Photo update 2: Feathered friends of Kenyir!

Did you know that nine species of hornbills can be found in the forests near Lake Kenyir? We’ve only seen five species so far and photographed three, but that’s only because we’ve been busy looking at the ground for mammal tracks.

Did you know that the world’s fastest bird, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), passes by Kenyir on its migratory route? It came and went so fast we couldn’t get a photo (yet)!

We’ve decided to pay tribute to the 230 bird species that have been recorded in the forests near Lake Kenyir by giving you an update of birds recorded during birding trips and mammal surveys in the Kenyir Wildlife Corridor Project.

Here are two little appetisers which show you what to expect if you visit us at our field station in Kenyir.

Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus)
Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros)

We welcome corrections to our identifications as we’re still fledgling birders. This is a great place for hornbill research so if you have any ideas, let’s talk! Please scroll down the list for the rest of the ‘main course’: Continue reading

Project update 2: Kudos to Wildlife Department for nabbing pangolin hunters

Rimba would like to give a special shout-out to the Terengganu State Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP or its Malay acronym PERHILITAN) for conducting a successful raid that netted Vietnamese and Cambodian poachers plundering Tembat Forest Reserve, one of the research sites in the Kenyir Wildlife Corridor Project. The poachers were caught red-handed with pangolin meat and scales.

DWNP trailed the poachers for 70 km from Sungai Ketiar Elephant Sanctuary, after the poachers were initially spotted leaving the forest reserve by car. The fact that these foreigners were able to easily access the forest using a vehicle is yet another example of how roads can facilitate entry for illegal hunting and collection of forest produce.

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Photo update 1: Kenyir’s wildlife up close!

These are just some of the wildlife photos taken by researchers from the Kenyir Wildlife Corridor Project.  Hopefully, they’ll entice you to conduct research in Kenyir!

Featured photos:

Leopard spotted near the Kuala Berang Highway. © Rimba_William

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