Javan Leopard

Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) is a subspecies, which is found only in the Indonesian island of Java. It is classified as critically endangered by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) since 2008. The population of these leopards is estimated at less than 250 mature individuals, with a decreasing trend. The total remaining habitat is estimated at just 2,267.9 to 3,277.3 km² (875.6 to 1,265.4 sq mi).

Provincial animal of West Java, this cat either has a normal spotted coat, or a recessive phenotype resulting in an all black coat. It is orange with black rosettes and spots, but is also commonly black.
Molecular research shows that the subspecies is craniometrically distinct from leopards of rest of the Asia. They are a distinct taxon that split off from other Asian leopards hundreds of thousands of years ago. It is estimated that in the Middle Pleistocene, they came to Java from South Asia across a land bridge that bypassed Sumatra and Borneo.

Distribution and habitat

They are commonly found in Ujung Kulon National Park, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Gunung Halimun National Park, Ceremai National Park, Merbabu National Park, Merapi National Park, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Meru Betiri National Park, Alas Purwo National Park and Baluran National Park. These versatile creatures can thrive in a variety of habitats ranging from dry deciduous forests to patches of dense tropical rainforest in the south-western part of the island, to the mountains and finally in scrub in the east. A survey conducted in 1990s showed they seemed to particularly prosper in the seral stages of successional vegetation patterns, which made them less susceptible, compared to many other mammals, to the disruptive activities of humans in the name of development.

A monitoring research was conducted from 2001 to 2004, in a 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) area of Gunung Halimun National Park using camera traps and radio-tracking. Study area showed the presence of seven leopards. The total population was estimated at 42 to 58 individuals. Study also indicated that home range of an adult female covers about 9.82 km² (3.79 sq mi).

Diet

In Indonesia their diet consists mainly of barking deer, lesser mouse deer, long-tailed macaques, Javan gibbon, silvered leaf monkey and of course wild boar. Like all other wild cats that live near human habitation Javan leopards too look for food in close by villages and have been known to prey on domestic animals like dogs, goats and the poultry. This poses a major problem both for the farmers and the cat.

Threats

These animals are threatened by poaching, loss of habitat and prey base depletion, rising human population and agricultural expansion. Java has already lost more than 90 per cent of its natural vegetation and today it is one of the most densely populated islands in the world. With 118.3 million people Java holds 59 per cent of Indonesia’s total population living in 2,286 sq miles (5,920 km²). Primary forests remain only in the mountainous regions at elevations above 1,400 m (4,600 ft).

Conservation

Efforts are being made to bring back the population of these handsome cats, which are already on the brink of extinction, much like the Javan tiger. Hunting laws are being strictly enforced. As a part of process Gunung Halimun National Park was enlarged to three times its original size for restoration of the Javan leopard, Javangibbon and the Javan Hawk-eagle in 2005.

In Indonesia captive breeding programs are not very successful. In 2007, the Taman Safari zoo had 17animals — seven male and ten female — of which four were breeding pairs. Captive breeding programs are also set up in the Indonesian Ragunan and Surabaya zoos.

Komodo Dragon

Common Name: Komodo Dragon

Scientific Name: Varanus komodoensis

Type: Reptiles

Diet: Carnivores

Average Lifespan in The Wild: up to 30 years

Size: 10 ft (3 m)

Weight: 330 lbs (150 kg)

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:



IUCN Red List Status: ?

Vulnerable

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

Least ConcernExtinct

Current Population Trend: Unknown

About the Komodo Dragon

Komodo dragons have thrived in the harsh climate of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years.

Reaching 10 feet (3 meters) in length and more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms), Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth. They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails.

Diet

As the dominant predators on the handful of islands they inhabit, they will eat almost anything, including carrion, deer, pigs, smaller dragons, and even large water buffalo and humans. When hunting, Komodo dragons rely on camouflage and patience, lying in wait for passing prey. When a victim ambles by, the dragon springs, using its powerful legs, sharp claws and serrated, shark-like teeth to eviscerate its prey.

Feeding

Animals that escape the jaws of a Komodo will only feel lucky briefly. Dragon saliva teems with over 50 strains of bacteria, and within 24 hours, the stricken creature usually dies of blood poisoning. Dragons calmly follow an escapee for miles as the bacteria takes effect, using their keen sense of smell to hone in on the corpse. A dragon can eat a whopping 80 percent of its body weight in a single feeding.

Population

There is a stable population of about 3,000 to 5,000 Komodo dragons on the islands of Komodo, Gila Motang, Rinca, and Flores. However, a dearth of egg-laying females, poaching, human encroachment, and natural disasters has driven the species to endangered status.

Did You Know?

Komodo dragons can run up to 11 miles an hour in short bursts.

