corporal ron’s borneo jungle adventures · 2010. 10. 19. · a long time ago, far away, on my...

corporal ron’s borneo jungle adventure

Follow the adventure of Corporal Ron as he lives and works with Dayaks in the rain forest of Borneo. At the same learn interesting facts about the unique fauna, flora and animals of Borneo. Find out about the critically endangered species living in Borneo and consider how you can make a difference in our word.

Sandra S C Arthur

CORPORAL RON’S BORNEO JUNGLE ADVENTURE

2

why look inside?

enjoy corporal ron’s borneo jungle adventure

discover facts about the world’s endangered rain forest: borneo

find out how you can make a difference in this world

All rights reserved. 2007 Sandra S C Arthur

Updated 2009

No part of this publication may be reproduced, in any form, without permission of the copyright owner [email protected]

Inspiration: The inspiration for the “jungle” story is my father, Ronald AK Chidgey JP, who served in the RAF and worked and lived in Borneo during the mid 1960’s. The second part is to educate, ignite interest and highlight to young people the need to conserve and help endangered species. It is my hope that by reading this book people will take an interest to participate and contribute to the work carried out by WWF and other environmental organisations.

Please be Green! Don’t print unless essential. If you must print this book, please use paper that is natural, renewable and recyclable. Please use paper made from wood grown in sustainable forests.


3

For my mother, Maria Chidgey. I thank her for her encouragement and advice to be bold and dare to

write.

I’m also indebted to my husband, Richard, for his help and guidance.

My love and thankfulness are sent to my children, Alexandre and Edouard, first for having the patience to listen and comment on my

stories – Two thumbs up! And, secondly, I thank them for their artistic contributions in the Radio Ron’s postcard from Borneo series.

The most effective way to save endangered species is to protect the places they need to live

~ Lois Capps, Congresswomen, USA


4

contents

cpl ron’s borneo adventure

chapter 1 rat attack

chapter 2 jungle journey

chapter 3 homeward bound

omar’s orang utan oracle facts and stats on borneo learn more how can you make a difference? more borneo stories for under 7’s


5

Hello I’m OMAR, an ORANG UTAN

Chapter 1 RAT ATTACK Hello, my name is Omar the Orang utan and I am your storyteller and fact finder in this fantastic book about my home. I live on a large island called Borneo. I’d like to share some stories with you about my beautiful home. Also, look out for my “Orang utan Oracle of Borneo Facts & Stats” – here you will find lots interesting information about the animals and plants that live in Borneo, plus my “Extinction and Environmental Alert” report. I hope that you may consider how you can help me and save my beautiful island from major environmental damage and destruction. By the way, if you were wondering what Orang utan means – the answer is ‐ man or person of the jungle in Malay and Indonesian.


6

So let’s start the story: A long time ago, far away, on my island, called Borneo, in Malaysia, a brave group of men and woman were helping the people who lived there to keep the peace. These people had received training in peacekeeping, in education and were also there to provide medical provisions. The island was covered by dense tree coverage and rare plants that formed its’ famous ‘Rain Forest’ or jungle. As a result, it was a very difficult place to travel around. In these jungles unique peoples and rare animals lived. The Dayaks, Iban (Sea Dayaks), Kayan and Kenyahs are the names of some the groups of people. Unfortunately, the peace and safety of these people had been disturbed, and so they asked a number of people to assist them. One group, including members of the Air Force, who flew airplanes and helicopters, agreed to help. Without helicopters it was impossible to reach some of the villages because there were no roads and nowhere for planes to land.

Carving of Dayak Warrior

The Air Force used their helicopters to fly into the forest with medicine and other assistance. Amongst all these helpful people, were two important jobs: the person who could fly the helicopters (the pilot) and the communication expert. Radio communication was most important to allow information and orders to be passed between the commanding officer and crew and other aircraft in the region. It was also essential for making safe landings at airports. One day two of these men, a Pilot called Paul, and a Radio communication technician called Ron, together with their crew, were working in the jungle trying to help deliver medicine and food to the people who lived in the forest. When they arrived in their helicopter, the jungle folk invited them to stay in their house, which was called a long house. It was over 100 metres in length, had been built on stilts that were 2 metres high above the ground for safety. Together they unloaded all the supplies into the long house and then took a well‐earned rest. Corporal (Cpl) Ron (the radio expert) stayed by the helicopter because the radio was no longer working and a broken radio meant the men were stuck until


7

it could be fixed. If Cpl Ron could not fix the radio he would need to reach another part of their unit that was worked in a nearby village to obtain some new wire and other radio parts. Ron hoped he could avoid that mission, as it would mean trekking through the humid dangerous jungle. It was hot working standing in the sun and there were many bugs that liked to find new things to eat! Poor Corporal Ron was being bitten by hundreds of hungry mosquitoes and he didn’t know what to do to stop them. A Dayak lady, Datin Emy was watching Corporal Ron work and thought she better help him. Corporal Ron glanced up as she approached. She had long ear lobes with many earrings and was wearing lots of colourful beads around her neck. The weight of the earrings had obviously stretched her ear skin. “Hello, do you know how you can stop mosquitoes from biting you” she asked. “No, but I would be so grateful if you could share your secret with me,” replied Corporal Ron. “Well, here in the jungle, we wear yellow necklaces and it helps to keep the bugs away. The mosquitoes do not like the colour and so will fly to someone else who is not wearing yellow!” Datin Emy explained. “Why that is fantastic advice, sadly I do not have any yellow necklaces with me” said Ron. “Do all those ear‐rings that you wear, also keep mosquitoes away” he enquired. “No!!” she giggled, “they are gifts from my husband. Dayak women grow long ear lobes as we think they are very beautiful”. “Oh, that’s a relief. I don’t think I’m ready to have my ears pierced – but I could wear a necklace!” Corporal Ron replied. With that, the Datin Emy disappeared and returned with a bag of yellow, white and black beads. “I can make you a necklace and it will help fight away those terrible

biting bugs”. “Oh, that would be so kind of you. Thank you!” he exclaimed with relief. After a while Corporal Ron spoke again. “I have a little girl who is living thousands of miles away with my wife

