Scientists unlock rainforest secrets

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The centuries-old rainforest of Sarawak is a treasure trove of natural secrets and wonders – rare flora and unique fauna that are preserved and protected in national parks. It provides long-term research into the development of new medicines, for the largest Malaysian state is home to some 3,700 plants with medicinal value.

   Once ruled by the White Rajahs, Sarawak in what was once known as Borneo is also the habitat of near-distinct animals. A variety of species still roams in the wild or stay out of harm’s way in man-made preserves.

   The plants in the rainforest are among the 15,000 known species found in Malaysia. Natives have long used them to treat a number of illnesses, ranging from fever and malaria to dysentery and high blood pressure.

   According to the US National Cancer Institute, 70 per cent of the plants identified with anti-cancer properties are located exclusively in rainforests. Currently, 25 per cent of all drugs are derived from rainforest ingredients.

   A home-grown herb is tongkat ali, now processed in pill or tea-bag form. This herb has made men rise to the occasion long belong Viagra made world headlines and enabled pharmaceutical companies to amass huge fortunes.

   In laboratory tests, tongkat ali has been found to have the effect of inhabiting the growth of cancer cells in animals. It is two times more effective than aspirin for fever. The herb has the property to kill malaria parasites and also a kind of anti-oxidant enzyme. 

   Rare plants and orchids

   

   For some time, Malaysian researchers and scientists have been using herbal biotechnology to unlock the secrets of other herbs. Some have been proven to be effective for treating arthritis, hyperlipidemia, viral infection, hepatitis and toxic liver damage.

   Sarawak’s interior harbours more than 1,500 species of flowering plants and over 150 species of orchids. Almost unseen is the world’s largest single flower from the plant Rafflesia. The flower appears only once a year when it erupts from the ground to blossom. It weighs seven kilograms and stretches one metre across.

   Among the plant species are the strangest carnivorous types such as sundews and bladderworts.

   Stretching 124,000 square kilometers and dotted with longhouses, Sarawak offers natural sanctuaries for a large variety of unusual animal species. Roaming freely in jungles are the Clouded Leopards, the Sun Bears, the Barking Deer and the Bornean Gibbons.

   The rainforest provides shelter for three species of orang-utan, nearly 1,300 strong. Sometimes called the Man of the Forest, the orang-utan is the biggest tree-dwelling mammal in the world and is Asia’s only great ape. Standing at nearly 1.5 metre tall and weighing at an average of 50 kilograms, the orang-utan stays up in trees where it makes a near-platform for sleeping, using twigs and branches.

   Star attraction in jungle

   Occasionally, visitors get glimpses of the near-distinct proboscis monkeys swinging on trees. A delightful sight against the lush backdrop is a troop of long-tailed macaques of the Old World genus, macaca.

   Lurking in the bushes are miniature leopards the size of a cat and the Silver Langurs, shy primates with stump-like noses. They are fast to flee and good at concealing themselves when they detect the approach of wild boar. Mouse deer and squirrels also leap quickly for safety. 

   Sarawak abounds in more than 530 species of birds. The star attraction is the hornbill, sporting black, white, grey and dark brown plumage. Its large, down-curved bill helps in fighting, preening and building its nest. It feeds on fruit, insects and small animals.

   The hornbill, which has binocular vision, sports bare coloured or pure blue skin on the face. Its eyes are protected by big eyelashes which serve as a sunshade. The weight of a hornbill varies from 102 grams (3.6 ounces) to 6.2 kilogram (13.6 pounds).

   The Ibans used to hunt hornbills for their feathers. A group of Iban dancers may use as many as 400 feathers on their ceremonial headdresses. They also carved the bill to look like ivory.

   Hornbills sometimes fly to other parts of Malaysia, such as Fraser’s Hill and Pulau Langkawi. The hornbill is Sarawak’s icon. The state is sometimes known as The Land of the Hornbills.

   In limestone caves, thousands of swiftlets make their nests which are often collected to make delicious Chinese soup, a health-boosting tonic. High in trees and or cliff surfaces are found hawks and eagles.

   In lowlands, storks, herons, swallows, pheasants and white-collared kingfishers look for food. Migrant birds fleeing from bitter winter join them during September-April, a season for birdwatchers.

   It is the diversity of flora and fauna in Sarawak that holds visitors spell-bound. One day, the rainforest could prove to be the world’s largest pharmacy for wonder drugs.