Maleo (Macrocephalon maleo )

Overview

This large, predominantly black and white bird is found on two islands within Indonesia. In the last 60 years the population has declined by as much as 90%. The primary threat is the harvesting of eggs by the local communities which has led to a number of nesting sites being abandoned. The population is estimated at somewhere between 8,000–14,000 mature individuals. The Maleo has been protected under Indonesian law since 1972 and half of the current nesting sites are within protected areas. A small number of these locations receive conservation attention such as guard patrols which have led to an increase in hatch rates. Community engagement projects have been delivered to educate local people about the impacts of egg harvesting and a number of former ‘egg diggers’ are now employed as guards.

Urgent Conservation Actions

Nesting sites must be protected from human interference, predators, habitat conversion and invasive vegetation.

Distribution



Endemic to the Sulawesi and Buton islands in Indonesia.

Evolutionary Distinctiveness

Order: Galliformes

Family: Megapodiidae

Megapodiidae is one of the five families within the order Galliformes. There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the phylogeny of Megapodes but it is now widely accepted that the family consists of seven genera with 22 extant species. The family can be separated roughly in half by distinguishing species as either ‘mound-builders’ or ‘burrow-nesters’. Whilst the Maleo does not build a mound it is more closely related to the mound-builders. It appears that the Maleo may have diverged from other species approximately 30 million years ago.

The tree below shows the evolutionary relationships between this species and all other birds. The colours of the tree indicate EDGE scores with the red shades indicating the higher priority species; the bright red leaves correspond to the top 100 EDGE bird species. Further information on every species can be found by zooming in to its leaf on the tree.
Description

Size: 

55-60cm

The Maleo is a large, black and white bird. It features a wide, medium-length tail and large feet. Its most distinguishing feature is the bony casque on its crown along with its yellow face. It has a black back and thighs with a white belly and slightly pinkish breast.

Ecology

Inhabiting lowland and hill rainforest this species often travel through man-modified habitats to reach their coastal breeding grounds. The Maleo is a communal nester, which is considered to be an evolutionary strategy against egg predation. It regularly nests on sandy beaches, riverbanks and lake shores. Female birds will lay 8–12 eggs over the course of a year. These are laid in a pit which will be warmed either though solar or geothermal heat. These eggs, which are five times larger than a hen's egg, are left to incubate for 2–3 months with no parental supervision. When the eggs hatch the young will tunnel to the surface and be ready to fly, requiring no parental care whatsoever.

Habitat

This species will inhabit lowland and hill rainforest up to an altitude just over 1,000 metres. When travelling to coastal nesting ground the Maleo will travel through some man-modified habitats. It will nest on beaches, river banks or lake shores.

Distribution

Endemic to Sulawesi and the Buton Islands in Indonesia.

















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Population Estimate

8,000-14,000 adults

Population Trend

Declining

Status

Endangered

Threats

Many nesting sites have been abandoned due to egg harvesting and conversion of land to agriculture. This has led to a rapid decline in population numbers, in some places by as much as 90% since 1950. The fragmentation and destruction of forest habitat represents a serious threat to the current population. In the past 15 years there have been two serious wildfire events, in 2000 and 2004. The fires cleared large areas of forest and the resulting regrowth was not suitable habitat for the Maleo. Non-breeding habitats and coastal breeding grounds have now become isolated from each other due to an increase in urban and road developments. This has drastically increased the risk of mortality for these birds when moving between sites.  The eggs are a popular local delicacy, and over-harvesting for food is still an issue.

Conservation Underway

The species is currently listed on CITES appendix I and has been protected by Indonesian law since 1972. A species action plan for megapodes was created covering 2000–2004. More than half of the nesting grounds are within protected areas with a number of sites receiving active conservation attention and guard patrols, which have led to greater hatch rates. Community engagement has been effective in certain areas where former ‘egg diggers’ were hired to guard hatching sites and has been successful long after its trial period. Communities and local NGO’s have also been used to help improve forest quality and nesting sites. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) currently protects four nesting sites in or near Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park where over 8,000 chicks were hatched and released in 2013.

Conservation Proposed

One of the most important conservation measures is the need to protect nesting grounds that are in use, especially those that face immediate threat. This would be more slightly effective than translocating eggs in the hope of recolonising abandoned nesting sites, which may be a tool used in the future. Nesting sites must be protected from humans, predators and invasive vegetation. Community based initiatives should be organized to educate local communities about conservation. Monitoring programmes must be implemented to assess the effectiveness of any conservation measures.

