11/7/22, 9:44 PM 10 Endangered Animals in Malaysia | RS Eco Palm Sdn Bhd

Sustainable agriculture practices are now widely (https://www.rsecopalm.com)

implemented via the Malaysian
Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO),
Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), International Sustainability & Carbon
Certification (ISCC) certification schemes to stem an alarming loss of biodiversity and
to protect endangered species.

With the rate of biodiversity at a steady decline, animal population has reduced to
approximately 80,000, with their homes under habitat loss due to unsustainable
agricultural practices. Let’s have a look at the top 10 endangered animals in Malaysia:

1. Bornean Orangutan (Critically Endangered)

Photo credit: lifeofmaju.com (https://lifeofmjau.com/wp-

content/uploads/2020/06/Orangutan_mother_climb_with_youngster.jpg)

The forests of Indonesia and Malaysia are the only homes to orangutans. Known
as ‘person of the forest’ in the Malay language, they are the largest tree-living
mammal in the world and are highly intelligent
(https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/orangutans-are-only-non-human-
primates-capable-talking-about-past-180970827/) as they display the use of tools
and culture in the wild. They spend most of their lives in high treetops. They have
an extremely low reproductive rate
(https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan#:~:text=Orangutans'%20extremely%2
they are generally seen living in solitude and once the mother gives birth, the
infant only stays with the mother until sexual maturity. Meaning that their
population could take a long time to recover from population decline. Currently
there are 104,700 (https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan) individuals
left in the wild.

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2. Rhinoceros Hornbill (Vulnerable)

(https://www.rsecopalm.com)

Photo credit: billionswonderz.blogspot (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-

wkX4NGOBcQ4/X8tVxNgZnmI/AAAAAAAADKU/ns4ces2AoHM2ZEutilSTquBTL-
sX7IwmACLcBGAsYHQ/s1800/a31.jpg)

The Rhinoceros Hornbill, found only in the forests of peninsular Malaysia

(https://www.worldlandtrust.org/species/birds/rhinoceros-hornbill/) and the islands
of Sumatra, Java and Borneo, having prominent golden-yellow horns, called a
casque (https://www.worldlandtrust.org/species/birds/rhinoceros-hornbill/) with
black feathers on their wings and body and their tail feathers white, males with
orange or red ring around their eyes while the females have a white ring is the
state bird for the Malaysian state of Sarawak is vulnerable
(https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407) due to hunting and
habitat loss (https://www.worldlandtrust.org/species/birds/rhinoceros-hornbill/).

3. Sumatran Rhino (Critically Endangered)

Photo credit: lifegate.com

(https://www.lifegate.com/app/uploads/rinoceronte51.jpg)

These smallest rhinos are also the closest living relatives to the now-extinct
woolly rhinos. Due to its rapid rate of decline (https://rhinos.org/blog/news-
room/2021-state-of-the-rhino-report/), these are the most endangered
(https://rhinos.org/about-rhinos/rhino-species/sumatran-rhino/) of all rhinoceros
species. Without rhinos helping to sustain plant biodiversity
(https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sumatran-rhino) and grazing lawns, the

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African savannas will become less hospitable to other herbivore species. Only
30 (https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6553/18493355) individuals are known to
(https://www.rsecopalm.com)
be left in the wild.

4. Black Shrew (Data deficient)

Photo credit: owlcation.com (https://images.saymedia-

content.com/.image/ar_16:9%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:eco%
shrews-small-african-animals-with-long-mobile-noses.jpg)

A mouse-like (https://www.holderspestsolutions.com/pest-
library/wildlife/shrews/#:~:text=Characteristics%3A%20Shrews%20are%20small%2C%
that has been only spotted in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah where shrews are so rare
that a sighting is hard to come by. Highly territorial
(https://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/discover-
mammals/species-common-shrew/) animals that only socialize with one another
during mating season. These mammals are known to be harmless to plants, and
sleep under leaf litter and grass and they travel through existing mole tunnels.
Due to this, they are known to be highly beneficial
(https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/shrews.htm) in
gardens. They are a vital source of food for other animals as they improve soil
conditions by providing aeration and fertilization
(https://loudounwildlife.org/2013/10/moles-voles-and-shrews/) services.

