JOHOR BARU: Land development at the foot of Gunung Panti, Kota Tinggi, has forced endangered hornbills to migrate from their natural habitats in the mountains to nearby villages.
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Johor technical adviser Vincent Chow said the opening of land for agriculture had destroyed the birds’ habitat and sources of food.
He blamed a Johor state subsidiary company, which developed 4,000ha for oil palm cultivation near Gunung Panti, for this development.
In danger: A pair of Pied Oriental Hornbill seeking food at a village not far from their habitat in Gunung Panti, Kota Tinggi, recently.
Gunung Panti, one of Johor’s highest peaks, is a popular observation site for birdwatchers from home and abroad.
“Oriental Pied Hornbills have left Gunung Panti as their natural habitat, the tall Ara trees and jungle fruits are not available any more,” he said.
Chow said that Oriental Pied Hornbills could be found only in the jungles of southern Peninsular Malaysia.
A study by MNS found that the hornbills had made the villages as their new homes and the orchards as their sources of food. — Bernama
source: The Star Online
date: April 30, 2009
date: April 30, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment