Sabah's iconic banteng staring at extinction, says WWF Malaysia

Sabah's iconic banteng facing extinction - pix courtesy of WWF Malaysia.

KOTA KINABALU: Conservationists are raising the alarm so that urgent steps are taken to save the Borneo bantengs (wild cattles).

WWF Malaysia said that there were an estimated 326 banteng left in Sabah that would disappear if no efforts were made.

It added that while the banteng is among Sabah's iconic endangered species, it has gained little attention compared to orangutans, Sunda clouded leopards, Sunda pangolins and Borneo pygmy elephants for conservation.

"Bantengs are forgotten - mostly left to their own devices in the face of multiple threats against their survival. This is the plight of the Bornean banteng - almost at the brink of extinction yet no one is talking about it," the WWF said in a statement issued here Wednesday (Mar 2).

The conservation body noted that there was no solid figure for what the actual number of banteng there were left as very few extensive surveys have been conducted on them.

"But what experts know for sure is that, if conservation measures are not heightened, it is highly likely that the banteng - the most critically endangered large Pleistocene mammal species in the world - will be the next species to go into extinct," the statement said.

WWF said that efforts were underway to bring back the banteng through the Bornean Banteng Action Plan 2019-2028 that was being carried out by the Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department, WWF-Malaysia, together with Bringing Back our Rare Animals (BORA).

They had taken up the task of actively developing and maintaining pastures within the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, where the largest known Bornean banteng population in Sabah could be found.

However, this population only had 52 individuals, said the WWF.

WWF urged the public to report illegal hunting and sales of wildlife meat to the Sabah Wildlife Department, and to not consume its meat in efforts to save the iconic cattle.

The Bornean banteng is classified as "Endangered" under the IUCN Red List. The banteng is also listed under Schedule 1 in the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 - affording it full protection.

"This year’s World Wildlife Day theme is 'Recovering Key Species for Ecosystem Restoration' - a theme that is apt for the Bornean banteng," said the WWF.

"This World Wildlife Day, let us shine the spotlight on the Bornean banteng for a moment and celebrate this elusive species," it added.