Glow-in-the-dark mushrooms (photo)
Nov03

Glow-in-the-dark mushrooms (photo)

Glowing mushrooms near the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia. This particular fungi is likely a species of Mycena, more than 30 types of which are known to be bioluminescent. More pictures of fungi in Malaysia.

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Male proboscis monkey (photo)
Oct30

Male proboscis monkey (photo)

Male proboscis monkey in Sabah, Malaysia. This species is endemic to the island of Borneo.

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Rainforest at dusk (photo)
Oct23

Rainforest at dusk (photo)

A profile of Borneo’s rainforest at twilight. Taken in September 2014 at the Rainforest Discovery Center in Sandakan, Sabah.

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Five elephants collared in Bornean wildlife sanctuary
Jul01

Five elephants collared in Bornean wildlife sanctuary

By Brandon Allen A small group of students and volunteers in Malaysia successfully collared five Bornean elephants earlier this month in the Lower Kinabatagngan Wildlife Sanctuary.  This collaring mission was an effort led by Cardiff University PhD student Nurzhafarina Othman who is seeking to obtain data on the elephants that will support her research on the social behaviors of female Bornean elephants.  This recent collaring is of...

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Adorable baby sun bear
May08

Adorable baby sun bear

by Jemma Smith The Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest member of the bear (Ursidae) family. A patch on their chest enables them to be individually identified by the size, color and pattern variations between individuals. Very little is known about the sun bear; however, they are believed to be found throughout Southeast Asia, from India to Borneo. Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN’s Red List and are believed to be extinct in...

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Malau Biobank launches consumer-facing site to fund rainforest rehabilitation

The Malau Biobank has launched a consumer-facing web site to fund conservation and rehabilitation of small patches of rainforest in a 34,000-hectare reserve in Malaysian Borneo. The site is available at protectmalua.com. The Malau Biobank originally launched as a vehicle for palm oil companies and other developers to buy biodiversity credits to bolster their conservation credentials. The project aims to restore a former logging...

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RSPO meeting convenes in Malaysia
Nov21

RSPO meeting convenes in Malaysia

In a few hours the 9th annual meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) [and 8th annual General Assembly] opens in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. There are several important issues to be discussed at the meeting, including recent grievances filed against a several RSPO members, greenhouse gas emissions accounting, and mechanisms for better incorporating small holders into the body. Mongabay.com is a media partner for the...

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Girl Scouts fighting palm oil receive wider media coverage (video)
May24

Girl Scouts fighting palm oil receive wider media coverage (video)

After five years of campaigning, two Girl Scouts fighting palm oil in Girl Scout cookies are receiving wider media coverage this week after meeting with heads of Girl Scouts of the US. The organization has now agreed to research different options, such as sustainably-grown palm oil or using another ingredient, reports the Wall Street Journal. Above, the Girl Scout activists are interviewed on the CBS Early Show. For more information:...

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Researcher brings home new species of Malaysian gecko (video)

Herpetologist Lee Grismer discovers a new species of gecko sporting lovely colors and lines. Dr. Lee Grismer from the La Sierra University in Riverside, California, shows off the world’s newest gecko, captured in a cave in...

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Young sun bear takes to the trees (video)

A five-month old orphaned sun bear, Natalie, at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center explores the trees. The sun bear (Ursus malayanus) is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. It is threatened by deforestation, the illegal pet trade, poaching, and the trade for traditional Chinese...

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Photos: some of our best rainforest shots

Sunset over Borneo rainforest . Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Fast-flowing creek forming the border of Bwindi park in Uganda. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Kapok tree towering over the forest in Costa Rica. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Giant dipterocarp tree on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Brownsberg reserve in Surianme. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Rainforest waterfall in Malaysian Borneo . Photo by Rhett A. Butler....

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Pictures: Falling water on six continents
Jan27

Pictures: Falling water on six continents

NORTH AMERICA Waterfall in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Forest waterfall in Arenal, Costa Rica. Photo by Rhett A. Butler SOUTH AMERICA Waterfall on the summit of Auyantepui, Venezuela. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Jungle waterfall in Suriname. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. EUROPE Waterfall near Skogar in Iceland. Photo by Tina A. Butler. ASIA Tad Lo waterfall in Laos. Photo by Rhett A. Butler....

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Cultural survival at stake for the rainforest Penan of Borneo

The Penan tribe in Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo, are trying to stop logging and palm oil companies destroying their rainforest home. Survival International, the organisation supporting tribal peoples, is campaigning for the Penan’s rights to their land. Survival researcher Miriam Ross traveled to Sarawak to meet some of the tribe. In one nomadic Penan community, Pisang, a Penan hunter, told her his story.

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Will forest conservation deal increase palm oil prices?

Bloomberg is reporting palm oil companies will be big winners should any forest conservation deal arise out of next week’s climate talks in Cancun, Mexico. The article quotes members of the palm oil industry, who argue that “any UN-led accord that restricts clearing rainforest for planting more palm trees would limit the supply of the edible oil crushed from their fruit and be a boon to prices for growers.” “It’s a...

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Orangutan Awareness and Caring Weeks Collide

post by by Melanie J. Martin, special to mongabay.com Sumatran Orangutan in Gunung Leuser National Park. Photo by Rhett A. Butler in May 2010 The Orang Utan Republik Foundation (OURF) and other conservation NGOs are celebrating November 7-13, 2010 as Orangutan Caring Week. The theme this year is “Back to Green,” which, according to OURF, implies returning orangutans to the wild while becoming more ecologically conscious. Meanwhile,...

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New Borneo photos on mongabay.com
Oct13

New Borneo photos on mongabay.com

Mongabay.com has added new photos from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo including wildlife, palm oil plantations, and landscapes. One of the few surviving Critically-Endangered Bornean rhinoceros. Known as Tam, conservationists hope a female can be found for this captive male in order to help save the species. Photo by Jeremy Hance, 2009. Sunset over the rainforest at Tabin National Park. Photo by Jeremy Hance, 2009. Palm oil plantations as...

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