The last confirmed record of the hairy-nosed otter in the state of Sabah was more than 100 years ago, and it has not been seen in Borneo since an individual was killed by a car in 1997.
The otter only occurs in a handful of locations outside of Borneo. Experts only realised they had recorded a hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) after examining photos of three different otter species.
Trapped by technology
The otter was recorded by an automated camera trap, one of many set up in Deramakot and the surrounding forest reserves during the last two years as part of the Conservation of Carnivores in Sabah (ConCaSa) project initiated by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) and performed in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department and Sabah Forestry Department.
Details of the latest finding have been published in the journal Small Carnivore Conservation, a publication of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission.
"Even over the whole island of Borneo the last record, a road-kill from Brunei, was 1997, over ten years ago. Therefore it was unknown to scientists if this species can be still found on Borneo," says project leader Mr Andreas Wilting of the IZW.
Save Sabah Forests
Sabah have many rare flora and fauna. Including the world tiniest frog.
ReplyDeletespesis hidupan seperti ini harus dipelihara agar tidak mengalami kepupusan.
ReplyDeletekita harus berusaha untuk memelihara setiap spesis flora dan fauna yang ada..
ReplyDeleteTherefore we must protect and conserve our nature.
ReplyDeletejagalah alam sumber alam kita.
ReplyDeleteKerana keindahan alam Sabah inilah menjadikan Sabah terkenal sebagai tempat perlacongan.
ReplyDelete