February 19, 2003

Those species are being protected under the country's wildlife protection Acts-1978 and are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora - CITES.

Among those protected animals is dugong or duyong, a sea mammal considered as fish by some people. The number of dugong, often used to be found in Muara waters, is on the decrease.

Another endangered species is the green turtle or edible turtle. It is one of the three species of turtle that breed on beaches in Brunei. Its body is covered with hard carapace shell and has front and back flippers, which enable it to swim.

The reptile is active during night time. The difference between a turtle and a tortoise is that the turtle spends most of its time in the sea.

Rhinoceros or the badak sumbu is one of the wildlife species included in the general provision for the protection of wildlife. This species is the smallest among the five found in the world. This type of rhinoceros exists in the jungle of Borneo island, West Malaysia and Sumatra.

Among the protected birds are the white-bellied sea eagle and stork-billed kingfisher (burung raja udang). The white-bellied sea eagle can easily be recognised through the white colour at the head and chest. It always can be seen along the coastlines and riverbanks.

Meanwhile, the stork-billed kingfisher is the biggest bird in the mantis bird generation. It has a red big beak. The bird stays at the seaside and is usually seen at riverbanks and fishpond.

The law stipulates a person could face imprisonment for one year and a $2,000 fine if he or she is found guilty of exporting any protected animals or their parts.

As part of the Brunei CITES Management Authority awareness programme on the endangered species and measures taken to protect them, a drawing contest was held yesterday morning.

The venue was the Dato Mohamad Yassin Primary School in Kampong Perpindahan Mentiri.

The main purpose of the contest was to give more information and better understanding to the public specially the young on the endangered species and the importance of protecting them from being extinct.

Selected drawings swill be displayed at the CITES and Pilong-Pilongan exhibition to be held on March 3 at the Brunei International Airport.