At least 361 new species, including what is thought to be the world’s largest cockroach and 30 freshwater fish, have been discovered in Borneo in the last decade and thousands more are probably waiting to be identified, according to a report published yesterday by the WWF.
But many of these are under threat from illegal logging, the study warns.
WWF is calling for support for a multinational project to protect one of the largest remaining areas of undamaged virgin forest.
WWF says 260 insects, 50 plants, 30 freshwater fish, seven frogs, six lizards, five crabs, two snakes and a toad were discovered from 1994 to 2004.
”However, the published figures are most likely a gross underestimate, as twice as many species may currently be awaiting notoriety through future publications,” the report adds.
Among those newly identified is a 10cm-long cockroach, discovered last year in a cave in the eastern Sangkulirang peninsula of east Kalimantan, the Indonesian section of Borneo.
”Given that cockroaches are one of the oldest existing insect species, the discovery of such a ”giant” is the entomologist’s equivalent of finding a live Tyrannosaurus rex,” the report says.
Two other highlights were the discovery in 2000 that the Borneo orangutan is a different species from its Sumatran counterpart and that the Borneo pygmy elephant is a separate sub-species indigenous to the island. It had previously been thought that the British introduced elephants into Borneo from India 350 years ago.
Amalia Firman, from Conservation International, one of WWF’s partners, said: ”It’s clear there still needs to be a lot more research done into new species on Borneo.”
To protect this biological treasure trove, WWF, CI, the Nature Conservancy and several other environmental groups have joined forces with Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, the three countries which share the island, to create the Heart of Borneo, 220 000 square kilometre of untouched mainly upland forest.
”This is an area that is still in its natural state and is ecologically connected,” said Nita Murjani of WWF. ”It already has several protected areas and we are trying to package the projects into something more integrated.”
The Heart of Borneo contains the watersheds of many of the island’s major rivers. ”If these were to go then the whole island would be devastated,” she said.
The three nations held their first working-level meeting this month and officials are expected to start implementing the vision immediately, Nita said.
The forces ranged against them are enormous. Deforestation in Indonesia is proceeding, according to conservative estimates, at a rate of six football pitches per minute and most of that is being done illegally.
Protected areas are just as at risk as anywhere else, according to Sam Lawson of the Environmental Investigation Agency. ”We have got evidence of widespread and anarchic illegal logging in national parks in both Kalimantan and Sarawak,” he said. Sarawak is one of the two Malaysian states in Borneo.
Mr Lawson said the fact that the Heart of Borneo is in mountainous areas means it is not at immediate risk. ”But unless the governments rein in the illegal loggers and consumers stop buying the product, illegal loggers will get to these places too.” — Guardian Unlimited Â