The Dayaks The Long houses that Dayaks lived in: at one time up to 100 families may live in just one house. Some were nearly 300 M long designed around a long hall and communal area plus private sleeping space. They are built on stilts (up to 12 M in height) to avoid flooding and also to keep out dangerous animals such as snakes.


8

and family. Sadly they could not be here with me but I would love to send her a present. Do you think you could also make a necklace for her as well? It would not need to be in yellow, as there are no mosquitoes where she lives!” he laughed. And so the long‐lobed lady disappeared to make the necklace for Corporal Ron and also one for his little girl. She chose the colours of Green, Red and White for the little girl’s necklace: Green to represent the lovely trees and forest of Borneo; Red for the flowers and people of the jungle and white for the shimmering water and seas that surround the beautiful island. It was the first time that Corporal Ron had visited a Long House and he was very impressed by the people who had built this home. The Dayak ladies wore lots of colourful skirts and many had intricate tattoo designs on their legs. The chief of the village welcomed the visitors and invited them to share an evening of dance and music. The chief was wearing his best clothes, a large feather headdress, a folded weaved wrap, similar to a skirt and was carrying a wooden shield. The shield had been painted in red and black with designs of birds and reptiles. Corporal Ron and Pilot Officer Paul enjoyed a magical evening experiencing all the new smells, sounds and songs: like the smell of the smoke from the cooking pots that filled the house, mixing with the humid damp air of the forest. The sounds of the jungle were not far away. The call of the evening birds as they nested down for the night echoed with screeches from the monkeys in the trees and the ever‐present grasshoppers as they rubbed their legs. The Dayaks were great musicians and had some very unusual instruments. One was made from wood, looked like a flute but was played by holding it to your nose and blowing. Other interesting instruments included the Dragon Gong that was played by hitting the brass disc with a small hammer. A musician played the ketebung drum to create an interesting rhythm. Three of the Dayak ladies began to beat the brass gongs and one man commenced a very hypnotic dance (ngajat) – moving round and round the long house floor. Then the chief stood up and started to dance. One of the Dayaks nudged Paul the pilot.

“As guests here it is traditional that you offer a glass of rice wine (Tuak ‐a strong alcoholic drink made from fermented rice) to the Tuai Rumah (Chief), now that he has started to dance.”

Orang utan Oracle A WWF report declared that at least 361 new species had been found on the island between 1994 and 2004. The new discoveries included 260 insects, 50 plants, 30 freshwater fish, seven frogs, six lizards, five crabs, two snakes and a toad.


9

Paul promptly offered the wine to the chief. The chief then invited all the guests to join him in a welcome drink. Paul took a sip and decide it tasted quite nice. He then found himself dragged onto the dance floor and everyone laughed at his awkward attempts to dance. The strong drink had quickly affected his movement and his legs felt like jelly! The Dayaks were great musicians and dancers and they enjoyed sharing their dances and songs. The RAF men soon noticed that all the adult Dayaks had a variety of tattoos on their skin. One of the warriors told the visitors about one of the popular stories which they loved to share and talk about after dinner. It’s a very old story, the Chief added, that we share from generation to generation. He continued: ‐ This is the legend of how tattoos protect the men and women from crocodile attacks: “A family of crocodiles was having difficulty in producing the eggs they needed to begin their family. The father was then sent by his wife to obtain help. Not far from where the crocodiles lived he found a village near the river. The father crocodile approached a woman who was cooking dinner and asked her to follow him. She apprehensively agreed, fearing that her body would be snatched and eaten by the large crocodile. Together, they swam to a deep pool. The woman held on to the father's tail and they rapidly descended into the dark water until they reached the crocodile's nest. Soon thereafter, the village lady gave the ailing mother crocodile much needed advice and to the delight of the parents the eggs suddenly appeared. The village lady returned to her home and because the crocodile parents were so pleased with her efforts, they promised all the villagers that if they tattooed an image of the crocodile on each shoulder, or two tattoos around their legs, all crocodiles would recognize them as friends and would never bring harm to them.” “That’s why to this day many Dayak people have tattoos.” smiled the warrior. “We make our tattoos from a secret mixture of honey and charcoal. It’s quite painful, but it indicates you are brave as well as safe from the crocodiles.” Everyone clapped and soon after people started to return to their sleeping quarters, as now it was very late. Cpl Ron found his sleeping bay (bilek). He lay down on the straw mat and using his foot

Orang utan Oracle The Borneo Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of the five known rhino species: being only 1‐1.5M and weigh 725 kilos. It is on the WWF critically endangered species list with numbers amounting to only 25. EXTINCTION ALERT


