Asia

Meet the South East Asia team »

South East Asia is one of the most biodiversity rich regions of the world, but also one of the most threatened. The region’s rainforests, mangroves and coral reefs house thousands of species found nowhere else. However, almost all nations within the region are heavily dependent on the direct harvesting of natural products often for the global market.  IUCN has identified that SE Asian mammals are amongst the most threatened groups in the world.

South East Asia typically refers to the countries that lie between China and Australia. However for Durrell we have extended this west to include the parts of the Indian sub-continent containing the rich alluvial grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas. Including large continental areas and thousands of islands, the region is one of the tropical biodiversity centres of the world, containing 4 of the 17 ‘megadiverse’ countries. The rainforests of South-East Asia contain more than 25,000 species of flowering plants, equivalent to about 10 per cent of the flora of the world. Almost all nations in the region are heavily dependent on direct harvesting of natural products.

The Sundaland region includes the moist tropical lowland and montane forests of the Thai-Malay peninsula and the Greater Sunda Islands. The area, with its numerous islands, of differing origins and histories of human impact harbour vast numbers of endemic species. Sumatra and Borneo, the largest land masses in the region are home to the two species of orangutans.  Of particular biological interest are the Mentawai Islands, a group of about 70 islands, off the western coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The major islands are Siberut, Sipura, Pagai Utara (North Pagai), and Pagai Selatan (South Pagai), are covered with forest and their long geographic isolation has resulted in numerous endemic mammal species, including four primates. There are seventeen endemic mammal species, which on a per-unit area ranks it with Madagascar in endemic mammal species, notably primates. Of the four endemic primate species, these forests have the world's only exclusively monogamous leaf-monkey, the Mentawai leaf-monkey.

The Indo-West Pacific is the key area for shallow water marine biodiversity. Coastal habitat loss and degradation, combined with increased sediment, nutrient and pollutant discharge into coastal areas, is a major cause of concern particularly for the insular countries of the region. The rates of loss of coral reef and mangrove habitats in this region are amongst the highest in the world. There are estimates that suggest that as much as 70 per cent of the major vegetation types in the Indo-Malayan realm have been lost, with a possible associated loss of up to 15 per cent of terrestrial species. Overall habitat losses have been most acute in the countries of the Indian sub-continent, the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam and Thailand.

High population pressures throughout the region, have contributed to substantial habitat and species loss. Additionally, many Asian countries have entered a period of sustained spectacular economic growth in the past few years, resulting in the increased consumption of natural resources. Despite increasing threats to biodiversity only a few countries have designated more than 15 per cent of their land area as protected areas.

Sumatran Orangutan conservation

Durrell is a long term supporter of efforts to better understand and protect the Critically Endangered Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) through the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP). The conservation work of SOCP is led by former Durrell staff member Dr Ian Singleton and several of his team have come to the wildlife park in Jersey for training of different aspects of husbandry care with our Sumatran orangutans and to take part in our training courses. Having built two research camps in the Batang Toru forest block, the team are studying the orangutans, their use of the forest and the other species that share the forest with them. Given the widespread pressures on the forests, a large portion of SOCP’s work is with national, regional and local authorities to ensure adequate protection and management is given to the forests and their natural resources.

The pygmy hog

Most of Durrell’s direct involvement in the conservation of species and habitats in the region has been through the efforts to protect the pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) in Assam (north east India) from extinction.  This smallest of the hog family, is only found in one location in India, Manas National Park. It is a strict endemic of the tall terai grassland habitats found south of the Indian Himalayas. These are some of the most biodiversity rich areas in India and holds important populations of large mammals such as tiger and one-horned rhinoceros.

Durrell has been associated with the species for over 40 years. We formed a collaboration with IUCN Specialist Group for pigs and peccaries and the Assam Forest Department (AFD) to start a breeding programme in Assam. More recently through UK Government Darwin Initiative project, we have focussed on improving the conservation status of the pygmy hog, and enhance habitat management practices of tall grasslands in Manas National Park and expand the species’ distribution by establishing new populations with local captive-bred hogs in a former range area, the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Nameri National Park. Reintroductions began 2008 and so far there have been three separate releases with a total of 35 hogs being released back into the wild.