All Creatures Great and Small #75 Betta Hendra The critically endangered Betta hendra, endemic to Borneo’s peat swamp forests, faces severe threats from habitat loss and overharvesting. This study marks the first successful captive breeding of B. hendra, offering key insights for conservation. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70186 New Species Recent collections from Kapit,
The First Two Rulers of Santubong Santubong is a port where boats put in to replace their palm frond sails, collect water, and repair boats for the next leg in their voyage to China from the west coast of Sumatra. It is located in the western part of Borneo. They
The following is taken from an essay written in a prison camp at Lintang in April of 1944 and was published in a journal called “Adversity”. The manuscript was written on “Sun Wah Tobacco Company” wrappers with a pencil stubs. The author is unknown. According to Dr Jerry Drawhorn, the
The Methodists and the Americans of the Rajang River, Sarawak I was really surprised to learn that the Foo Chow colony along the Rajang River was financed by American Methodist Churches from across the USA. This support lasted from 1903 until the Japanese invasion. In 1890, two Methodist missionaries, Dr
All Creatures Great and Small # 74 New Species A new species of leech has been made known to science. The flathead lobster leach was found in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. http://dx.doi.org/10.11594/jtls.15.01.12 Yellow Muntjac Chapter 31 in the book, Deer of the World: Ecology, Conservation and Management, covers the biology and
Abu Sayyaf Terror part 2 We continue with our chronology of the deeds of the Abu Sayyaf Organisation from part one. KFR=Kidnap for Ransom In 2015, only one KFR incident was recorded in Sabah on May 14, 2015. This incident marked a shift in the kidnappers’ strategy, as previous incidents
Abu Sayyaf Group and Violence in Sabah 2000-2023 Although the Abu Sayyaf group has faded into history, in the over twenty years they were active, they seem to pop up and then die out only to reemerge into another act of terror. This two-part series gives a chronology of their
The Mysteries of Pulau Lakier We took a trip back to Pulau Lakier a few days ago. We had visited five years ago just before the pandemic. Pulau Lakier is an island located behind Santubong. To get there, go to the docks that take people to Bako National Park and
This essay was hard to figure out because of all the scientific terms involved. I have changed those terms to regular English so everyone can read it. I have also extracted those portions that relate to Borneo. We begin with portions of Pangea, the continent where every land mass was
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an essay about metal in Santubong. I wasn’t satisfied with it. My first question is how did the iron get into the soil. The answer is long and complicated worthy of a geo chemist and has to do with slate, soil, water and
Extreme Rainfall Forecast The results of this study showed that Borneo is expected to face a high-likelihood increase in extreme rainfall frequency within the central mountainous region experiencing the highest rise. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2025.103959 Chinese Malay Mixed Marriages The findings revealed that Chinese Muslim converts in Sarawak tended to preserve a stronger
Here is part two of the two-part series on the slaves of Borneo. It was enjoyable researching and expanding our knowledge of this great island. Although most of the slave traders came from the Sulu area the ramifications were felt all across the archipelago. Some of the information are behind