10

brushed off a spider that was lying on the mengkuang pine mat. At that moment, Pilot Paul looked in, “You better be careful, that’s a Black Widow spider!” Nevertheless Cpl Ron, felt too tired to be scared. He quickly drifted off to sleep, serenaded by a jungle chorus of screeches, squawks and squeaks. That evening whilst everyone was sleeping in the long houses, some hungry jungle rats came into the house. Unfortunately one of the Air Force men had brought a box of food into the long house. He had forgotten to put it in the special storage huts that had anti‐rat devices at the top of the stilts. These rats had short black hair and were as large as small dogs. They quickly found the box of food and bit through the carton to eat the contents. One of the brave Dayak warriors, called Inghai, heard the noise and began to chase away the rats by waving a stick and making loud noises. It was dark in the long house with only a few candles offering limited light. Unfortunately as he was running chasing after the rats, he tripped over some other parcels that had been mistakenly left outside the door on the observatory platform, and fell over the side. The exit from the long house was several metres above ground, and Inghai fell onto the forest floor breaking his leg. His scream could be heard throughout the jungle. Everyone in the Long House woke up and ran to see what had happened. Inghai was in great pain and clearly needed to go to a hospital to receive help. The chief of the Dayaks asked Pilot Officer Paul if he could take the injured man to hospital in the city of Kuching, one of the big cities in Borneo. “It would be quicker if you could fly him as it takes days to travel by boat,” pleaded the Chief. “We would love to help but we cannot fly our helicopter because the radio is not working, “ explained Pilot Officer Paul. “Oh dear, what can we do as we must get Inghai to the hospital. If his leg does not heal properly he won’t be able to go hunting for the food we need” the Chief replied. “Do not worry Chief, Corporal Ron is travelling to the next village this morning where hopefully he can pick up a new power supply and other parts for our broken radio. I think it’s the village of the Sea Dayaks (Iban).

Orang utan Oracle

Borneo is home to ten primate species, over 350 birds, 150 reptiles and amphibians and 15,000 plants.


11

“Oh, I have never been to that village – I do hope they are friendly. Some of those Iban tribes can be quite hostile,” cautioned the village Chief. “I will send two of my brave warriors, Pak and Sitok to travel with Cpl Ron. They can help him navigate the river and be on the look out and defend him if any danger presents itself.” Chapter 2 JUNGLE JOURNEY At sunrise Corporal Ron and the two strong Dayak warriors set off to travel to the next village. It was already very hot, 95 degrees in the shade of the trees and a humidity level of 98 cent (like taking a very hot bath). The three men stepped into a long boat canoe and started to paddle down the Rajang river towards the Sea Dayak’s village. As the three men moved in silence down the muddy river it began to rain heavily. It was monsoon season in the jungle, which brought a daily deluge of warm rain. As the boat sailed under the forest canopy, the men could see they were being watched by the “men of the jungle” the friendly orang utan primates. “Oh, look,” cried Corporal Ron, “we’re being followed by those monkeys. Can you see, they’re wearing hats made out of leaves!”. One of the warriors looked up and recognised the unique brown and red hair. “No, not monkeys, they are orang utan, that means ‘men of the forest’” He replied. “These orang utan are very intelligent. As you can see they have made hats to stop their hair getting wet” As everyone was looking up into the trees, disaster struck. The men were not watching how they were paddling and suddenly smashed their paddles together with such force that they ricocheted into the water. The canoe began to sail away from the paddles as the current pushed the boat rapidly down the river. The men were all afraid to jump into the river in case crocodiles or water snakes were around. “What shall we do? Corporal Ron asked the warriors. Before the warriors could respond an amazing sight occurred. The clever orang utans’ who had observed this unlikely group of “sailors” swung down from the

EXTINCTION ALERT! The Orang utan found in Borneo has been rated with the highest IQ in primates (research 2007, outperforming chimps). But the Borneo species of Orang utans is highly endangered, with only approx. 50,000 left in the wild

Orang utan Oracle

The orang utan has been rated with the highest IQ in primates (research 2007, out performing chimps). But the Borneo species of orang utans is highly endangered, with only approx. 50,000 left in the wild.

EXTINCTION ALERT


12

tree branches. The smaller Orang utan hung on to a long branch as a larger Orang utan pushed the branch into the water. The smaller Orang utan was able to climb down the branch and reach out to grab the missing paddles as they floated by. Whilst the rescue of the paddles was taking place, the strong warriors had managed to grab some of the bank’s foliage to stop the canoe moving further along the river. The helpful Orang utans jumped to the bank and passed the paddles to the waiting and relieved group. “That’s unbelievable, I can’t believe my eyes. The lads back at camp are never going to believe this story,” Corporal Ron shouted. “They are very brave animals – they cannot swim, but risked their lives to help us,” explained Sitok, the warrior. One of the warriors reached into their boat, dug out a bag and threw some fruit at the Orang utans. “Oh, well that’s some of our lunch lost, but they definitely deserve a reward for helping us,” exclaimed Pak. With the paddles recovered the small party resumed their down‐river journey. The entire group’s skin was bathed in sweat – it was hot work paddling the canoe in the tropical heat and rain. As the river twisted and bent around the trees a kaleidescope of butterflies suddenly came out of the jungle shadows and settled on the men’s noses and skin. “Stop! that tickles” laughed Corporal Ron, as he tried to brush off the butterflies. It was a beautiful sight. Large yellow and blue butterflies, some were white with black circles, others green and red and yet another a striped orange and brown. The butterflies were enjoying the moisture and salt that rested on the men’s skin. “Oh no, I can’t see where I’m paddling!” Ron cried. Just as the Dayak men were laughing at Corporal Ron for waving his hands around to get rid of the butterflies the canoe hit something and the boat stopped moving. “Oh, no, another set back, we’re stuck.” Looking out into the river the men could make out a large brown object. “Could it be a sleeping crocodile?” asked Corporal Ron. “Well there are some very large man eating crocodiles to be found in the river, so we have to take care. You can also find crocodile like animals in the river called Gharial and they can be 15 feet in length.” Explained Pak.

