New Sunday Times, Malaysia : Milky storks facing extinction in Malaysia

Source : New Sunday Times, Malaysia, 25 Sep '05
By : NST

Milky storks facing extinction in Malaysia

The milky storks (Mycteria cinerea), numbering only 10 in the country now, are facing extinction, according to the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).

The 10 wild storks are at the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve in Perak.



	Dwindling Numbers : Depletion of mangroves htting Milky Storks

MNS scientific officer (Ornithology) Yeap Chin Aik said human disturbance of nesting colonies, mangrove habitat loss and poaching had caused the number of these storks to dwindle.

"It would be no surprise if the milky stork is extinct in Malaysia in the next five years," he said at the Bird-Watching seminar at Kolej Ugama Sultan Zainal Abidin today.

He said MNS together with Zoo Negara and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had started a breeding programme at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park.

"We released four milky storks last year and are monitoring their movements. However, releasing these birds will not do any good if our mangrove forests on the west coast are not protected."

Yeap said Malaysia was among Asian countries with the highest number of bird species at risk of extinction.

"Of the 742 bird species, three are considered critically endangered, four endangered and 33 are vulnerable."