The highly biodiverse island Borneo forms one of the largest remaining intact forests of Southeast Asia. Also, the world’s third largest island, Borneo is a stronghold for various charismatic and endangered megafauna species, including orangutans, clouded leopards, elephants, proboscis monkeys and sunbear.
Unfortunately, the rainforests of south-east Asia, and in particular Borneo, are under immense pressure. Around 85% of the world’s palm oil and half of the annual global tropical timber is sourced from the Borneon Rainforest, leading to rampant deforestation. Concerningly, the highly destructive “slash and burn” method is utilized extensively by corporations to clear rainforests and peatlands for palm oil plantations. This leads to uncontrollable forest fires, which not only threaten the region’s rich biodiversity but the health of millions of people in the region.
In this episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, I interview Dr. Susan Cheyne to discuss in depth the conservation of Borneo’s mammals. Since 1997, Susan has conducted extensive research on the region’s biodiversity, with a particular interest in gibbons and clouded leopards. She is also the co-director of Borneo Nature Foundation International, which is spearheading the conservation of the world’s third-largest rainforest.
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