Orang Utan Oracle Borneo’s current deforestation rate of 1.3 million hectares per year threatens the survival of many species. Today, only half of Borneo's forest cover remains, down from 75 per cent in the mid 1980s.


13

“Well we better be careful not to upset it,” whispered Corporal Ron. “If it is a crocodile and he attacks you be ready to use your thumbs to poke him in the eye – that will stop him!” he explained. “If it did attack, I have my spear ready with special poison made from Ipoh tree sap.” “But don’t worry, the Gharial are harmless to humans they only like eating fish,” chipped in Sitok. The Dayak men gently pushed their canoe paddles on the back of the “crocodile” to see if they could wake it up. Suddenly everyone was laughing again. It had not been a crocodile that was blocking their path but a large tree trunk that had fallen into the river. One warrior, Pak, was laughing so hard; he lost his balance and fell into the river. He quickly jumped back into the canoe, just in case there really was something dangerous in the river. All the men pushed hard against the tree to try to move it out of the way. “Let’s try one more time, one, two, oh no!” Corporal Ron sighed. Unfortunately the long boat canoe had hit the tree trunk so hard it had made a hole. “What a disaster! What should we do?” Corporal Ron now cried. “We’ll have to get some leaves and twine from the jungle and try and block the hole so we can reach the village” replied Sitok. As they men waded ashore a large monitor lizard rushed away. “Pity, I love monitor lizard,” declared the warrior. “We could have enjoyed a good meal and used the skin to repair the boat.” explained Pak. “Monitor lizard tastes like chicken!” So the three men looked around the jungle trying to find suitable material to fill the hole. After several tiring and hot hours the boat was fixed with tree bark and leaves and they set off once more to the reach the sea Dayak village. “Come on, we can’t waste anymore time, we need to get the supplies and get back so we can fly Inghai to hospital” Corporal Ron pleaded. At last a refreshing breeze wafted over the three men as they paddled their way through the beige coloured water of the Rajang. The breeze indicated that they were finally approaching the sea. Finally after some frantic paddling, the men arrived at a clearing. Under the tall jungle canopy they could see the Sea Dayak village in the distance. They jumped out of the canoe, waded through the water, and lifted the boat out to place it upside down on the river’s edge. “We won’t be able to use this canoe to return, the repair work will definitely not hold. We will have to find another way back to our village.” whispered the Pak,


14

concerned that the Sea Dayaks might not be friendly. Ron remembered the chief’s warning and realized that he better be on guard. As they began to walk through the long grass towards the village, Corporal Ron had a strange sensation on his leg. He looked down at his legs “Oh, help, I’ve got some horrible black bugs on my legs and I think they are biting me.” yelled Corporal Ron. The two Dayak men looked over at Corporal Ron’s legs “They’re leaches so it’s not surprising they are hurting you. They are sucking the blood out of your leg!” replied one of the men.

Sea Dayak Village

“Oh no, that’s terrible, what can I do?” “The best thing to do is to rub salt over the leaches and they will quickly fall off as they don’t like salt. But I expect you don’t have any salt with you” replied the Pak. “Wait, this can work as well.” He quickly took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it and placed it on the leach that had attached itself to Corporal Ron’s leg. “Thanks, that feels much better” the thankful Radio man sighed. At last the men arrived at the Sea Dayak village. Ron was relieved that the warriors had brought their blow pipes and spears with them – just in case they encountered a dangerous animal or worse – the village people may not be welcoming.

Orang utan Oracle The Irrawaddy freshwater dolphin is on the critically endangered species numbering only 35 in Borneo and 100 totally in the world.. EXTINCTION ALERT


15

“How far can you reach with one of those pipes” Cpl Ron whispered to the Dayak Warriors. “Don’t worry we can hit targets 25 metres away – that’ll give us time to run” they laughed. As they approached, he noticed how different this village appeared. Rather than one long house, there were much smaller bamboo houses built on stilts that were sitting at the waters edge. All the village people came running out smiling to greet the men – they rarely had visitors and loved to meet new people. “What a relief, they look very friendly, ” whispered Pak. Corporal Ron lost not time, and with the help of the Dayak warriors explained what had happened and presented the chief with some gifts. He included their latest problem – no transport to return back to their village. The Tuai Rumah (chief) of the village said, “Welcome to my village, I am Lebor the Chief of the Ibans. I understand you need some assistance? Today, you have brought me luck. It is a sign of good luck when strangers visit our village. I am so happy as we are preparing for my daughter’s wedding – called 'melah pinang'. We also have double luck, as we have some other visitors here with us and they have a helicopter so perhaps they can help you!” Corporal Ron was so happy to hear this news. He quickly ran to the other side of the village where indeed he found some of his air force colleagues who had been delivering medical supplies to this village.