5. Malayan Tiger (Critically Endangered)

Photo credit: sciencesensei (https://cdn.sciencesensei.com/wp-

content/uploads/2020/11/berani5.jpg)

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These beautiful creatures that inhabit the southern and central parts of the Malay
Peninsula, are vital to keep the population of their prey species in check as
(https://www.rsecopalm.com)
an apex predator, which in turn maintains the balance in the ecosystem. From
3,000 tigers in the 1950s (https://www.macaranga.org/loving-malayan-tigers-
3000/#:~:text=It's%20often%20cited%20that%20Malayan%20tigers%20numbered%20
the number of Malayan Tigers left has declined to about 80-120.
(https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136893/50665029)

6. Malayan Tapir (Endangered)

Photo credit: malaysiakini.com (https://icf.newscdn.net/publisher-

c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2021/06/dc6f8f556ae99a54ce22eb8c270a4120
Closely related to the elephant and rhino, Malayan Tapirs exist in only three
regions of Southeast Asia including Malaysia. There are about 2,499
(https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21472/45173636) Malayan Tapirs left. They
are the largest of the four (https://tapirs.org/tapirs/malayan-
tapir/#:~:text=Characteristics,meters%20long%20(6%20feet).) widely recognized
species of tapir, native to the Old World. Known as the “umbrella species”, they
indirectly protect (https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp3203-1718-s2-
16/consequences/) other species such as monkeys, deer, wild cats and many
other varieties of reptiles and plants. They are masters at dispersing seeds,
leaving them to be fertilized well, providing themselves and other wildlife with an
ongoing supply of food and shelter.

7. Proboscis Monkey (Endangered)

Photo credit: borneotoday.net (https://www.borneotoday.net/wp-

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content/uploads/2017/04/proboc2-1280x720.jpg) 
Another Old-World monkey with an unusually large nose, a reddish-brown skin
(https://www.rsecopalm.com)
colour and a long tail. It’s home to Borneo and is usually found in mangrove
forests (https://bioone.org/journals/primate-conservation/volume-23/issue-
1/052.023.0112/Status-and-Conservation-of-Proboscis-Monkeys-iNasalis-
larvatus-i-
in/10.1896/052.023.0112.full#:~:text=Suitable%20proboscis%20monkey%20habitats%
on the coastal areas
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/proboscis-
monkey#:~:text=Proboscis%20monkeys%20are%20endemic%20to,occasionally%20to
the island. Primate world’s most accomplished swimmers
(https://www.neprimateconservancy.org/proboscis-
monkey.html#:~:text=Proboscis%20monkeys%20are%20the%20primate,escape%20p
as they leap from tree branches into the river and out again. Their webbed
feet help in successfully out-swimming
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/proboscis-
monkey#:~:text=Proboscis%20monkeys%20have%20an%20unusual,cross%20rivers%
predators such as crocodiles. Their swimming skills also come in handy when
they need to swim across deep waters
(https://www.newscientist.com/article/2074675-meet-the-aquatic-monkey-with-a-
love-of-diving-and-swimming/), in search of food or safe land away from
predators.

8. Sunda Pangolin (Critically Endangered)

Photo credit: kemperbiologychs.blogspot (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cN-

VlhQ2rZ4/XWmwz7SnemI/AAAAAAAAAbA/Dr4q4SpfuPESeNtGnaUcOL3Cr_9sWoVD

These are unique creatures that are covered in hard, plate-like scales

(https://www.rekoforest.org/field-stories/wildlife-of-rer-sunda-pangolin/) and large,
curved claws that they use for excavating ant and termite nests. Sunda Pangolin
are some of the most heavily trafficked

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(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sunda-
pangolin) protected animals in the world as (https://www.rsecopalm.com)
their scales, meat and skin are
believed to possess medicinal benefits
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/pangolins#:~:text=Pango
are sold for hefty prices. They are known as natural pest controllers
(https://www.pangolins.org/2011/11/01/pangolins-natural-pest-controllers-and-
soil-caretakers/) as they regulate ant and termite populations. It’s estimated that
they consume about 70 million (https://www.savepangolins.org/what-is-a-
pangolin) insects per year, guarding the forests from termite destruction.

