Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhinoceros, Tam, has died — a serious blow for the critically endangered species, which is already extinct in the country. One female in Malaysia and about 80 in Indonesia are all that remain of the species.

Discovered poking around an oil palm plantation in 2008, Tam was captured and transferred to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the state of Sabah. Tam was estimated to have been in his thirties, and these animals only have a life expectancy of 35 to 40 years.

Due to decades of habitat loss and poaching, fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos are thought to exist in the wild, most on the nearby island of Sumatra. The rest are scattered across Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo.

Fewer than a hundred remain in Indonesia, in isolated pockets.

Sumatran rhinos are solitary creatures.

Spider monkeys

The imperfect

They were named spider monkeys because they look like spiders as they hang upside down from their tails with their arms and legs dangling.

Their genus name is Ateles, which means “imperfect.” This refers to the fact that they don’t have thumbs.

Fifth limb

Spider monkeys have long, thin arms with hook-like hands that allow them to swing through the trees. They do not have opposable thumbs. They have a prehensile tail, which means it can grasp and be used like a fifth limb. They can also let go with their arms and hang by their tail as they play and wrestle high up in the trees.

Endangered

Spider monkeys live

in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America and occur as far north as Mexico. Indigenous peoples often hunt them for food, and the animals are usually agitated by human contact. Logging and deforestation continue to shrink their habitats, leading to the species becoming endangered.

Feasting in the trees

During the day, the spider monkey searches for food in the treetops and feast on nuts, fruits, leaves, bird eggs and spiders. They will also eat flowers, seeds, bark, leaves and small insects during the dry season when fruit isn’t available.

Noisy little brats

They can be noisy animals and often communicate with many calls, screeches, barks, and other sounds. The brown-headed spider monkey lives in a large community of about 20 to 100 male and female monkeys. They split into smaller groups for feeding.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 1st, 2019