16

Chapter 3 HOMEWARD BOUND “I am so delighted and relieved to see you here. Hopefully you can save the day by helping us with some radio supplies and returning us back to the village to help an injured person” exclaimed Corporal Ron. “That could be a problem. We’re on a tight mission to deliver medical supplies to a number of villages in this area and must return to base before nightfall” replied this new RAF colleague. “Let’s see what we can do. We still have a number of boxes to unpack, and our doctor here has a few people who require some medical assistance before we can leave. How far is this Dayak village with the injured person?” Corporal Ron dug out a map, and showed his colleagues exactly where Inghai and his other crew were waiting. “You’re in luck, it’s not too far away by helicopter. Quick, just give us the list of supplies you need and we’ll bring them with us. Jump into the helicopter over there – we can be ready to fly in 10 minutes. It shouldn’t take long to fly you back and we can return and continue on our mission,” replied the helpful RAF man. Corporal Ron returned to the Sea Dayak Chief to tell him that his colleagues will fly him back to the Dayak village. He assured them they would return to continue their work in his village. Meanwhile, the RAF doctor will remain and continue to treat the sick people in his village. As a token of friendship, the Chief handed him a large bucket of fish to take back to Inghai and the people in his “land Dayak” village. Corporal Ron thanked everyone and returned to the waiting helicopter. The pilot started the helicopter engines and as the blades buzzed and whizzed the helicopter slowly lifted off. The two Dayak warriors, Pak and Sitok were sitting rather quietly inside the main helicopter, and feeling quite scared – it was their first flight. The helicopter buzzed and rocked as the engines were turned on as the villagers waved up to them. It was a wonderful sight to see the double bladed helicopter rise above the tree canopies and glide across the sky. Corporal Ron assured the Dayak warriors that this was a superb machine.

Orang utan Oracle Four out of the world’s seven species of marine turtles land and lay their eggs on beaches in Borneo. Of these, Leatherbacks, Hawksbills and Green turtles are Endangered. EXTINCTION ALERT


17

“Don’t be scared, if one set of engines fail and stop working, we have the second engine that can continue to fly both sets of blades on the helicopter,” he smiled. The helicopter had now picked up a lot of speed and the air was rushing around the cabin, blowing everyone’s hair. “We are moving very fast – how fast are we going?” enquired Sitok. “Hang on” cried Corporal Ron, “I’ll just ask the pilot”. “We’re cruising at 138 MPH (miles per hour) – magic isn’t it!” declared the Pilot. Within minutes they had arrived back at the land Dayak village. Corporal Ron passed on the gift of fish to the waiting and anxious Chief. He then quickly fixed the radio using the new wires and equipment he had received from his colleagues. “Hello Officer Paul, do I have some adventure stories to share with you – it’s been a very exciting day,” Ron declared. “I look forward to hearing them later. Oh, by the way, well done and also thanks to the Dayak men, Pak and Sitok, for their help. At last we can be on our way, hurry we must fly before it gets dark.” Pilot Officer Paul was now able to make a radio call his Commanding Officer to ask permission to make the trip to help Inghai. He then radioed to the hospital in the far away town of Kuching and advised them that they would be arriving very soon with an injured man. The Dayaks helped to carry Inghai, the hurt man, to the helicopter and ensure he was made comfortable. Pilot Officer Paul quickly started the helicopter engines, and off they went. “See you soon” cried Pilot Officer Paul as the lifted off into the air.

Orang utan Oracle Between 1980 and 2000, it is estimated that more timber was harvested from Borneo than was exported from the Amazon and Congo basins combined. As a result, Borneo now has only 50% of its original forest. At current rates, it is predicted that in the Indonesian part of Borneo there will be no lowland forests left outside protected areas by 2010. EXTINCTION ALERT


18

The helicopter was called a Bristol 192 Belvedere and had the capacity to carry 30 people. There was plenty of room inside for Inghai to lie down and enjoy the journey. It rose up high above the treetops and set off in the direction of the city. Looking down at the jungle clearing everything now looked so small. The river below appeared like a brown wriggling snake and the large long house now seemed like a tiny toy. It was the first time that Inghai had ever been in a helicopter and he was very happy despite being in a lot of pain with his broken leg.

Pilot Officer Paul returning to the Dayak village in the RAF Helicopter: Bristol 192 Belevedere The Air Force Men returned before sunset back to the Long House with the good news that Inghai’s leg had been put in plaster. It would take some weeks before his leg would be repaired, but the Air Force men promised the Chief they would go back to the city hospital to collect him.

Orang utan Oracle Sumatran Rhino is on the WWF critically endangered species list with numbers amounting to only 25. They are found in the interior Heart of Borneo forests of Sabah, Malaysia. EXTINCTION ALERT


19

The chief (Tuai Rumah) of the Dayaks was so happy with the Air Force men, that he gave Pilot Paul and Corporal Ron some beautiful painted wooden shields as a thank you gift. The shields had been carved from local wood by the villagers’ craftspeople.