Cendrawasih: Birds of Paradise

Most of you may not know of the Bird of Paradise, but it is definitely not a phrase. This bird is the rainbow of the equatorial rainforests, a true dream to be in the presence of one of them! While I am currently on summer vacation, I’d like you guys to have an amazing experience as I am now, and to be just as awed by this majestic bird I discovered…

A long time ago, a group of strangers entered the peaceful lives of a Papuan tribe. The tribe had never seen any men like them, for their skin are white. “Who are you?”, they asked, yet the strangers spoke in a language they could not understand. What strange men, they thought. The day they began to understand each other was the day the white men learnt a story (better said, a legend). The tribe told them of birds said to be the birds of the gods. They believe in such things because only the royalty will wear such intricate feathers and they will never touch the earth unless they die, thus falling to the ground from the heavens. They strictly feed only the rain’s dew on leaves. This is why they are said to have ‘no legs’ and the travelling white men named them ‘Bird of Paradise’, as they refer to the bird of the heavens. The Papuan’s tribal ancestors have been capturing these godly birds ever since Christ was born (which the whites took divinely!), and this tradition continues until today.

According to me, the Birds of Paradise resemble the colours of life, you know, reminding us of how the universe is filled with wondrous things. For me, they help forget the bad stuff that exists in our world… corruption, terrorism, death, all these I ignore when I see the bird’s utopian colours! I know this sounds quite sappy, but it’s true. Often visits to the zoo and a catalog of various birds always soothed my senses! What is this bird to you?

The one by your left is my favourite, I think it looks like an orchid… The Bird of Paradise is truly a majestic bird found throughout Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and around Eastern Australia. It has more varieties of colours than just red and yellow, especially regarding the male ones. They also come in various sizes, some to the size of little canaries and some are as a metre!

 

The right hand-side Bird of Paradise is also known as a Ranggiana, about the size of a crow with the addition of their longer tail. We can see the difference in these two birds are not by their plumage, but by their size. The left might just be to the size of a flower compared to the larger size of the Ranggiana (not counting the length of its tail). They could weigh within the range of 50 to 400 grams.

The natives of Indonesia call them Cendrawasih, belonging to the Paradisaeidae family and has a total of 14 generas 43 species. It is known to be Papua’s national bird, it’s rarity priced their worth amongst the society; modeled in every stamp and cab, yet not many will tend to survive/be sighted nearby today’s destructive society.

The Cendrawasih are by fact, omnivours. Although they will prefer juicy fruits instead (and dew now and then!). Their colouration have a range of all colours of the rainbow, along with the addition of black, brown and white feathers. Mixing these colours throughout centuries of generations (along with hybrids) produced an array of heavenly beings!

Speaking of mating… Have you seen the videos? I think they’re magnificent! Scientists and passionate photographers have been known to endure an 8-year mission to video all the species of the Bird of Paradise! This just shows how rare they are, especially for 43 different species. I’ve watched this second video ever since I was young, and I was enthralled by its beauty, despite of my young understanding.

OK, so here comes the cool part: mating. You’ve already known how beautiful these birds are, each having their own unique plumage of various colours. This mainly serves for their purpose of courtship, but there is also their performance that matters. In these rituals, colourful males present their striking colours in as many ways possible, swaying from branch to branch, singing his female a serenade, even creating bonuses by building their own stage! Females are picky in all circumstances, refusing to choose a mate she supposes does not deserve her (although her colours are nothing but a shade of brown). Stubborn as they are, some males will never mate despite their persevered, yet futile rituals. This is when Darwin steps in and announces: “Survival of the ‘colourful'”.

Now how do they learn the dance? This is not interpretive, or according to the bird’s instinct, but they actually go on classes to learn them! Like humans, the Cendrawasih may take years to learn a dance so they can pick up on chics. Their young colours (at the meantime) may help them camouflage to disguise them as an admiring (or judgmental) girl. If they got caught, things could get very messy… But if they don’t, and should they remain as a female to the elder male, things could get even messier (if you know what I mean)…



Their colours also gives a massive disadvantage. As you see, these Papuan tribes are wearing Ranggiana Birds of Paradise upon their heads. However, most of their accessories might not display them so conspicuously. Due to hunting, illegal trading, habit destruction, and some of Papua’s traditional customs regarding these birds may already cause some of their 43 species (and some hybrids) to join the dinosaurs.

Traditional rituals of Papua required these birds, as they create the extremely attractive colours of their whole attire. The white men who returned to Europe brought along these plumes back with them (as a welcoming gift from the tribes) to which the women simply adore and soon became popular for their millinery purposes ever since. Since Indonesia is incredibly rich in natural resources (including these birds), deforestation is a grave threat to the lives of the Cendrawasih. Despite legal protection to these birds, many people are still smuggling these birds for illegal trade.

  

 As for the tribes and West Papua itself, protection agencies limit their hunts so that there will be enough for their traditional rituals. The Cendrawasih represents these people, it is not only a sign of beauty of their country, but a sign of political independence and freedom. They also represent some monetary value through stamps!