearance of the National Dogs were greeted with howls of delight from the audience. The Empress Dowager of China carried a pug followed by an eunuch with a Papillon (Butterfly dog) and maid with the Panda Poodle.

More claps followed with the appearance of the Dragon Poodle with a dragon's head strapped above the dog's head and green/gold scales coiling around its body.

What is a poodle unless it is French and so a 19th century Parisian damsel strolled in clutching a black poodle with a dandy top hat and collar studded with Swarovski crystals.

The Eiffel Tower Poodle and its carrier each sported an identical replica of the most famous Paris landmark, one on the back and the other on the model's head. As a coup de grace, there was even an arc en ciel (rainbow) on the poodle's rear!

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Lifestyle: Living 8 August 2009

Article: Haze making travel along Pan-Borneo Highway risky

Saturday August 8, 2009

MIRI: Travelling along the Pan-Borneo High-way has become dangerous as visibility has been reduced to less than 100m on some stretches as a result of haze made worse by forest fires raging through the state.

A check by The Star yesterday found thick haze covering some stretches of the highway along a 50km route between Sarawak and Brunei.

Traffic police have alerted motorists to be careful by posting notices near the Sarawak-Brunei Immigration and Customs checkpoints.

A Miri Lopeng Fire Station officer said visibility near the Niah district, some 120km south of here, was also bad.

Visibility was worse at night and early morning, he said, adding that most of the fires were far from the highway and there was limited access to the hotspots.

As of yesterday, over 900 major forest fires were scattered throughout Sarawak, many of which were burning out of control.

In Kuching, State Natural Resources Environ-ment Board deputy controller Peter Sawal said three open burning permits for plantation companies had been revoked with 26 applications for permits suspended.

The department has warned that on-the-spot compound would be issued, and that plantation owners here, in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri had been informed of the open burning ban.

State Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Development and Communications Bolhassan Di hoped the Public Works Department would send drinking water to over 20,000 villagers in three drought-hit settlements in Beting Maro in southern Sarawak.

In Petaling Jaya, the Department of Environ-ment said the air quality in four areas were found to be unhealthy as at 5pm yesterday, with Sibu and Samarahan having Air Pollutant Index readings of 104 and 122, while Miri reached 115.

Malacca moved into the unhealthy category in the evening with an API of 104.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 8 August 2009

Article: ACS creates history

Friday August 7, 2009

Story and photos by ANTHONY LAW

A GIANT logo, constructed from 185,640 recyclable cans and as big as a football field, has earned SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR).

It depicts the school's logo against the world map with the words 'ACS Leads the Way for a Greener Earth.'

Records are made to be broken and SMK Methodist (ACS)Ipoh students have done just that when they created a giant logo, measuring 1,768sq m, by using 185,640 recyclable tin cans.

MBR representative V. Vijayakumar declared the 1,768sq m logo as the biggest under the human achievement category beating the previous record of 62.7sq m logo made from 20,760 cans.

Perak Education director Mohd Radzi Abd Jabar had a hand in creating the record by placing the final compressed tin can.

Giant effort: An aerial view of the largest logo made from 185,640 tin cans by SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh students.

Great teamwork: ACS students arranging the tin cans as they aim to break the previous record.

"Behind me is not a field of empty tin cans but a giant masterpiece reflecting the creativity, innovation, dedication, determination and team work among teachers and students," he said after logo was completed.

It's official: Cheng (left) receiving the certificate from Vijayakumar as Mohd Radzi (middle) looks on.

School principal Cheng Sai Lak said 1,700 students took part in the logo project.

"More than creating a record or earning a certificate for it, this project is about creating awareness on the need to protect the environment," he said.

A brainchild of teacher Dr D. Kathiresan, the school is expected to raise RM70,000 when the cans are sold for recycling after this.

The creation will be exhibited at the school until today.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: North, 7 August 2009

Image: Love Puppies

This image was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W46, 7 August 2009

Article: Koala Sam dies in second fight for life

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W48, 7 August 2009

Article: Force dogs to walk in shanghai

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World, 7 August 2009

Article: ban proposed on cockfighting ads

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W42, 7 August 2009

Article: dog suspected source of plague

This article was taken from: The Star Newspaper: World W42, 7 August 2009

Image: Mighty mice

Date : Friday, 7-August-2009

by Thein Kwee Huey

Unlike Remy, these rodents don't have a clue how to make Ratatouille, so they decided to steal the food instead.

