16/05/2025

FRIDAY | MAY 16, 2025

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Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Conservation must go beyond symbolism,

M’sia’s hidden primate on brink of extinction

say experts PETALING JAYA: In 2019, Malaysia lost Iman, the last known Sumatran rhinoceros on its soil. Her death marked the extinction of the species in the country, despite years of conservation efforts. WWF-Malaysia senior director of conservation Dr Henry Chan said the extinction should serve as a stark wake-up call. “Today, fewer than 150 Malayan tigers remain in the wild, down from 3,000 in the 1950s,” he said. “Like the rhino, their decline is due to forest loss and limited prey. Without action, we’re on track to repeat history.” The government has set a target to increase forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia from 43% to 50% – a gain of 900,000ha – in an effort to reconnect fragmented habitats and support species recovery. But it is not just the tiger at risk. The Bornean orangutan has lost more than half its population in the last 60 years. Other iconic species such as the Sunda pangolin, Bornean elephant, sun bear and clouded leopard also face dwindling numbers. Marine life has suffered equally. The leatherback turtle, once abundant along Malaysia’s east coast, is now considered functionally extinct due to egg harvesting and habitat degradation. “These declines reflect wider environmental damage that, if ignored, will disrupt entire ecosystems and eventually impact humans,” Chan told theSun . Bringing Back Our Rare Animals (formerly Borneo Rhino Alliance) CEO John Payne said poaching was not the principal cause of rhino extinction in Malaysia. “The real issue was biological, too few rhinos scattered over vast

areas, unable to find mates,” he said. “Many died without ever reproducing.” Despite decades of warnings, Payne said key institutions remained fixated on outdated strategies, favouring media friendly campaigns over real solutions. “There was no strong push for captive breeding or reproductive technology,” he said. “Many species now face threats from malnutrition, isolation and low birth rates more than poaching.” Payne criticised conservation efforts that prioritise feel-good narratives over evidence-based strategies. “Conservation has become about emotional storytelling, not actual population recovery,” he said. He called for long-term, targeted interventions such as habitat-specific policies, sustainable nutrition and reproductive support. He also opposed the translocation of elephants as a conflict-resolution method, arguing that many are relocated to unsuitable terrain. “Elephants need flatlands and fresh grass. Without those, they either starve or create new conflicts,” he said. Payne proposed managed pastures along forest edges to support elephants, gaur and Bornean banteng, species that cannot rely solely on dense forest for food. Dr Tengku Rinalfi Putra Tengku Azizan of Universiti Putra Malaysia warned that extinction in Malaysia is accelerating unnaturally. “We must avoid speeding up what is already inevitable. Our survival depends on the survival of nature,” he said. – by Kirtinee Ramesh

across isolated habitats, including Endau Rompin National Park, Gunung Arong, Gunung Belumut, Gunung Lambak, Gunung Panti, Gunung Pulai and Kampung Johor Lama. In Pahang, only two populations have been recorded in Rompin State Park and the Pekan Peat Swamp. Habitat isolation presents an equally serious threat. Small, disconnected populations face difficulty in breeding, which weakens genetic diversity and jeopardises long term survival. Despite its critically endangered status, the Raffles’ Banded Langur is notably absent from Malaysia’s national conservation agenda. “Conservation here has long centred on flagship species such as orangutans, elephants and tigers,” said Nadine. “There is very little media coverage or public engagement for lesser-known primates.” But these primates play a vital role in the ecosystem. As seed dispersers, they contribute to forest regeneration, supporting plant diversity and ensuring healthy, resilient ecosystems. “Losing primates would have serious ecological repercussions,” Nadine said. “Without them, forest regeneration suffers, biodiversity shrinks and food chains unravel.” These imbalances can also heighten human-wildlife conflict as displaced primates enter human settlements in search of food and shelter. To prevent the “silent extinction” of Malaysia’s lesser-known primates, Nadine urged swift action from both policymakers and the public. She emphasised that habitat loss remains the main threat. “Protecting existing forests, expanding protected areas, and restoring degraded land is essential to securing safe habitats.”

o Public urged to look beyond tigers and orangutans to protect critically endangered Raffles’ Banded Langur

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

the region. Once widespread across southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, its numbers have plummeted due to rampant habitat loss and fragmentation, said Universiti Sains Malaysia academic and Malaysian Primatological Society vice president Assoc Prof Dr Nadine Ruppert. “Today, fewer than 70 individuals remain in the wild in Singapore,” she said. “In Malaysia, the numbers are unclear but estimated to be between 200 and 300, mostly in fragmented forest patches across Johor and Pahang.” In Johor, the langurs are scattered

PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia observes Endangered Species Day today, a conservationist is calling on the public to shift focus from iconic wildlife such as tigers and orangutans to a critically endangered primate that many Malaysians have never heard of – the Raffles’ Banded Langur. Known scientifically as Presbytis femoralis , this sleek black monkey with distinct white thigh stripes is now one of the most threatened primates in

Despite its critically endangered status, Nadine said the Raffles’ Banded Langur is notably absent from Malaysia’s national conservation agenda. – PIC COURTESY OF LEE ZAN HUI