KOTA KINABALU: A rising demand for banteng meat in Peninsular Malaysia has resulted in more cases of poaching involving the endangered animal, said Sabah Forestry Department director Sam Mannan.

Sam, who is also known as the chief forest conservator, said that a senior plantation manager in the east coast of Sabah had been identified as a suspect behind recent killings of three banteng last month.

The department, he said, was currently probing the matter and hoped that the suspect could give them more information.

He said the suspect was identified through photographs of him posing with a carcass of the banteng, which is a species of wild cattle.

“The investigation is narrowing down to a few more suspects within the plantation industry,” he told FMT.

He said the investigation has led them to believe that the meat was not meant for own consumption but to meet an increasing demand for exotic meat from Peninsular Malaysia.

Sam said there were about 500 banteng left in Sabah, mostly on the east coast.

“There is one group in the west coast but many are on the east coast, within the Heart of Borneo (HoB),” he said.

HoB refers to the main part of the Borneo island where forests remain intact. The forest extends into Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The banteng in Sabah are smaller and have steep horns. They are hunted for their meat and as hunting trophies.

In the past few years, there have been reports of hybrid banteng, a product of interbreeding with domestic cattle.

Such interbreeding is bad news to conservationists who prefer the banteng to retain their unique characteristics and qualities.

The banteng is the second most endangered animal in Sabah after the rhinos and the Wildlife Department has classified it as a totally protected animal.

Last year, a proposal was mooted to have the state government provide land for banteng farming as the last resort to support the banteng population.

At one time, there were as many as 100,000 banteng in Sabah.

“I think the suggestion to start banteng farming merits consideration,” said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun.

He, however, could not comment further on the latest banteng poaching as he had yet to receive the details of the killings.

Malaysian wildlife trade hampering conservation efforts

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/08/27/protect-the-rusa-or-lose-it-forever/