Normally, I don’t bother getting into “environmental problems,” much less blogging about it, but a nerve has been struck. This time, it's far too close to home.
In the picture below, you’ll see a picture of our planet, as seen from a satellite. Smack in the center, covered by a big grey blur, is where Indonesia should be.
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| Indonesian Fires seen by Satellite. Source: NASA |
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Hidden beneath a veil of smoke --so vast, it can be captured on camera from over a million miles away -- 100,000 fires blaze across the largest islands of this Archipelago Nation.
Why? Deforestation to increase Palm Oil Production. Over 50% of the world's palm oil is produced in Indonesia. But why stop there when there's plenty of land to spare?
This happens every year, but 2015 seems to be the worst one yet. Smoke from the fires has spread across the neighboring countries of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, and even as far as The Philippines and Micronesia. The haze has caused schools to close, flights to be cancelled, and thousands to seek medical care for respiratory issues.
Yet, Indonesia prefers to evacuate entire areas, rather than deal with the heart of the problem.
Aside from the usual culprits of Sumatra and Kalimantan, Papua -- the second largest island in the world -- is now joining the Club. And this is one of the main reasons I am writing about this.
Although Papua may be a massive island, it makes up less than 1% of the world’s land area. Yet, it is home to over 5,000 different species of animals, many of which are endemic to the island. Meaning, they do not exist anywhere else in the world.
Many of these forests are protected areas, though that status has arbitrarily been lifted in order to reach the ever rising goals of palm oil production.
In the words of a Native American proverb, "Only when the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, will you realize that you cannot eat money."
Below are just a few of Papua's strange and spectacular species of animals and plants, whose only home in the world is being destroyed.
Tree Climbing Kangaroos
Ever heard of kangaroos that can climb trees? Now you have. There are 12 species of Tree Kangaroos in the world, 9 of which are endemic to the island of Papua New Guinea. Tree climbing kangaroos are an endangered species, threatened by habitat loss.
1. The Huon Tree Kangaroo
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| Baby Huon Tree Kangaroo. Source. |
2. The Tenkile Tree Kangaroo
3. Lowland Tree Kangaroo
Birds of Paradise
Renowned for their unique and exotic beauty, 38 of the 41 species of Birds of Paradise in the world are found only in Papua. Birds of Paradise are endangered species, threatened by habitat loss.
4. Ribbon Tailed Astrapia
5. Six Wired Bop
6. Blue Bird of Paradise
7. Lesser Bird of Paradise
8. Raggiana Bird of Paradise
Echidnas
Echidna belong to the order of monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. The order is shared by four species of Echidna, and the better known Platypus.
Echidnas once roamed Australia and Papua New Guinea, but none have been seen alive in Australia in several years, making them now endemic to Papua.
9. Short Beaked Echidna
10. Long Beaked Echidna
Crowned Pigeons
Not only do they look way too awesome to be pigeons, these pigeons are the largest species of pigeons in the world.
11. Southern Crowned Pigeon
12. Western Crowned Pigeon
More World Records
13. Bismarck Flying Fox
This species of Megabat is among the largest bats in the world.
14. Queen Alexandra's Bird Wing
With a wingspan of over 25cm, it is the largest Butterfly in the World.
15. Red Breasted Pygmy Parrot
Measuring just 8cm in length, it is the smallest Parrot in the World.
15. Dwarf Cassowary
This wingless Bird is the world’s smallest Cassowary. Two of the three species of Cassowary are endemic to Papua.
16. Araucaria Trees
Not an animal, I know. These are the world’s tallest tropical trees. First evolved in the Mesozoic Age, these living fossils were once a favorite food source for the giant Sauropods.
Other Creatures
17. Papuan Forest-Wallaby
This tiny marsupial is endemic to Papua, and threatened by habitat loss.
18. Bronze Quoll
Not much is known about this nocturnal predator, except that it is a near threatened species, with a remaining population of just a few thousand.
19. Tate’s Triok
This little possum.
These represent barely a fraction of Papua's abundant and diverse wildlife.
Fires can be extinguished, but extinct species can never be reborn.
A self-proclaimed Crypto-anthropologist with a personal interest in ancient intelligent civilizations, underwater archaeology, and the truth that lies behind the legend. I write about a combination of fact, fantasy, and my own personal theories. Why? Because I can.
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