Environments and People - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 50

Since international focus is usually on tropical re-
gions, other climes are often ignored or forgotten.
Think about this: Half of Japan' s native mammals are in
danger of being eliminated across the archipelago. T Two
kinds of wolf and three types of bat are now extinct. An-
other 22 species, including the Japanese river otter,
have not been seen in the wild for a decade. More than
2,000 species of terrestrial vertebrates live in China.
Many are at risk. Endemic species such as the lesser and
giant panda, the golden monkey , and the Yangzi alliga-
tor are seriously endangered. Przewalski' s horse, the
Earth' s last truly wild horse, has not been seen in the
wild since 1966.
The diverse environments of South Asia provide
habitats for a plethora of animals, birds, and other liv-
ing things. However, Asian elephants, one-horned rhi-
noceros, sloth bear, and other species have sharply
reduced populations (Figure 2-19). This is attributa-
ble to human pressure for land, modification or de-
struction of habitats, and poaching. Asian lions, once
widespread and avidly sought by hunters, are now
confined to India' s Gir National Park in the western
state of Gujarat.
Some Indian wildlife have adapted to living in
human settlements. Bats, birds, mongooses, and monkeys
subsist on the refuse produced by the inhabitants of
cities, towns, and villages. The common langur and rhe-
sus macaque are the most prominent, especially around
temples. Here they can feed off food offerings and neither
Hindus nor Buddhists will harm them.
Indonesia is the most mammal-rich, with close to
700 species of higher vertebrates, but it has more
threatened species of mammals and birds than any
other country . Nevertheless, in its forests can be found
wildlife inhabiting every layer: from proboscis mon-
keys (Figure 2-20), gibbons, orangutans, flying foxes
(bats), gliding snakes, and frogs in the canopy; to tree
kangaroos and other arboreals of the understory; to
clouded leopards, tigers, and other cats of the lower
understory and floor; to tapirs, rhinos, and wild pigs,
foraging on the floor. Birds and insects are in countless
varieties throughout. Unfortunately , many of these
species are disappearing as forests are cut down. In-
creasing numbers of individuals and groups are ex-
ploiting forest habitats for commercial gain (Figure2-20).
Logging and plantation agriculture (e.g., palm oil) are
the two major contributors to forest destruction and
resultant loss of wildlife habitats.
Table 2-2 shows that the numbers and percentages
of endangered and vulnerable species in Asia continue

Figure 2-19
I spotted this elephant getting a drink of water in Kerala state
in southern India. The elephant had just completed a day' s work
hauling logs in the forests of the W estern Ghats. Elephants, as
work animals, are rapidly being replaced by vehicles that are
responsible for much greater environmental damage and pollution.
Photograph courtesy of B. A. Weightman.

to rise. The International Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) is the world' is most comprehensive
inventory of the conservation status of plant and ani-
mals. A threatened species is likely to become vulner-
able or endangered if actions are not taken. A species
that is vulnerable is likely to become endangered, and
if it is endangered, it is likely to become extinct. Some
species have reached the critical stage where they are
almost extinct. Note that this list does not include
threatened birds and fish of which there are many
hundreds.