They had been lovingly painted in red, black and yellow to remind the men of the beautiful animals that lived in their forest. Then Datin Emy, arrived to say thank you. She had been the lady that had observed Cpl Ron’s mosquito attack, before his trip to the jungle. Datin Emy had finally finished making the two beaded necklaces she promised and was happy to also hand these to Corporal Ron as well. “Thank you so much, my little girl will be thrilled with this lovely gift.” He then proudly put on the yellow/black and white beaded necklace. “Now those terrible biting mosquitoes will leave me alone and go and bite someone else!” he laughed. “Thank you so much ‐ this is a very useful present and one that I will treasure”. Cpl Ron’s postcard and gifts arrive

Dayak Chief with shield gift


20

omar’s orang utan oracle borneo facts & stats In this document and below you will find a number of facts about Borneo. Discover the stats about the endangered species such as the Orang utan, Clouded Leopard, Sumatran rhino and pygmy elephant. They are all under threat due to logging, plantation agriculture, mining and hunting. Example, in the last 20 years it has been estimated 80% of suitable orang‐utan habitat has disappeared, and yet only around 2% of what remains is legally protected. Without the maintenance of large blocks of inter‐connected forest, there is a risk that orang‐utans and hundreds of other species could become extinct. The WWF is working to restore degraded forest areas, such as the recently designated Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, to conserve the orang utan habitat.

• Borneo is in Asia, southeast of the Malay Peninsula and southwest of the PhilippinesFact

• Borneo is primarily mountainous, with dense areas of rain forest. The highest peak in Borneo, Mt. Kinabalu, stands at 13,455 ft.

Fact• Borneo is the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea. It is five times larger than England and Wales.

Fact• Borneo has approximately 11,000 species of flowering plants – of which one third are indigenous.

Fact•Over 700 species of trees can be found. Compare that to North America where only 171 native tree species exist or in the UK 33 tree species.

Fact


21

• A new species of cat, the Clouded leopard was found in Borneo during 2007 – current numbers are estimated between 5‐11,000.

Fact

• In Borneo you will find no less than 12 different species of flying squirrels.Fact

• A new, sub‐species of elephant has been found in Borneo, pygmy elephants. Growing to only 2.5 m compared to the Asian elephant that reach 3m. Their numbers are estimated at only 1000‐1500.

Fact• A single adult elephant can eat up to 150 kgs of vegetation everyday, feeding mostly on species of palms, grasses and wild bananas.

Fact•Borneo has more kinds of butterflies than anywhere else in the world. The largest has a 7‐8 inch wing span and is called Rajah Brooke Birdwing.

Fact•The 16 million people living in Borneo are equally diverse as the hundreds of animals and plant species. There are over 200 languages spoken on this island.

Fact


22

loss of great ape habitat at 2002 and projected at 2032 (Borneo and Sumatra)

Notice the difference in “low – no human impact” sectors in 2002 and compare that to the estimated impact by 2032. Imagine how this will impact the animals and plants that currently live in those locations. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/loss_of_great_ape_habitat_2002_2032_borneo_and_sumatra.

http://maps.grida.no/library/files/storage/loss_of_great_ape_habitat_2002_2032_borneo_and_sumatra_thumbnail.jpg

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/loss_of_great_ape_habitat_2002_2032_borneo_and_sumatra

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/loss_of_great_ape_habitat_2002_2032_borneo_and_sumatra


23

want to learn more? Children are naturally curious about the world they live and it is hoped that this story ignites interest in the island of Borneo and its’ rare animals and plants, as well as underlying environmental challenges. The document has also been designed to trigger interest on geographically, environmental as well as ecological issues. Here’s some more background – we hope you will be motivated to learn more. Geography: Dig out world maps and find out where Borneo is situated in the world. Its’ history is complex and its’ ownership is shared by three countries Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. This three way ownership creates difficulty in its’ environmental management. Environmental and ecological issues One of the most pressing issues facing Borneo is deforestation. Today, only half of Borneo’s forest cover remains, down from 75% in the mid 1980’s. This change is impacting the world through, for example, global warming. Experts estimate that deforestation and other forest change is responsible for up to 18% of carbon emissions. That is why forests have a vital role to play. Carbon is absorbed by forests and stored in the trees and soil. This carbon is released as carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases when forests are disturbed or cleared. Unfortunately, short term economic pressures demand that Borneo obtain export funds rather than conserve the valuable resources in their forest. They do have oil and tourism but additional income is still required. Taking a short‐term view – destroying forests via logging companies (legal and otherwise) for wood and paper production and new plantations (palm oil) all add up to creating environmental damage. An important ecological mistake is to remove many trees without including a replanting and replacement strategy. This short‐term view will ensure that the logging and timber industry will be unsustainable in the future. The governments involved may point to the planting of palm trees and rubber trees. Unfortunately too many trees of the same species do not create the correct rain forest eco‐system. Not only has the island lost huge areas of forest (6 football pitches per minute or 1.3 million hectares per year) it is also threatening and endangering a number of rare species (as highlighted in the Orang Utan Oracle) such as the orang utan, clouded leopard, pygmy elephant etc. Borneo is an amazing island where thousands of species of plants and animals exist and where new species are being discovered on an annual basis. If this important habitat is further damaged the homes of these animals will continue to decline and eventually will be lost. The animals are also threatened if they encroach into unprotected forest areas due to hunters, poachers or management guarding their valuable crops. In addition to the animals facing extinction Borneo has 11,000 specifies of flowering plants and 700 species of trees that thankfully still grow and thrive – for the moment.


