To lure swiftlets, whose saliva-built nests fetch high prices in China, people in Borneo compete to build them the most luxurious accommodations: safe, clean, dark and with pools for bathing.
Tag: Borneo (Indonesia)
A Plant That Flowers Underground Is New to Science, but Not to Borneo
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, hailed pinanga subterranea, a palm native to the island, as a discovery, but it has long been known to local Indigenous people.
Fleeting Glimpses of Indonesia’s Endangered Orangutans
On the island of Sumatra, a devoted group of conservationists is grasping for a solution that will benefit both the animals and the people who live around them.
Indonesia Plane Crash Shakes Small Fishing Village
A sleepy island has become a base for the aircraft search and recovery operation after Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 fell from the sky. “I’m lucky it didn’t hit me,” said one fisherman.
Coronavirus Puts Captive Orangutans’ Return to the Wild on Hold
If one ape in the forest is infected, a whole population could be wiped out, experts say. So orangutans in Indonesia’s rehabilitation centers are staying where they are.
A Lake With Stingless Jellyfish and Hints of Hotter Seas
For divers, the millions of harmless jellyfish in an Indonesian lake are must-see novelties. For scientists, the warmer, more acidic and less oxygenated water is “a projection of our future climate.”
As Amazon Smolders, Indonesia Fires Choke the Other Side of the World
Thousands of fires, most of them set to clear land for plantations that make palm oil, created thick clouds of smoke that disrupted air travel and sickened people.
One Casualty of the Palm Oil Industry: An Orangutan Mother, Shot 74 Times
Indonesia has promised to stop clearing jungle for plantations. So why are endangered apes still on the front lines of the conservation battle?
Feature: Palm Oil Was Supposed to Help Save the Planet. Instead It Unleashed a Catastrophe.
A decade ago, the U.S. mandated the use of vegetable oil in biofuels, leading to industrial-scale deforestation — and a huge spike in carbon emissions.
Matter: In Cave in Borneo Jungle, Scientists Find Oldest Figurative Painting in the World
A cave drawing in Borneo is at least 40,000 years old, raising intriguing questions about creativity in ancient societies.