This image was taken from: The Star Online: Thumbnails 7 August 2009

Article: Aussie koala that survived fires dies in surgery

Published: Thursday August 6, 2009 MYT 2:27:00 PM

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) - "Sam" the koala, who gained worldwide fame and sympathy when she was rescued during devastating wildfires this year, has died during surgery.

Wildlife center spokeswoman Peita Elkhorne said the 4-year-old koala died Thursday while being operated on to remove ovarian cysts.

Sam was made famous by a photograph of her drinking from a firefighter's water bottle as wildfires ravaged Australia in February.

She suffered second- and third-degree burns to her paws and had been recuperating well.

But she developed cysts due to a life-threatening disease called urogenital chlamydiosis, which affects up to 50 percent of Australia's koala population.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: World 6 August 2009

Article: A new haven for fireflies

Thursday August 6, 2009

By CHAN LI LEEN

LANDSCAPE designer M. Anand has proven others wrong that fireflies can only thrive around mangrove trees, the berembang and api-api.

He has managed to increase the population of fireflies in a 'self-made forest' in front of his home in Taman Tasik Indah, Taiping, from 80 to about 2,000 now.

"There is not a single berembang or api-api tree there," Anand said of the forest he had put together with the acacia and other trees and shrubs.

Landscape designer M. Anand succeeded in breeding fireflies at his manmade 'forest' in Taiping.

"From my observation, it is the acacia that the fireflies like," he added.

The realisation came to Anand after returning from one of his regular visits to Kampung Kayan in Sitiawan three years back.

"I was sitting in my garden that night, looking at the stars.

"It occurred to me that it could probably be the acacia the fireflies liked," said Anand, 43, who remembered that there were also acacia trees in Kampung Kayan and Kuala Gula near Taiping.

Previously working in the civil service in Kuala Lumpur, Anand used to make regular trips back to Perak to watch fireflies at mangrove swamps in the two areas in his free time.

And with each visit in that period spanning 15 years, Anand could not help but notice that their numbers were dwindling.

Anand showing a firefly resting underneath a leaf in his forest.

"That night, I decided to turn the land in front of my house, which already had a few acacia trees, into a forest to breed fireflies," he related.

The very next morning, Anand drove all the way from Taiping to Yong Peng, Johor, to get more trees.

It took him two months to collect all the 37 different trees and shrubs needed for his firefly forest, which resembles more like a garden, complete with a pathway, shack for relaxation and open-air shower.

"I learnt from a pakcik (uncle) I befriended in Kampung Kayan on what trees and shrubs to plant there," he said.

Innovative: An open air shower in Anand's forest.

Five months after the trees and shrubs had fully grown, Anand brought 80 fireflies from Kampung Kayan and released it into his forest.

"Initially, the numbers dwindled but then they started to breed three weeks later.

"There were flashing lights everywhere at night," he said, adding that the fireflies in his forest gave out the colours of fluorescent yellow, white and green.

According to Anand who would patent his technique soon, several government departments and hotels had approached him to breed fireflies for them.

"I'm not too keen. I want to do more research on their habitat and their conservation," he said.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: North 6 August 2009

Article: Pot of gold

Thursday August 6, 2009

By MARCUS WOHLSEN and LISA LEFF

Since California legalised marijuana for medicinal use, 'weed' has become a major economic force, with the state reaping a 9.25% sales tax on purchases.

A DRUG deal plays out, California-style: A conservatively dressed courier drives a company-leased car to an apartment on a weekday afternoon. Erick Alvaro hands over a white paper bag to his 58-year-old customer, who inspects the bag to ensure that everything he ordered over the phone is there.

An 8oz (3.5g) supply of organic marijuana buds for treating his seasonal allergies? Check. An eighth (3.5g) of a different pot strain for insomnia? Check. THC-infused lozenges and tea bags? Check and check, with a free herb-laced cookie thrown in as a thank-you gift.

It's a US$102 (RM358) credit card transaction carried out with the practised efficiency of a home-delivered pizza – and with just about as much legal scrutiny.

More and more, having premium pot delivered to your door in California is not a crime. It is a legitimate business.

Cough, cough: Californian farmer Jim Hill grows marijuana for 'medical purposes' in a temperature-controlled greenhouse for up to 20 patients, including himself and his wife, whom he says suffers from a serotonin imbalance.