24

Another environmental catastrophe has been the technique of cutting trees and then burning the land to clear it for new palm oil plantation. This damage has caused pollution for the entire region due to smoke exposure resulting in many respiratory problems for animals and people alike. There is much to be done and time is short if we wish to protect this important island for future generations. Thankfully there are many charity organisations working hard to make a difference. They lobby government bodies to reduce deforestation, impose laws on businesses and to hunt down and punish poachers. They also set up special sanctuaries to care for hundreds of orang utans that have lost their homes and families due to habitat loss. By reviewing the various weblinks in this document, you can learn more and consider how you can get involved. There are organisations educating the public to make a considered choice when buying wooden furniture, food and cosmetic products. Ensuring people understand the value to demand wood from sustainable certified forest is important to stamp out illegal logging. As is the choice of products that do not contain palm oil. The WWF have recently been able to share some positive news: “ At the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Bali, in 2007, it was agreed that the post‐2012 climate agreement should include a mechanism to provide developing countries with financial incentives that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The goal is to address this source of emissions and to provide a mechanism that will make forest conservation more economically viable than unsustainable harvesting or conversion.” Everything is connected – trees, plants, animals, humans – we need to ensure we are more careful in the way we use our planet. We must respect our planet ‐ support conservation and intelligently use resources. If you are using this document as part of a school project, please do consider what your class can do. Just helping raise awareness is a good first step. Raising money via sponsored walks etc to “adopt” an orang utan for your school could be another step in the right direction.


25

fact file on orang utans Standing height: 4‐5 feet (1.2‐1.5 M) Fingertip to fingertip width: 7 feet (2.1 M) Weight: 70‐180 lbs (33‐82kg) Life expectancy in the wild: 35‐40 years Life expectancy in captivity: 50‐60 years Diet: Ominvore (eats fruit, flowers, honey, bark, insects, sometimes meat) Favourite fruit: Durian fruit (a foul cheese smelling fruit!) Habitat: Lives only in Borneo and Northern Sumatra Predators: Tiger, Leopard, large pythons and sadly man. Lifestyle: Orang utan are arboreal, which means they spend 90% of the day amongst tree branches. They are solitary animals and only come together to mate. However, the mother’s remain with their young for up to 6‐7 years. The mothers teach the young how to survive in the forest. A female orang utan will generally only give birth every 8 years. They build nests in the trees made out of leaves/branches. When it rains they use large leaves to shelter or have been known to make leaf hats. They generally do not swim, but have been known to cool down in shallow rivers. IQ: Orang utans have the highest IQ out of all the primates. They share 97% genetic make‐up as humans. Stats: 100 years ago there were 315,000 orang utans, today there are around 50,000 (only 7000 of these are left in Sumatra). Endangered species: Due to deforestation and widespread palm oil plantations, plus illegal hunting, the orang utan are losing their homes. If changes are not quickly made they may be extinct by 2012.


26

“we have to do something” how can you make a difference? I was talking to my 6 year old twin sons about the plight of the animals facing extinction risk in Borneo, and they responded by saying, “Mummy, we have to do something”. If children this young believe this is important, then I hope you will consider how you can make a difference. Everyone can make a contribution to help the issues our world is facing today. It doesn’t matter how small that effort might be, what’s important is that we take action today. Not only are regions like Borneo impacting global climate change but their people, animals and plants are battling with a multitude of issues, not least, in some cases, extinction. If you care about these problems, then please consider what small thing you can do to help. Every effort adds up to make a big difference. Please discuss this book with your family and teachers and use some of the links below to help you find out more information. I thank you, and the orang utans and their island will thank you! Sandra Arthur action you can take to help the environment

Unplug items that you are not using. Don’t leave your pc in sleep mode – shut down and turn it off. Switch off lights when you are not in the room Turn down your heating by even just 1 degree Take a shower and not a bath Recycle all your packaging Use stainless water bottles and reduce landfill, help your health and enjoy looking cool and

being green Reuse plastic bags or use your own re‐useable carrier bags when shopping Packed lunches and picnic food ‐ don’t wrap food in plastic film/foil – use lunch boxes Only paper paper/wooden objects that state they are grown in sustainable forests Recycle old mobiles/pc/printers (consider giving older pcs/printers to

schools/hospitals/senior homes etc where they can enjoy giving these items a second life) Use public transport, ride your bike, and walk to help to reduce carbon emissions Use less paper (consider sketching /practice drawing and writing on white boards) Discuss environmental issues with your family, friends, teachers and neighbours. Join Environmental groups and add your voice and efforts to their campaigns Consider raising money via sponsored events to donate to charities. For specific ideas on how to help the Orang utans, link here, or review the various websit

listings below. http://www.orangutans‐sos.org/kids/how_you_can_help/ For more ideas to eliminate waste and how to help the environment check out web sites

such as http://www.myzerowaster.com


27

environmental web links wwf For more information about the current plight of Borneo’s animals visit: World Wildlife Fund: http://www.wwf.org/ WWF is dedicated to protecting the world's wildlife and wild lands. WWF directs its conservation efforts toward three global goals: protecting endangered spaces, saving endangered species, and addressing global threats. Special web pages for kids: http://gowild.wwf.org.uk/ Orang‐utan adoption pack You can adopt Koyah, a young male orang‐utan, who lives in the Segama Forest Reserve in eastern Sabah, Borneo. When you adopt WWF will send you an orang‐utan adoption pack. This includes:

A cuddly toy orang‐utan A fact booklet about orang‐utans A beautiful orang‐utan print A greetings card Three issues of Insight magazine throughout the year with updates about orang‐

utans WWF's tips on reducing everyone's environmental impact

Your money can help WWF work towards: Protecting and restoring the orang‐utan's habitat Setting up patrols to help stop illegal hunting and poaching Working with governments, organisations and local people to help endangered

species Your support will also help fund other essential WWF conservation work around

the world.

