Earth Matters

Gibbons are known for their beautiful calls and their ability to swing effortlessly through the forest canopy. But some of these animals are ending up in a very different environment: inside suitcases, being smuggled through international airports. A new analysis by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia has documented at least 86 gibbons intercepted in 33 international smuggling incidents over 32 months. Malaysia features prominently in the findings, with Kuala Lumpur International Airport linked to the highest number of incidents. So, what is happening to these animals, why are they being trafficked, and what can be done to stop this trade? Joining us to discuss the findings of their research, Canopy to Cabin: Southeast Asia's Gibbon Smuggling by Air, are Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, and Sandra Wong Jye Wen, Data and Research Officer at TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, both co-authors of the analysis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're heading towards COP31, the annual United Nations climate conference where governments from around the world come together to negotiate and make decisions on how to tackle climate change and the climate crisis. This year's meeting takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, and there's plenty at stake, from climate finance and the transition away from fossil fuels to the support needed by countries already dealing with the effects of climate change. So, what should we be looking out for, particularly from the perspective of the Global South? To explore this and more, we speak to Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Deputy Executive Director of the Third World Network.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congo might seem a long way from Malaysia, but the two are connected in ways we don't always think about. The minerals extracted from Congolese soil help power technologies used around the world, while here at home, communities are asking what happens when development puts pressure on their land, livelihoods and environment. These aren't just questions about where we get our resources from. They're also about who benefits from development, whose voices are heard, and what progress should look like in the first place. To explore these connections, we're joined by filmmaker, educator and ancestral ecologist Petna Ndaliko Katondolo, and director of Deep Cobalt, and also Maurice Carney, co-founder and Executive Director of Friends of the Congo. We'll look at what Congo can tell us about the choices we're making here in Malaysia, and the lessons we might find in Indigenous relationships with the natural world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do trees, butterflies, spiders and forgotten food traditions have in common? They’re all part of the books that have shaped Bilqis Hijjas’s relationship with the natural world. The Director of Rimbun Dahan and committee member of the Biji Alam Awards, Bilqis joins us and co-host Dylan Jefri Ong (co-founder, Sunda Shelves) to explore how books can help us discover the wildlife around us, preserve traditional knowledge and see familiar creatures and landscapes in a new light. From practical field guides to nature essays and children’s stories, we look at the many ways reading can bring us closer to the world around us.Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a monthly show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us, done in collaboration with independent bookstore Sunda Shelves.Works discussed during this episode:Heritage Trees of Penang by Simon Gardner, Pindar Sidisunthorn and Lai Ee MayA Naturalist's Guide to the Butterflies of Malaysia by Dr Lawrence G. KirtonRecalling Forgotten Tastes by Sharifah NadhirahVesper Flights by Helen MacdonaldAranea: A Story About a Spider by Jenny Wagner and Ron BrooksBarbapapa's Ark by Annette Tison and Talus TaylorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we talk about saving forests in Malaysia, the instinct is to think big: national parks, huge reserves, major conservation bodies. But Shariff Mohamad took a different approach, by purchasing three acres of land in Hulu Selangor, and simply letting it grow back.His camera traps have since recorded more than 20 mammal species on that small patch, including Malayan tapirs, leopard cats, and the yellow-throated marten. The land sits at the edge of Selangor State Park, and its wild fig and fruit trees have turned it into a magnet for wildlife passing through. On its own, three acres isn't much of a habitat for large animals - Shariff is the first to say so. Yet it's already proving how much life a tiny, unmanaged patch can hold.What made him choose conservation over development on his own land? How does he decide when to step in and when to simply leave nature alone? And what does his experiment suggest about the role ordinary landowners could play in protecting biodiversity? We speak to Shariff about these and more, and also how he documents his experiences through social media on Dusun Liar.Image Credit: Shariff MohamadSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.