Chairperson: Axel Geisslinger a.geisslinger@shell.com

Treasurer: Sue Sharpe cakemakker915@hotmail.com

Secretary &newsletter: Dinah Pantic dinah.pantic@bakerhughes.com

Honorary Chairperson & Nature walks Hans Dols hans.dols@shell.com

Web site: Joanne Woodward

Panaga Natural History Society Newsletter – October 2014

2014 PNHS Committee

The Panaga Natural History Society (PNHS) is a group of people interested in nature. Our aim is to promote interest in natural history and share knowledge of the natural environment, it’s flora and fauna, in Panaga and around Brunei. We also wish to raise the environmental awareness and commitment of the community.

We welcome all members of the community; if you or someone you know would like to receive this newsletter regularly please contact us and we will add your name to the mailing list. Our events are open to all. If you wish to take part or find out more then please take a look at our website and contact us.

Web: www.bsp.com.bn/panagaclub/pnhs/

Email: pnhs.brunei@gmail.com

Historical newsletter archive: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_P75SFnGNkZWHllQ0dGcGtLNFE&usp=sharing

To access the PNHS “sightings” list select “sightings” in this link: http://www.panagaclub.com/pnhs/panaga-animal-archive/

PNHS Aims

Upcoming Events

A number of projects are underway or on the “want to do” list and volunteers are needed to help carry out

these ventures. All of the PNHS committee are volunteers and we desperately the support and

encouragement of as many people as possible to be effective. Contact PNHS secretary Dinah Pantic if you

have an interest in the PNHS goals or want to learn more about what we do.

PNHS outings are not formal events. They occur when a group of people decide to have a social gathering

and while doing so invite other members of the PNHS to join, if they are interested.

EDITORS NOTE:

It is with sadness that we farewell our Honorary President, Hans Dols and

his wife Novi Dols. Hans has been closely linked to Brunei and the Brunei

environment and wildlife for many years; working with Brunei Shell and

consulting to the Brunei government on the Heart of Borneo initiative and

other environmental projects, aside from his normal job as geologist. Best

wishes from all of us to Hans and family. Take care and enjoy Sabah.

Owl photo courtesy of Hans Dols

Hans Dols

Trapping mechanisms of a carnivorous plant

Pitcher plants, Monkey Cups or Nepenthe, call them what you will, they all belong to the

Nepenthaceae family which contains the genus Nepenthe and is represented by over 100 species,

plus a variety of hybrids. Borneo is known to have the greatest diversity of Nepenthe with 36+

species growing in lowland degraded areas through to lowland forest and mountains.

All have striking cup or pitcher shaped traps from which they gather valuable nutrients necessary for

their survival, particularly in nutrient-poor habitats. These “cups” are found at the end of long tendrils

extending from leaves. Why bother to grow a “pitcher” filled with fluid? Nepenthe are carnivorous

plants that need somehow to trap their prey and then digest it; hence the pitcher is an elaborate

trapping and decomposing system. It’s a bit more sophisticated than just a “cup” of water relying on

insects and animals to drop in, after all, most living species have an inherent survival instinct and

don’t normally donate themselves willingly to the Pitcher plant cause. Thus Pitcher plants have

developed diversity in trap designs which incorporate colour, nectar secretion, and surfaces which

are slippery to the unwary. The primary slippery surface is the anti-stick peristome (lip) which has

special structural morphology whereby microscopic ledges and grooves all lead towards the inner

cup and if the peristome is wet then it develops a thin, continuous water film which doesn’t provide

good footing and is a perfect slippery slope for the prey to take a quick “aqua-plane joy ride” into the

fluid filled cup. The always wet inner cup has plate like perpendicular waxy crystals so the prey can

try hard but cannot climb back out as the crystals provide poor surface area for grip and break away

when pulled on.

Not all species have these waxy crystals in the inner cup.

Instead they have a larger peristome and the cup fluid may be

very viscous which helps keep the prey from climbing back

out. Alternatively, some species, for example N. gracilis, have

additional, slightly slippery wax crystals on the under side of

the lid and when rain drops strike the outer lid surface the

prey is flicked into the cup where they land in the digestive

fluid containing enzymes and micro fauna that break down

the prey, releasing nutrients.

Interestingly, the pitcher when under development will secrete

(depending on the species) floral scents from the tendril, and

cup outer wall thus attracting and developing trails for ants.

Later when the pitcher is mature, the floral scents also

secrete from the inside of the lid and the peristome and this is

for a more sinister purpose; attract and trap unsuspecting

prey which is then doomed to be a nutrient source for the

plant.

Morphology of the cups can differ from the same plant; cups on the lower section near to the ground

will attract ground dwelling prey like ants while the upper cups, much higher off the ground, will

attract the flying visitors. Most of the prey are insects however small mammals are also likely

candidates but from a different perspective. Research has shown that small bats sometimes roost in

the larger pitcher plant species; the cup providing protection and the bat providing nutritious

droppings. The sweet nectar under the lid also attract small mammals and while they are they

having a nibble they might just do the honours and drop some nutrient rich feces into the cup. A win-

win situation.

Blue Krait, photo by Dinah Pantic

Sun Bear

N. lowii showing the tendril

extending from the leaf tip and

terminating in the pitcher cup (Mt

Murud)

Ground pitcher of N. tentaculata with

evenly spaced bristles on the wings

and thin, finely ridged peristome. (Mt

Murud)

A not very focused photo of the

outer lid with regular spaced

bristles of N. tentaculata (Mt

Murud)

Aerial pitcher of N. murudensis

lacking fringed wings, found in

the stunted trees near on the

summit ridge of Mt Murud

Aerial pitcher of N. hurrelliana with

long neck and wavy margin (Mt

Murud)

Trapping mechanisms of a carnivorous plant

Blue Krait, photo by Dinah Pantic

Sun Bear

Article & photos (unless stated) by Dinah Pantic, with thanks to Ulrike Bauer for help and guidance. References:

U. Bauer, C.J. Clemente, T. Renner and W. Federle, 2011. Form follows function: morphological diversification

and alternative trapping strategies in carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 25

(2012) 90-102.

