JAKARTA — How do you tally the population of one of the rarest and most elusive animals on Earth? Follow the poop, of course. That’s the finding from a study that shows that Sumatran rhinoceros droppings can reliably predict the species’ remaining population and help inform conservation planning. The estimated global population of the Sumatran […]
Tag: Indonesia
Study warns of impacts of unregulated trade in Indonesian porcupines
JAKARTA — The unmonitored illegal trade in porcupines across Indonesia has prompted calls from conservationists for stricter protection for the species’ population in the wild. A new study examining seizure data of porcupines, their parts and derivatives in Indonesia has found more than 450 of the animals in nearly 40 incidents between January 2013 and […]
From common to captive, Javan pied starlings succumb to songbird trade
The Javan pied starling (Gracupica jalla) is a captive in its own home. Thousands of these endemic songbirds once congregated in the safety of tall trees to roost after spending their days feasting on insect larvae. Today, however, the Javan pied starling is conspicuously absent from the wild, yet readily found caged in markets and […]
Hunger, disorientation blamed for pilot whale mass stranding in Indonesia
DENPASAR, Indonesia — Lung damage, hunger and disorientation have been cited as the factors that led a pod of 52 pilot whales to a mass stranding on an Indonesian island earlier this year. Indonesian wildlife experts last week publicly announced their findings from the necropsies conducted on 34 of the 52 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala […]
Deforestation spurred by road project creeps closer to Sumatra wildlife haven
JAKARTA — An upgrade to a road that cuts through one of Southeast Asia’s last great swaths of intact rainforest is driving deeper encroachment by humans into blocks of forest that may spread into a national park. The road runs 36 kilometers (22 miles) between the districts of Karo and Langkat in Indonesia’s North Sumatra […]
Petition: Smuggled Parrots Found Inside Water Bottles On Ship in Indonesia
More than 70 parrots likely bound for the underground market were discovered recently on a ship docked in Indonesia’s Papua region. 64 black-capped lories, a parrot native to New Guinea and nearby islands, were discovered along with 10 deceased birds on the morning of November 19th. The birds were stuffed inside of plastic water bottles. […]
For two rhino species on brink of extinction, it’s collaboration vs. stonewalling
Fatu doesn’t seem to care about the carrot she’s been offered by her caretaker. She raises her enormous head and gives it a sniff before returning to what she was doing, which is nipping delicately at the dry, scraggly grass at her feet. A few yards away, her mother, Najin, is doing the same. “They’re […]
Trafficking of thousands of songbirds highlights rampant trade in Indonesia
MEDAN, Indonesia — Smugglers managed to ship more than 7,000 birds, including wild-caught songbirds, by air from Sumatra to Java in Indonesia, highlighting the country’s weak enforcement against the deeply entrenched bird trade. Indonesian authorities said the birds were transported in several batches on flights on June 11 and 12 from Medan in North Sumatra […]