Sighting Of Rare Bay Cat In Sarawak Captures Worldwide Interest

KUCHING -- The recent sighting of the elusive Bay cat (Catopuma badia) within the timber concession area of the state's Forest Management Units - Anap Sustainable Development Unit (ASDU) in central Sarawak - has captured the interest of wildlife enthusiasts worldwide.



Sarawak Forestry Corporation chief executive director and managing director Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the Bay cat, considered the least known cat species in the world, was sighted and captured on video by camera traps at two locations by a research student from Sarawak who is currently studying in the Kyoto University.



"This sighting, in an area of over 110,000 hectares, has marked a new distributional record, which is approximately 120km from the nearest previously documented record in 2005," he said in a statement here today.



He said the site was managed by Zedtee Sdn Bhd which carries out logging operations under the strict management regulations of reduced impact logging in line with sustainable forest management (SFM) practices.



Previously rare sightings had only been made at the Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Pulong Tau National Park that borders Indonesia about 120km to the south and 300km to the north of ASDU respectively, he said.



"This significant finding is the direct result of conservation and forest management efforts by the state to promote high standards and good practices in logging areas," he said.



He added that the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding to implement the Innovative Rainforest Conservation and Management Plan, involving Sarawak Forest Department and the Sarawak Forestry, in January this year.



Continue reading at: Sighting Of Rare Bay Cat In Sarawak Captures Worldwide Interest

.

.

Symposium reveals Borneo carnivore conservation needs urgent

TUARAN: Very little is known of Bornean carnivores.

According to Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu at the closing of the first Borneo Carnivore Symposium at a resort near here yesterday, this fact had surprised even experts in the field.

“It was only in 2002 that the first photograph ever taken of a free-ranging Borneo Bay Cat, a species exclusive to this island,” he told the conference participants.

And while a lot has been achieved since then, the seven-day conference also revealed that there was still so much to do and to find out, Ambu said.

“In particular, research with a focus on conservation management is more necessary than ever. But the conservation needs of Bornean carnivores are urgent and cannot wait until we know everything that we need to know of,” he stressed.

Therefore, practical consideration of conservation issues and evaluation of key landscapes and areas for carnivore conservation were at the centre of the discussion during the conference, he said.

“I believe that these discussions have been very helpful in that they are a first, huge step on the road towards co-ordinated action in implementing carnivore conservation.

“This is important for our stated aim to achieve the conservation of carnivores and other flagship animals whilst at the same time following the path of sustainable development in each of our three countries (which are Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia),” he said.

Commenting on the symposium, Ambu said carnivores have neither been at the forefront of interest nor of conservation concern in Borneo.

Nevertheless, the time came that carnivores became the centre of attention and a whole week was spent by the participants and delegates to assess their distribution, habitat requirements and their conservation status and priorities.

He also expressed pleasure that Sabah could host the symposium as a tri-nation event involving Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia.

“Like other animals, carnivores do not know when they cross borders or trans-national boundaries,” he said.

Continue reading at: Symposium reveals Borneo carnivore conservation needs urgent

.
.

'Extinct' Bornean Bay Cat spotted in Malaysia Borneo

The Bornean Bay Cat, one of the world's most elusive wildcats believed extinct after it was last seen in 2003, has been spotted in pictures from camera traps set up on Malaysian Borneo.

One of the world's most elusive wildcats - long believed extinct after it was last seen in 2003 - has been spotted in pictures from camera traps set up on Malaysian Borneo.

The Bornean Bay Cat, similar in size to a large domestic cat, has a long tail and either a reddish or grey coat.

Three pictures showing two or three of the Bay Cats were taken in the northern highlands of Sarawak state in Borneo by researchers working for the forestry department.

The last pictures of the Bay Cat were taken in Lanjak Entimau wildlife sanctuary in southern Sarawak in 2003 and it had since been classified as extinct.

The new images - taken in 2009 and 2010 but not released until a wildlife study was completed - give fresh hope to researchers as much of the primary rainforest had been cut down by illegal loggers devastating the natural habitat.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: 'Extinct' Bornean Bay Cat spotted in Malaysia Borneo
.
.