Sunday, January 17, 2010

Milky Stork Going to be Extinct in Malaysian Mangrove Forest?


Milky stork (Mycteria cinerea)in Malaysian mangrove forest only less than ten or five (?) left.The birds never increased for many years and no young birds were observed. This mean no breeding occurs and the population just maintained. Many reasons may cause no population increase; no nesting activities or fail to built nest, no hatching if they lay eggs, predation or chemical pollution, fertile male and female ratio?, forest management,predation and poaching etc. Government try to increase the population by protecting the existing population and encouraging releasing programme. Looking at the status of this birds in the wild, there is an urgent action needed. Sponsors are needed to support research on ecology, behaviour and biology of this birds. Five to ten years continuous research is needed to put this bird population in order. Local and International aids are welcome. Government agencies; Forestry Department, Wildlife Department, Local Authority, District Office, Fisheries Department, Agriculture Department, Department of Environment, Police Department, Menteri Besar Office and others need to sit down together to address this issue and draw a strict formula how to protect, establish the population in nature and conserve this birds in Matang Forest Reserve. By conserving this birds indirectly protecting mangrove forest in Matang and maintain it in balance ecosystem. Milky stork is a key species in Matang Forest Reserve and it can make the ecosystem stable. Without the involvement of all those departments, research and shouting are meaningless.At the moment there is small activity on milky stork collaborating researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Tokyo University and Polar Research Institute, Zoo Negara and Wildlife Department Malaysia.

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