DEEP IN the Indonesian jungle, something stirs. But is it a cat, a dog, a marten, a rare fox, or possibly the first new carnivore to be found in South East Asia for more than 70 years?
The only evidence that exists are photographs taken by an automatically triggered camera on a jungle trail in Indonesia in 2003. Infuriatingly, a large leaf obscured the creature’s face as the shutter went off.
Despite this, researchers from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) announced the discovery last week claiming it as the first new carnivore to be found in the region since the Tonkin otter-civet emerged in Vietnam in 1930.
The animal was photographed in Kayan Mentarang National Park in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, one of the world’s biggest islands, which is shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
WWF calls the mountainous region the “Heart of Borneo”; a vast tract of rainforest that it believes should be made a protected area.
Stephen Wulffraat, discoverer of the so far unnamed animal, said: “We showed the photos to locals who know the wildlife of the area, but nobody had ever seen this creature before. We also consulted several Bornean wildlife experts. Some thought it looked like a lemur, but most were convinced it was a new species of carnivore.”
Discoveries of new mammals are not an everyday occurrence. While there are millions of unnamed insects, mammal species are far less numerous and most were discovered and described a century or more ago.
But in recent years, a surprising number have appeared: a monkey in Africa, a new rodent in Laos, and several deer species in Vietnam. Carnivores are rarer still, so if the Borneo find can be confirmed it will be an exciting day for zoologists.
The pictures show an enigmatic, red-furred creature with tiny ears and distinctive markings. The leaf that obscures its face makes it impossible to say if it has a pointed snout like a dog or fox, or a flat face like a cat. A second photo, from behind, shows it to have a long, bushy tail rather like a fox, and large hind legs. It is slightly larger than a domestic cat.
The creature is the first mammal to be discovered on the island since the Borneo ferret-badger in 1895.
The creature may be not only newly discovered, but endangered.
The Indonesian Government announced this year that an area of its forest home half the size of the Netherlands, 1.8 million hectares, will be cleared for palm-oil plantations financed by the China Development Bank.
Stuart Chapman, of WWF Indonesia, said: “This discovery highlights the urgent need to conserve the unique forests in the Heart of Borneo, as this creature – whatever it is – hasn’t been seen since the pictures were taken and is therefore likely to occur in very low numbers.
“We have to wonder what other secrets these remote forests hold. And if this forest isn’t protected, this creature may remain a mystery for ever.”
HOME BOARDING will be licensed under the Animal Welfare Bill, according to the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
The Government will pave the way for secondary legislation to licence the home boarding of dogs, a spokesman for Defra told boarding kennel and cattery owners last week. Speaking at a seminar of around 50 kennel and cattery owners hosted by the Pet Care Trust, (PCT) in Bedford on 23rd November, Graham Thurlow said Defra is mindful of the UK pet industry’s concerns.
In a 40-minute presentation to the seminar, Mr Thurlow explained the main points of the Bill, including the introduction of codes of practice. A draft Cat Code has been prepared to accompany the Bill through the parliamentary process but is not yet in the public domain.
He also outlined the parliamentary process the bill now faced, pointing out the Bill’s projected timetable for the first time, adding that: “If things go according to plan, we hope to have an Act by October 2006.”
The Trust is pressing for minimum competency standards, experience or qualification, to be applied to the boarding sector, as they apply to pet retailing.
In drafting the bill, Graham Thurlow said Defra had been working closely with the Better Regulation Unit. As a result, current plans for secondary legislation include extending the licensing period for boarding kennels and catteries for up to three years, with inspections on a risk-assessed basis.
Janet Nunn, CEO, PCT says she is dismayed that her concerns about health risks posed by commercial home boarding are being “brushed aside” by Defra. Speaking in a statement issued by the Trust, she reiterated the PCT strong stance against the home boarding sector, saying:
“The Pet Care Trust believes that home boarding premises cannot offer an appropriate standard of animal care as set out for licensed kennels and catteries. There are issues of cross infection, segregation and welfare that government need to address. It should not be left to members of the public to assess risk on commercial activity; that’s what law makers are paid to do.”
Graham Thurlow appears to prefer the licensing option for home boarders. ”This is not a banning bill – our intention is to regulate where necessary. Mr Bradshaw is not a banning minister,” said Mr Thurlow.
Earlier this year, OUR DOGS reported how the PCT’s demands to ban home boarding had caused outrage amongst responsible home boarding businesses. DEFRA’s stance is sure to be a humiliating rebuff for the PCT, who have considered themselves amongst the Government’s top advisors when it came to the AWB.
[With thanks to Steve O’Malley, UK Pets]
