Malaysia’s last male rhino is fading fast, officials say
The last male Sumatran rhino in Malaysia may be on the verge of dying, leaving a lone female as the last of the species there, authorities reported. The rhino known…
Lift-off for thermal-imaging system to estimate wildlife populations
A prototype system to identify rare species in real time using thermal-imaging cameras mounted on unmanned aircraft, or drones, passed its latest test when it successfully identified orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)…
Climb confirms that the world’s tallest tropical tree tops 100 meters
There’s a new record for the tallest tree in the tropics, and the scientists who found it say it could add to our understanding of how and why some trees…
Malaysian state chief: Highway construction must not destroy forest
The chief minister of the Malaysian state of Sabah has called on construction crews working on the multi-billion-dollar Pan Borneo Highway project to avoid breaking up the region’s forests and…
Massive pangolin seizure in Borneo smuggling operation bust
Police and wildlife officials confiscated nearly 30 metric tons (33 tons) of pangolin carcasses, meat and scales, as well as dozens of the live animals, in Malaysian Borneo on Feb.…
RSPO adopts total ban on deforestation under sweeping new standards
JAKARTA — The world’s leading certification body for ethically sourced palm oil has ordered a total ban on deforestation by its members, amid growing pressure from both companies and consumers.…
Face-to-face with what may be the last of the world’s smallest rhino, the Bornean rhinoceros (insider)
Nothing can really prepare a person for coming face-to-face with what may be the last of a species. I had known for a week that I would be fortunate enough…
Indonesian government puts off Sumatran rhino IVF program
JAKARTA — Hopes for a long-awaited collaboration between Indonesia and Malaysia to breed the near-extinct Sumatran rhino are fading fast, as the last of the species languish amid government inaction.…
The great rhino U-turn
After 17 years, researchers finally unlock the mysteries of Sumatran rhino reproduction
A herd of dead rhinos
Capturing Sumatran rhinos was one thing. Keeping them alive turned out to be another thing entirely.
1984: the meeting that changed everything for Sumatran rhinos
This is the first article in our four-part series “The Rhino Debacle." It’s hardly the most likely place to meet a Sumatran rhino. But as you enter Zimmer Hall at…
Top forestry official out in Malaysia
A top official is out of his post as head of Sabah's forestry department, which oversees forests in the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. According to press reports,…
New species of Malaysian water beetle named after Leonardo DiCaprio
Citizen scientists have named a newly discovered species of water beetle after Leonardo DiCaprio in recognition of the Hollywood actor’s support of environmental causes. Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi was discovered during an…
Restoring flagging oil palm plantations to forest may benefit clouded leopards, study finds
Rising human populations and widespread industrial agriculture have hemmed one of the least-understood cats on the planet into ever-smaller patches of forest on the island of Borneo, a recent study…
Bornean bantengs feeling the heat in logged forests, study finds
The endangered wild cattle of Malaysian Borneo have eased back on their daytime activities because of higher temperatures brought on by loss of forest cover — a finding that has…
Borneo’s elephants prefer degraded forests, a new study finds
Conservation-minded planners often pick places with the fewest signs of human impact for protection, and, across the tropics, pristine rainforests with the tallest trees often rise to the top of…
Oil palm plantations’ dearth of biodiversity rubs off on nearby forests, study shows
Frogs can survive in oil palm plantations, but at the cost of diversity of species — and the impact can radiate out deep into neighboring forest ecosystems, according to a…
Bornean bearded pigs seen adapting to oil palm habitats, study finds
Bearded pigs in Malaysian Borneo appear to have adapted to oil palm plantations, a key driver of deforestation in the region, but still depend heavily on adjacent forests as their…
New study suggests Borneo’s had elephants for thousands of years
The backstory behind the world’s smallest elephants has always been something of a mystery. For one thing, scientists aren’t sure exactly when — and how — Bornean pygmy elephants got…
Indonesia hints rhino sperm transfer to Malaysia may finally happen this year
JAKARTA — Indonesia has signaled it may finally send a sample of Sumatran rhino semen to a breeding program in Malaysia, amid a growing urgency to keep the species alive.…
Glimmer of hope as Malaysia’s last female Sumatran rhino shows signs of recovery
JAKARTA — Malaysia’s last remaining female Sumatran rhino appears to have overcome the worst of a serious health condition, less than two weeks after it was announced that her condition…
Malaysia’s last female Sumatran rhino falls ill
Iman, the last female Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) in the Malaysian state of Sabah, has fallen seriously ill over the past few days due to bleeding in her uterus, authorities…
New carbon maps of Sabah’s forests guide conservation in Borneo
Airborne mapping of the northern part of the island of Borneo has revealed that forests there pack some of the highest levels of carbon on the planet, even in a…
More big mammals found in high-carbon forests, says new study
Carbon-rich tropical forests, which are often among the least-disturbed habitats, seem to be ideal bastions for sensitive and threatened animals, particularly compared to lower-carbon areas like timber and oil palm…
The fate of the Sumatran rhino is in the Indonesian government’s hands
A fragile consensus to capture more rhinos has finally been reached, but one major roadblock remains: Indonesian officials.
Cross currents: Mega-dams and micro-hydro offer two different futures for rural Borneo
Facing displacement by massive infrastructure projects, villages in Malaysia's Sabah state work to shape their own development.
Mammal numbers high in logged tropical forests, study finds
Logged tropical forests have a bit of a bad reputation in the conservation community. They’re often seen as sub-standard habitats for animals, especially when compared with the robust and varied…
One of Malaysia’s last rhinos euthanized to ‘end her suffering’
Sumatran Rhino Puntung was euthanized early Sunday morning after being diagnosed last month with terminal squamous cell cancer. "Today is one of the saddest days we've ever faced," the Borneo…
On the road to ‘smart development’
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia – On a soft couch in the chilled lobby of a luxury hotel, Mason Campbell shifts somewhat uncomfortably in his dark suit. He’s waiting to head to a…
Over the bridge: The battle for the future of the Kinabatangan
SUKAU, Malaysia – At first blush, the muddy waters of the Kinabatangan River in northern Borneo seem to laze through a hodge-podge of sleepy fishing and farming villages. The river…