Marijuana, or cannabis, has transformed California. Since the state became the first to legalise the drug for medicinal use, the weed the US Government puts in the same category as heroin and cocaine, has become a major economic force.

No longer relegated to the underground, pot in California these days props up local economies, mints millionaires and feeds a thriving industry of startups designed to grow, market and distribute the drug.

Based on the quantity of marijuana authorities seized last year, the crop was worth an estimated US$17bil (RM59.6bil) or more, dwarfing any other sector of the California's agricultural economy.

Experts say most of that marijuana is still sold as a recreational drug on the black market. But more recently the plant has put down deep financial roots in highly visible, taxpaying businesses: stores that sell high-tech marijuana growing equipment. Pot clubs that pay rent and hire workers. Mari­juana-themed magazines and food products. Chains of for-profit clinics with doctors who specialise in medical marijuana recommendations.

The sheer scale of the overall pot economy has some lawmakers pushing for broader legalisation as a way to shore up the finances of a state that has teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. The state's top tax collector estimates that taxing pot like liquor could bring in more than US$1.3bil (RM4.56bil) annually.

Money spinner

Cash crop: A worker packing harvested medical marijuana at a dispensary in San Francisco

Although marijuana is cultivated throughout California, the most prized crops come from the forested mountains and hidden valleys of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties – the Emerald Triangle.

The economic impact of so much pot is difficult to gauge. Authorities say the largest grows are run by Mexican drug cartels that simply funnel money from forest-raised crops back into their own bank accounts.

Still, marijuana money from outdoor and indoor plots inevitably flows into local coffers. Marijuana increases residents' retail buying power by about US$58mil (RM203mil) countywide, according to a Mendocino County report. The county ranks 48th out of 58 counties in median income but, by counting pot proceeds, could jump as high as 18th.

Businesses benefit from mom-and-pop growers who cultivate pot to supplement their incomes and from marijuana plantation workers who descend on the Emerald Triangle from all over the United States for the fall harvest. Pot "trimmers" can earn more than US$40 (RM140) per hour.

In Ukiah, the county's largest city, business owners say the extra cash is crucial. "I really don't think we would exist without it," says Nicole Martensen, 37, whose wine and garden shop is stocked with bottles from county vintners.

But Ukiah banker Marty Lombardi says existing businesses cannot compete with pot industry wages for workers. Lombardi's bank does not make loans to anyone suspected of trying to fund a pot operation, but he said most growers do not need them.

"I don't think you or I have any sense for how much money is generated," he said.

Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman says medical marijuana operations that follow state and county laws will face no hassles from his department. His deputies left intact 154 marijuana grows they visited last year, he said.

Which is not to say that there is no legal risk to growing, selling or buying marijuana. Federal laws still apply, and pot dealings not deemed medicinal are considered criminal by the state.

Local, state and federal authorities pulled up 364,000 plants across Mendocino last year. And the state's Department of Justice reported more than 16,000 felony arrests and nearly 58,000 misdemeanour arrests for marijuana offences in 2007 – the highest numbers in a decade.

Tonic: At the THC Expo in Los Angeles in June, an exhibitor offered many flavours of drinks infused with marijuana that are available at the Farmacy.

Doctor's orders

Even people accustomed to buying marijuana over the counter are impressed when they visit the Farmacy, a dispensary-cum-New Age apothecary with three locations in Los Angeles. Decorated in soft beige and staffed by workers in lab coats, the Venice store sells organic toiletries, essential oils and incense along with 25 types of pot stored in glass jars.

Anyone can shop there, but to buy the cannabis-infused gelato, olive oil, soft drinks and other "edibles", customers must show a doctor's recommendation, have the information verified by the doctor's office and obtain a patient identification number for future visits.

During a two-hour span, the dozen or so customers who made a purchase all bought pot products and paid the 9.25% state sales tax on top of their purchases. The clubs, which are not supposed to turn a profit, call their transactions "donations".

California's "green rush" was spurred by a voter-approved law 13 years ago that authorised patients with a doctor's recommendation to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use. Although a dozen other states have adopted similar laws, California is the only one where privately owned pot shops have flourished.

Los Angeles County alone has at least 400 pot dispensaries and delivery services, nearly twice as many outlets as Amsterdam, the Netherlands capital whose coffee shops have for decades been synonymous with free-market marijuana.

Promoted as a way to shield people with AIDS, cancer and anorexia who use marijuana from prosecution, the 1996 Compassionate Use Act also permitted limited possession for "any other illness for which marijuana provides relief."

The broad language opened the door to doctors willing to recommend pot for nearly any ailment.

In a survey of nearly 2,500 patients, longtime Berkeley medical marijuana advocate Dr Tod Mikuriya found that more than three-quarters of the patients used the drug for pain relief or mental health issues.

California's pot dispensaries now have more in common with the corner grocery. They advertise freely, offering discounts and daily specials.

Like just about everyone else connected to the cannabis trade, Justin Hartfield, a 25-year-old website designer and business student, has a letter from a doctor that entitles him to buy medical marijuana from a dispensary.

But he sees no point in pretending he is treating anything more than his taste for smoking weed. "It is a joke. It's a legal way for me to get what I used to get on the street," he said. – AP

In Malaysia, any person found with 200g or more of cannabis will face the death penalty under the country's Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Lifestyle: Focus 6 August 2009

Article: Zoo Negara hopes to get more tropical animals

Thursday August 6, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Zoo Negara is looking at expanding its collection of animals, especially those from the tropics.

Malaysian Zoological Society chairman Datuk Ismail Hutson said the zoo was hoping to increase the percentage of its tropical animals from 60% to 90% or 100%.

"We are targeting to become a world-class zoo by 2015, so hopefully before that we can expand the collection of our animals.

"We prefer to concentrate on local tropical animals. If possible, we want to have a collection of every tropical animal in the region." he told The Star.

The zoo has been working closely with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) through the years to achieve that, said Ismail, adding that even the department faced problems in acquiring tropical animals.

"These animals, for example, the rhinoceros, Malaysian gaur and Siamang are becoming very rare. Maybe we can get them from Indonesia but it takes time.

"We have a few gaur and only one Siamang here. If we have more, they can breed," he said.

Ismail, along with Zoo Negara director Dr Mohamad Ngah and Zoo Negara animal welfare committee chairman Prof Dr Zulkifli Idrus have also refuted a news report on Aug 2 which painted the zoo management in a negative light, said Ismail, adding that it may cause sponsors to pull out.

He said the false information was spread by some council members who "may have a personal agenda".

The welfare of animals is the utmost priority for the management, said Dr Zulkifli, adding that the zoo's mortality rate last year (4%) was a standard one and the lowest in eight years.

"People also overlook the fertility rate, which is a good indicator of the welfare of the animals," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Mohamad revealed that the zoo needs RM2mil a year to attain world-class standard in 2015.

"The zoo's income mainly comes from the gate collection (which is around RM8mil a year), sponsorships and donations. They are sufficient to cover operational expenses. However, in order to become world-class, we need more funds to develop and expand the zoo," he said.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 6 August 2009

Article: Trees For Life project marks second anniversary

Thursday August 6, 2009

KUCHING: The Kuching branch of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) celebrated the second anniversary of its Trees For Life project with a day of activities at the Sama Jaya Nature Reserve here.

About 70 people comprising MNS members as well as volunteers from HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd, the Sarawak Autistic Association, Cahya Mata Sarawak, Eastern Oxygen and New Century Lions Club of Kuching planted 22 trees at a designated plot in the nature reserve and also took part in tree monitoring by tagging and measuring the young trees which were planted the previous year.

Trees For Life is a joint project between the MNS Kuching branch and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

It started as a community project in July 2007 to raise awareness on the vital role of trees in safeguarding the environment and reducing the impact of global warming.

Family affair: A woman and her son planting a sapling at the Sama Jaya Nature Reserve.

One of its aims is to restore degraded habitats in the Sama Jaya Nature Reserve.

Since 2007, MNS members, along with volunteers from primary and secondary schools, the public and private sectors and individuals from as far as Brunei and Australia, have sponsored and planted about 300 trees of native species at the nature reserve.

Formerly known as the Stutong Forest Park, the reserve covers 38ha.

It is a popular venue for joggers and nature lovers and is the only place in the city where original forest trees can still be seen growing in their natural habitat.

It is also an ideal place for bird-watching, with more than 50 bird species recorded in the reserve.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 6 August 2009

Image: Friends, for now

Date : Wednesday, 5-August-2009

by Hui Luang Peng

When it comes to food, this cat and mouse decided to have a truce after spending the entire day chasing each other.

This image was taken from: The Star Online:Thumbnails, 5 August 2009