ALOR GAJAH: A Sunda flying lemur, better known as a “kubong,” was rescued after the animal got entangled in a barbed wire fence at Kampung Taboh Naning here.
The Melaka Civil Defence Force (APM) rescued the creature after getting a call on Saturday.
Initially mistaken for a bat, the wild animal was found with injuries, Alor Gajah APM chief Kapt (PA) Shahrulnizam Mad Shah said yesterday.
Shahrulnizam said three APM members took about 10 minutes to free the animal.
“It was quite aggressive during the rescue process,” he added.
Shahrulnizam said it was the first time his men had rescued such an animal, which was handed over to the Melaka Wildlife and National Parks Department.
The Sunda flying lemur (galeopterus variegatus), also called Malayan flying lemur, is native to South-East Asia.
Despite its name, it is unable to fly and only glides among trees and is strictly arboreal. The forest-dependent mammal is active at night and feeds on soft plant parts such as young leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits.
