Tears as Malaysia-born panda cubs head to China

KUALA LUMPUR - Tearful Malaysians said goodbye to two panda cubs as authorities prepared to send them to China after years of delays because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yi Yi and Sheng Yi -- born in 2018 and 2021 respectively -- were to be transported as part of an agreement between the two countries to send cubs born in captivity to China when they reach two years of age.

The female pandas are the offspring of Xing Xing and Liang Liang, animals China loaned to Malaysia in 2014 for a decade to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations. They will remain in the country.

Watching videos of the animals at Malaysia's National Zoo, panda lovers like 24-year-old photographer Cindy Lai gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of the pair before their departure later in the day.

"It is an emotional send-off. I feel very sad since I will not be able to see the two lovely cubs," she said.

"I will definitely cry when they are loaded into the truck to be transported to the airport."

AFP | Mohd RASFAN

Yi Yi and Sheng Yi will be taken on a cargo flight to the Chinese city of Chengdu, an official familiar with the travel plan told AFP.

A farewell ceremony attended by China's ambassador to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur's deputy environment minister was held at the zoo.

"I hope that these Giant Pandas... can further promote understanding and close cooperation between the two countries," Deputy Minister Huang Tiong Sii said in a statement.

In the wild, giant pandas can only be found in China's mountainous central regions, where bamboo -- their favourite food -- grows in abundance.

As part of its policy of "panda diplomacy", Beijing loans the animals to countries as a goodwill gesture. There are an estimated 1,860 giant pandas left in the wild, according to environmental group WWF, and about 600 in captivity in panda centres, zoos and wildlife parks worldwide. Tears as Malaysia-born panda cubs head to China

Read More........→September 25, 2024

How Singapore Became an Unexpected Stronghold for a Critically Endangered Bird

Straw-headed bulbul – credit Michael MK Khor CC 2.0. Flickr

From the sprawling urban city-state of Singapore comes the unlikely story of a critically endangered songbird and a dedicated group of environmentalists helping it thrive as the population collapses overseas.

The straw-headed bulbul is a victim of its beautiful song, which has seen it extirpated from the wilds of Thailand, Myanmar, and Java as poachers capture it for the illegal songbird trade.

But as early as 1990, conservationists, birdwatchers, and government workers in Singapore have taken action on this species’ behalf.

“Whenever I hear its resonant, bubbly song, the forest seems to erupt with life,” conservationist Ho Hua Chew told Smithsonian Magazine.

Because of men like Ho, the peripheral wetlands of Singapore, the offshore island of Pulau Ubin, and the large green spaces in the city state’s interior together play host to 600 straw-headed bulbuls.

Nature Society Singapore, of which Ho was a member, was the first to push for nature protections on Pulau Ubin, the site of an old granite quarry, where nevertheless a concentrated population of these birds could be found.

This resulted in a Nature Area designation for the island in 1993, achieved through advocacy and outreach among millions of Singaporeans.

Smithsonian lists this as an early victory in the history of environmentalism on the cramped peninsular city-state.

After populations had fallen 50% over three generations, the bird was listed as “Endangered” on Singapore’s own Red Data Book, which tracks populations of every plant and animal in the country, the straw-headed bulbul was added to the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act of 2006, a move which reversed the trend, even while populations were collapsing around Southeast Asia.

Today, there is a Straw-Headed Bulbul Working Group, co-led by the National Parks Board and the Nature Society Singapore, which ensures this beautiful warbling bird remains in tip-top condition.

If it were not for the incredible momentum that the work to conserve this bird has had over the years, its future would be alarmingly uncertain. Today, Ho believes that as the Working Group ensures the genetic diversity among the birds is in good shape, and the populations are increasing, the Singaporean straw-headed bulbuls may one day be the only population to draw from to restore populations elsewhere. How Singapore Became an Unexpected Stronghold for a Critically Endangered Bird:

Read More........→April 05, 2024