For UK addresses http://www.wwf.org.uk/adoption/helpanorang/ or http://support.wwf.org.uk/index.php?page=shop&pid=3 For other locations Tel + 44 1483 426333 to obtain postage rates. In the USA/other international addresses link here: http://www.worldwildlife.org/ogc/species_SKU.cfm?gid=24&sc=AWY1000WC700

http://www.worldwildlife.org/ogc/species_SKU.cfm?gid=24&sc=AWY1000WC700

http://www.wwf.org/

http://gowild.wwf.org.uk/

http://www.wwf.org.uk/adoption/helpanorang/

http://support.wwf.org.uk/index.php?page=shop&pid=3


28

more environmental web links This is not a comprehensive list but it does represent some of the organisations that are working hard to make a difference. Greenpeace: http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ Down to Earth: http://dte.gn.apc.org/ Down to Earth monitors and campaigns on the social and human implications of environmental issues in Indonesia. World Society for the Protection of Animals: http://www.wspainternational.org MONGABAY.COM seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development. EDGE of Existence : http://www.edgeofexistence.org/ is the only global conservation initiative to focus specifically on threatened species that represent a significant amount of unique evolutionary history. GLOBIO (Global Methodology for Mapping Human Impacts on the Biosphere) consortium aims to develop a global model for exploring the impact of environmental change on biodiversity. http://Www.globio.info/region/asia REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. http://www.undp.org/mdtf/unredd/overview.shtml It is a UN program that seeks to generate income for countries that provide sustainable management of forests while also contributing to important reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEPWCMC) is a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme, the world's foremost intergovernmental environmental organization Want to find out more about the plight of the Orang utan? “The Last Stand of the Orangutan” by Rapid Response Team at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring. http://www.unep‐wcmc.org/resources/publications/LastStand.htm

http://www.unep-wcmc.org/resources/publications/LastStand.htm

http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/

http://dte.gn.apc.org/

http://www.wspa-international.org/

http://www.mongabay.com/

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/

http://www.globio.info/region/asia

http://www.undp.org/mdtf/un-redd/overview.shtml

http://www.undp.org/mdtf/un-redd/overview.shtml

http://www.unep.org/


29

support for orang utans

COP ‐ Centre for Orangutan Protection: http://www.orangutanprotection.com/

Borneo Orangutan Survival Project: http://www.savetheorangutan.org/ Supports the rehabilitation centre Nyaru Menteng, founded in 1999 by Lone Dröscher Nielsen‐ BOS aims to protect the orangutan and its rainforest habitat. It runs the largest primate rescue project in the world. Sumatran Orangutan Society: http://www.orangutanssos.org/kids/how_you_can_help/ Their projects in Sumatra operate through the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC). The organization was founded in 2001 in collaboration with a group of dedicated Indonesian conservationists to raise awareness of environmental and orangutan conservation issues amongst local communities living in North Sumatra and Aceh. forest protection

Rainforest Rescue: http://www.rainforestrescue.org

Palm Oil Action Group: http://www.palmoilaction.org

video links BOS– Borneo Orang utan survival – essential viewing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxioapZ1nww&feature=channel BOS orangutans at the Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Project. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af1rWmHNetA Orangutan orphan stories ‐ Apes in Danger ‐ BBC wildlife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_KrUHcXrrc&feature=PlayList&p=12C57A4DC517DEA2&index=1 Orang Utan diary video clips http://www.ovguide.com/tv/orangutan_diary.htm

http://www.ovguide.com/tv/orangutan_diary.htm

http://www.orangutans.com.au/

http://www.savetheorangutan.org/

http://www.theburningseasonmovie.com/characters/lone-droscher-nielsen/p/134

http://www.orangutanssos.org/kids/how_you_can_help/

http://www.orangutancentre.org/

http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/

http://www.palmoilaction.org.au/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxioapZ1nww&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af1rWmHNetA


30

acknowledgements Facts and stats from – WWF Helicopter and Borneo image photography: Ronald Chidgey Other photography: Sandra (Chidgey)Arthur References: Tattoo legend paraphrasing from: Diary of F.

Witti, Esq., During an Excursion in North Borneo from Maruda Bay to Papar ‐ F. Witti (written in 1880 ‐ never published).

Image of Walking Orang utan

Source: Illustrierter Leitfaden der Naturgeschichte des Thierreiches, 1876

Originator: T. F. Zimmermann Image of Orang Utan face sketch

Source: Brehms Tierleben, Small Edition 1927 Originator: Gustav Mützel (The above two images are in the public domain because

their copyright has expired.) Borneo Map from http://maps.grida.no


31

Orang utans are losing their natural habitat due to logging, new oil palm plantations, mining and forest fires. Some UN scientists believe that this could lead to the extinction of the species by the

year 2012.

please take action to help them.

thank you 2007 Copyright Sandra S C Arthur


32

For children under 7, you may enjoy reading the “Radio Ron’s Postcards from Borneo” series. Titles currently available (email [email protected] for more details)

Orang utan’s to the Rescue

Crocodile Attack

. The world must learn to respect our planet ‐ support conservation and intelligently use resources.

mailto:[email protected]

corporal ron’s borneo jungle adventures · 2010. 10. 19. · a long time ago, far away, on my...

Documents