9. Sun Bear (Vulnerable)

Photo credit: bunjywunjy.tumblr

(https://64.media.tumblr.com/683fe164fcc310bca75b69fa2b837049/6edf8f203966a605
e3/s1280x1920/cd34abbe16447cb2bb49160f1467c3c0e99092bb.png)

It is the smallest bear

(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sun-bear), standing
at 70 centimeters
(https://www.gbif.org/species/144098131#:~:text=The%20sun%20bear%20(Helarctos%
is a species found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sun-bear). It is
believed that there are less than 1000 (https://venngage.net/p/200185/sun-
bears#:~:text=Sun%20Bears%20are%20listed%20as,endangered%20for%20a%20few
these individuals left in the wild. They dig for invertebrates in the soil, which
enhances the forest’s nutrient cycle (https://wildfor.life/species/sun-
bear#:~:text=The%20Sun%20Bear's%20behaviour%20helps,of%20rich%20and%20p
the mixing of rich and poor soil, while also dispersing seeds and keeping the
termite populations down.

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10. Banteng (Endangered)

(https://www.rsecopalm.com)

Photo credit: wikimedia.org

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Banteng_Alas_Purwo_%
Banteng_Alas_Purwo_%28face_cropped%29.jpg)

Known better as ‘tembadau

(https://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/banteng.htm)’ locally, this wild
cattle species gets mistaken for the average domesticated cow. Experts have
said that there’s only 4000-8000
(https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2888/46362970) left in Sabah. Wild bantengs
are typically larger and heavier
(https://naturerules1.fandom.com/wiki/Banteng#:~:text=The%20banteng%2C%20also%
the domesticated cow. They are important in nutrient cycling and influencing the
composition of plant communities through their grazing and browsing activities.

What can be done to protect Malaysia’s endangered species?

Trees are cut down to provide room for palm oil plantations which are vital for the
Malaysian economy. Similarly, the timber industry is just as vital as being among the
world’s largest exporters of tropical logs
(https://www.mtib.gov.my/images/pdf/polisi/Natip3.pdf), plywood, sawn timber and
furniture.

Malaysia is currently looking into diversifying the economy and using our forests in a
tightly controlled, more sustainable manner to allow for palm oil production and
timber products.

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(https://www.rsecopalm.com)

Photo credits: worldwildlife.org

(https://c402277.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/photos/2213/images/hero_full/Species-Index-
Turtle.jpg?1345645331)

Finding a balance between the economy’s demands, infrastructure that supports local
communities, tourism, the need to protect the habitats and the well-being of
endangered species is a fine line, which is difficult to achieve.

The key to saving Malaysia’s endangered wildlife lies in educating the local
communities about the value of Malaysia’s wildlife, both in the forests and in the seas.

What is being done?

Extinction is not inevitable, and we shouldn’t be discouraged from taking action. With
the threat of extinction of Malaysian endangered species accelerating, sanctuaries
have become invaluable. Good news from conservation projects shows that
endangered species can be recovered. Orangutans are protected
(https://www.speciesonthebrink.org/species/bornean-orangutan/) in sanctuaries and
rehabilitation centers in both Sabah and Sarawak. The national project, Kuala Gandah
Elephant Conservation Centre Sanctuary serves to protect and care for the
Elephants (https://www.malaysia-traveller.com/kuala-gandah.html). The captive
breeding program for the Sumatran rhino has been protecting the rhinoceroses from
getting their horns poached, since 2007
(https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/captive-breeding-of-sumatran-rhinos-where-the-
program-stands-today/).

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