TIGERS and tapirs usually come to mind in classrooms and conversations about endangered Malaysian animals.
Roadkill pictures of the majestic Malayan Tiger and the cute Malayan Tapir as well as the accompanying news reports can invoke strong public emotion and outcry.
The plight of the Malayan gaur, known locally as the seladang, and Bornean orang-utan also get regular media coverage.
However, there are lesser- known animals at risk of going the way of the Sumatran rhinoceros that is locally extinct.
From primates to corals, these animals are becoming rarer due to human activities, pollution and climate change among others.
A lar gibbon, also known as a white-handed gibbon, sitting on a trunk. — Pixabay
1. Gibbons
Known for their distinctive trait of singing to find their mates and to mark territories, these small apes are also known to be in peril. Gibbons face many threats, such as deforestation and are also targets in the illegal wildlife pet trade, according to the Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS). Entire gibbon families are decimated in the theft of their babies that are sold and bought as pets. GCS estimates 10 to 20 gibbons are killed in the act of getting one baby gibbon from the jungle into human hands. Peninsular Malaysia is home to three gibbon species: siamang, lar gibbon and agile gibbon. There are no exact numbers of the population of gibbons left in the world; however some species are said to have as little as 30 animals in the wild, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
A Sunda slow loris in the wild. — STEVEN WONG/Malaysian Nature Society
2. Sunda slow loris
Also known as the greater slow loris, they thrive in tropical lowland evergreen forests in the peninsula. They have been spotted in Negri Sembilan, Perak and even one on Penang Island. It is believed there are fewer than 1,000 of the mammals left. They can be recognised by their grey-brown to reddish-brown pelage with a broad, darker-coloured stripe running from the top of their head down their back. Unlike other species of loris, male and female Sunda slow lorises are indistinguishable. They do not vary by weight, size, colour or shape. They weigh approximately 599g to 685g and are about 27cm to 38 cm in length. Sunda slow loris are threatened by human encroachment, hunting and especially pet trades where they rarely survive the stresses of captivity. Hence, they have been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
The Sunda pangolin is usually targeted for its scales to be used in traditional medicine. — Filepic
3. Sunda pangolin
Also known as the Malayan or Javan pangolin, this species has been reported to be one of the most exploited and heavily poached animals. In a report by Traffic Southeast Asia, it was stated that about 900,000 pangolins had been trafficked globally from 2000 to 2019. Pangolins are targeted for their scales and meat, to be distributed in the black market for traditional medicine although no medicinal benefits have been proven. Sunda pangolins are found in the forests of Peninsular Malaysia as well as in plantations. Camera trap data from Kelantan and Terengganu produced only a single record of a Sunda pangolin, despite an effort of 4,364 and 3,453 nights respectively. This species is rarely observed because of its increasing rarity, so there is very little quantitative data on its population.
A Bornean sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sandakan. — Filepic
4. Sun bear
Not only is this bear the smallest member of the bear family, it is also distinguishable by its bib-shaped golden or white patch on its chest. Found in Peninsular Malaysia, these bears face numerous threats such as illegal hunting, habitat loss and population fragmentation, where a single large breeding population is split into two or more smaller new breeding populations. This bear, listed on the IUCN Red List, is considered vulnerable given its depleting population. There are no reliable population figures for sun bears.
A young clouded leopard lying down on the forest floor. — Pixabay
5. Sunda clouded leopard
The Sunda clouded leopard is estimated to have dwindled down to 750 in Sabah, with their distribution currently unclear. Their population is declining due to poaching and deforestation and they are also targeted and hunted for their teeth, coat and body parts used in traditional medicine. These animals are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.
This binturong shows off its long whiskers, paying homage to its other name, bearcat. — Filepic
6. Binturong
With their thick fur and coarse black hair, this animal is also known as bearcat. A binturong does not leap or swing, rather it comes down to the ground to move from tree to tree. Binturongs also occupy the canopy of dense forests and shrubs. Due to logging and deforestation, binturongs have been listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. In Malaysia, binturongs have been recorded in the canopy forest of Temengor Forest Reserve in Perak, Danum Valley in Sabah and Lambir Hills National Park in Sarawak. The population size is currently unknown.
A male proboscis monkey in a tree by the Kinabatangan river. — Photo courtesy of Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC)
7. Proboscis monkey
Proboscis monkeys have been branded as one of the world’s ugliest animals due to their long and pendulous nose. However, researchers have discovered that the particular shape of male proboscis monkeys’ nasal cavities has evolved for the use of releasing louder and deeper calls that are described as “honks and nasal roars”. Their calls help to assert health, dominance and to attract females. Proboscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo and can be found in Sabah and Sarawak. Threatened by habitat loss and hunting for use in traditional medicine, these monkeys are listed as endangered in IUCN’s Red List. Fewer than 1,000 monkeys are believed to remain in distributed populations of Sarawak. In Sabah, the only remaining large populations are in the Kinabatangan floodplain and around Dewhurst Bay in the eastern deltas.
Serow at the Melaka Zoo. — Filepic
8. Sumatran serow
Sumatran serow closely resembles goats. But unlike the latter, the serow has been on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable since 2008. Found especially in the states of Kelantan, Perlis and Perak, there has been an estimate of between 500 and 750 of the animals. Their main threat is loss of habitat. Sumatran serows depend on thick forests to live but demands for timber and agriculture harm them further. These serows also get caught in traps for other animals, resulting in poachers accidentally injuring or killing them.
Seagrass loss or degradation due to pollution are affecting dugongs. — Filepic
9. Dugong
Dugongs have been listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable and have been considered so since 1982. Cousins of manatees, they exhibit the same plump shape except having a dolphin- like tail. Dugongs are faced with seagrass habitat loss or degradation due to pollution. If there is a lack of seagrass to eat, dugongs do not get to breed normally. The conservation of their shallow marine water is marked as incredibly significant. With human activities, dugongs are often victims of bycatch as well – the accidental entanglement in fishing nets. The majority of dugongs in Malaysia are located around Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi islands in Johor as well as Pulau Mantanani, Pulau Bangi and Pulau Mengalum in Sabah. Experts are now estimating there are fewer than 100 dugongs remaining off the coast of Johor.
Coral reefs in Mersing, Johor. — Filepic
10. Corals
While many may jump to conclusion that corals are plants, the corals’ inability to produce their own food results in them being classified as animals. The reef cover in Malaysia is mostly situated off the coast of Sabah and is about five times the size of Singapore. Coral reefs protect coastlines from erosion and are home to hundreds of species of other animals. But due to unplanned coastal development, climate change and lack of adequate waste management systems, among others, corals have since then appeared on IUCN’s Red List.
