Proboscis Monkey: Diseases & Conservation

Dear Members and friends,

You are invited to a public awareness Talk.

Title:         Proboscis Monkey:Diseases & Conservation

Speaker:    Dr Chong Yee Ling

Date:        Thursday 29 March 2018

Time:        7.30-9.00pm

Venue:      Islamic Information Centre (Lower Baruk)

                 Jalan Ong Tiang Swee (behind Swinburne University)

Registration:  MNSKB Members and friends, please register with Secretariat at mnskuching@gmail.com

Cost:    Free Admission

            Please bring your friends to this interesting talk.

Talk on Proboscis Monkey:  Diseases & Conservation

Speaker

Dr Yee Ling Chong has a background in molecular ecology of RNA viruses and bacteria. Her general research focuses on animal disease ecology. She is conducting multi-disciplinary research on microparasites (viruses and bacteria) and macroparasites of wild and urban animals including primates, rodents, birds, fishes and pest insects.

 Summary of Talk

Proboscis monkey (Nasalislarvatus)is an endemic species found in Borneo and is currently considered as an endangered species under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is a highly selective feeder and its diets consists of fruits and leaves from over 90 species of plants. The habitats of the proboscis monkey are often associated with waterway, either the coastal or riparian-riverine ecosystem, which include the mangrove forests, riverine forests, beach forests, peat swamp forests and mixed dipterocarp forests.

Proboscis monkeys are constantly facing conservation threats, mainly habitat loss due to activities, such as fish or shrimp farm cultivation, logging and town developments. The current endangered status of proboscis monkey and its susceptibility to microbial infection has brought forward the need  to gain an  insight into the enteric microbiome of this monkey.

 This talk will highlight the diet and feeding habitats of proboscis monkeys, their common diseases and enteric microflora, associated with a variety of bacteria and viruses, some of which have known or suspected zoonotic potentials. The understanding of the enteric microflora of proboscis monkeys is imperative to expedite future disease diagnosis and outbreak monitoring for the conservation of this endangered species.

Regards,

Cynthia Lobato

MNS Secretariat

Trash2Gather clean-up event at Kampong Buntal

Dear nature lovers,

As the rainy season is slowly coming to an end, it is time for another Trash2Gather clean-up event. This time the chosen site is Kampong Buntal, located on the Santubong Peninsula at the Bako-Buntal-Bay. We would like to call volunteers and members of Malaysian Nature Society to show your commitment to protect our natural resources and support the Trash2Gather project. Support can be cash donations, cleaning materials and tools, or volunteering hands-on during the clean-up event.

Here are the details for the coming clean-up event:

Program Name:        Trash2Gather

Date:                      10^th March, 2018

Venue:                    Kampong Buntal

Number of Pax:        Estimated 200 pax

For further details please see the info sheet attached. If you would like to volunteer hands-on during the clean-up event, you are required to register by filling in the registration form attached or register online at https://goo.gl/forms/NflcBTQL7vR7WMoH2.

For those of you who are not yet familiar with the vision and mission of Trash2Gather , please find our statement as follows:

Vision:

Trash2Gather is a project under Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) with the vision to reduce the amount of rubbish present in our estuarine waterways in South Western Sarawak within a period of 5 years.

Mission:

The project aims to mobilize between 700 – 1500 community members and volunteers to clean beaches and estuarine areas by 2022.

Besides the cleaning of beaches and estuarine areas, other activities such as talks and campaigns will create awareness about the amount of rubbish present in our estuarine waterways and the consequences of such pollution among the communities and the general public.

Ultimately the project also targets to reduce the amount of rubbish produced through the 5Rs: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Refuse – Repair.

Strategies:

v  Organize regularly repeating clean-up events in selected areas to reduce the current state of pollution

v  Collaborate with issue-related organizations and government departments to find long-term solutions to rubbish collection problems in selected areas

v  Promote the 5 R’s (Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Refuse – Repair) by demonstrating examples and encouragement through incentives

v  Monitor developments and provide feedback

If you are interested to donate or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Trash2Gather@gmail.com or call our project facilitator  Nicki Neuner (+6011 12308849) or Rose Au (+60168909468).

Thanks & regards from the Trash2Gather team!

Love Life Love Nature