The first 3 days at Malua were work days. Last night we went on a night drive to look for pygmy elephants. We heard and saw several of the elephants, which are unique to Borneo. A World Wildlife Federation study found that the pygmy elephants are genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, thereby recognizing it as a subspecies. The elephants are living in the Malua area, because they feed off the fruit trees, especially figs, that grow in the secondary forests. They're beautiful animals, about the size of horses (fatter!), with long droopy ears, and it was surreal standing in the back of the Land Rover in the darkness, seeing them in their natural habitat.
Last night we also drove down a new logging road and saw the devastating effects of the "sustainable logging" going on in Malua. Downed trees everywhere, waiting to be hauled away. To think the dipterocarps only produce seeds every 10 years, and the seedlings remain dormant on the canopy floor until there is a gap in the canopy so they can begin growing. It takes many decades for the trees to grow to the heights they are when they're logged. The hardwood is precious and valuable and is an income source for Malaysia. The good news is that the government is working with scientists to develop sustainable logging techniques, and the industry is currently heavily regulated.
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