Scientific research required to protect stump-tail macaque in Perlis
07 Jul 2023 09:56am
Stump-tailed macaque, locally known as Beruk Kentoi - Ecology Asia
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He said an in-depth study of the macaque, or its scientific name 'Macca arctoides', should be undertaken immediately to collect the necessary data, such as its habitat and number.
"This continuous effort is necessary since the Perlis State Park (TNP) has become a new habitat for the Beruk Kentoi from the Thale Ban National Park in Southern Thailand which borders Perlis," he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Dionysius, who is the former chief executive officer of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia, said those closest and with expertise and facilities to conduct such research were the institutions of higher learning (IPT), especially those in the north of the peninsula.
According to him, the Beruk Kentoi population is said to have increased in TNP in recent years and efforts to conserve the unique and rare species need to be carried out before it is too late.
"We need complete scientific data for more effective forest management and biodiversity restoration," said Dionysius, who is the first researcher to confirm the presence of the Beruk Kentoi in Perlis.
He said the Beruk Kentoi is a unique primate and can be said to be new in Malaysia.
"We need to work together with Thailand to get the data so we can get to know the macaque better," he added.
Recalling his first encounter with the Beruk Kentoi in 1992, Dionysius said it was in the Mata Ayer Permanent Forest Reserve (HSK).
"It was July 29, 1992, the last day that I and my teammates were conducting research on biodiversity and caves in Perlis. We were getting ready to leave after packing our things,” he said.
Perlis Nature and Wildlife (PNW) founder Syamil Abd. Rahman concurred with Dionysius, saying that more ecological and biological research should be conducted on Beruk Kentoi.
"The macaque is a species that rarely receives attention compared to other primates even though it is one of the endemic primates in Malaysia.
"In the 31 years since it was first found to exist in Perlis in 1992, only two scientific papers (on the primate) were published, although no research was conducted during that period,” he said, adding that there are believed to be 176 Beruk Kentoi in Wang Kelian and 350 in the Nakawan Range along the Thai-Malaysia border in Perlis.
He said conservation efforts in the Perlis State Park gazette should be conducted to avoid fragmentation of the habitat, as the destruction of the original habitat will lead to human-wildlife conflict.
Meanwhile, Syamil also expressed concern about the level of cleanliness at tourist spots such as the Wang Kelian Viewpoint, a popular spot offering a panoramic view of the state.
He said it is also the route of the stump-tail macaque.
"Disturbance from humans and garbage pollution in the original habitat will cause the primate to migrate or change the route to find food," he said - BERNAMA