Ulrike Bauer, Bruno Di Giusto, Jeremy Skepper, T. Ulmar Grafe, Walter Federle, 2012. With a Flick of the Lid: A

novel trapping mechanism in Nepenthes gracilis pitcher plants. DOI; 10.1371/journal.pone.0038951.

Purple form of N. rafflesiana found

on sandstone soils in Brunei heath

forest

Neatly lined up peristome ribs, all leading into the cup of N. rafflesiana

Ground pitcher of N. lowii identified

by the dense mass of long hairs on

the lid underside & lack of a narrow

waist

Aerial pitcher of N. lowii with

waisted shape ideal for trapping

droppings from squirrels, birds, rats

etc.

Aerial pitcher of N. lowii

showing the fine, short hairs on

the lid underside

Aerial pitcher of N. lowii showing a brilliant

orangey-red speckled inner cup colouration

and the fluid filled lower cup

Trapping mechanisms of a carnivorous plant

Interview with Hans Dols

Blue Krait, photo by Dinah Pantic

Sun Bear

Hans, how did you get into PNHS? It was a long time ago, January 1995. I was staying at the E1 apartments for the first 6 months and when I met my neighbor, Peter Engbers, he invited me over to a PNHS meeting. I didn’t really want to get on a committee but in the end I got roped in to helping out and after 6 months Novi joined as she had just finished doing marine biology at university. In those days immigration laws were very strict and she had to fly out every 2 weeks until she got a job teaching marine biology to the Brunei museum staff. After around 6 months we moved to F8 and one of the elevated houses. Peter Engbers took over the role of PNHS Chairperson with Jacqueline Henrot as Secretary. From then things blossomed, culminating in publication of the Wildlife Watch booklet which was full of wildlife and environment stories PNHS contributors had periodically written for the Salam magazine

One of the main contributors was Martin Storey who committed himself to getting legacy files and photos sorted and put into databases. I took over in 1997-1998 as Chairman until the year 2000 when after 15 years I left Shell International only to find myself eventually back in Brunei consulting on environmental matters and a graphics database for Brunei Shell, while at the same time Novi was diving on and writing up the results of the BSP Two fathom rig reef project. Then one day while working in the BSP office I got asked “do you want your old job back”? I accepted and in 2002 found myself taking over from Shirley Heck as PNHS Chair again this lasted till 2007 when Mark Hessels took over. What do you think is the main goal of PNHS? I would say it is to increase awareness, especially with the young Bruneians, on what Brunei has to offer. Of course for the expatriate people just arriving in Brunei with ideas of dense jungle and incredible wealth, you want to give them a better feeling on what the forest has to offer and how the whole country hangs together ecologically and environmentally. The PNHS focus changes over time; sometimes there is more focus on families, fishing, travel or environmental conservation; it really depends on the interests of the current committee. What have been the highlights? For me the last 6-7 years, working with and helping the government has been the “icing on the cake”. In parallel with my job as geologist, Shell allowed me to spent 10% of my time doing environmental work and this allowed involvement in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) project; initially drawing up maps and boundaries through to final surveys. It has also been nice to be involved with other parts of Brunei, helping the UBD students in Bandar and within Brunei Shell working with the busy environmental and corporate affairs departments. How successful is the HoB project; is it making a different? Brunei was quick off the mark with the HoB, being the first to come up with the project implementation framework (the guidance document for the implementation of the HOB that was sponsored by Brunei Shell). BSP has been a strong supporter of the Hob from the start and still sponsors one of the senior research consultants in the HoB center. The HoB links up a series of already existing protection areas by sustainably managed corridors and is managed differently in each of the 3 participating countries. In Sarawak things are moving relatively slowly, on the other hand HoB is of significance in Sabah because they have the benefit of a lot of tourism and they logged fairly early so what is left is getting more and more important thus Sabah is very proactive, as is Indonesia where they have a good team of people on board.

Photo: Hans Dols

by Dinah Pantic

Interview with Hans Dols

Blue Krait, photo by Dinah Pantic

Sun Bear

In Brunei progress has been relatively slow. In some cases, while HoB is alive on maps, in reality is not all that well defined. That said, it does make a real difference and I think it was formed just in time. The good thing is that it got the HoB boundary into the Brunei National Development plan for 2005-2025 and with this the line is clearly defined. Of course there are still development projects going on within the HoB and the different districts and ministries have differing ideas of what it really means. In theory, development has to go through the HoB council of senior government representatives of the various ministries. The council is chaired by the minister of Primary resources and meets regularly to discuss topical issues. The Crown Prince is the HoB patron, providing status and credibility. The main government champion is the Minister of Primary Resources who has a passion for the environment and is in a position where he can make these things work as tourism, forestry, agriculture and fisheries all come under Primary Resources. In the process of helping in the mapping of the Ulu Ingei area the Ingei faunal expedition team became good friends and one of the projects I have great hopes for is the potential extension of the Ingei conservation area into the larger Belait basin wildlife reserve encompassing virtually the whole of the southern Belait District. Another of the highlights must certainly be the visit of the Dutch royal family and the chance we had to present the HoB and other Brunei environmental projects to them. On a more personal side your involvement with animal rescues has been significant. What have been the highlights? I would say the highlight was when a ~4m Pilot Whale got beached in very shallow water. We were called out at midday and spent the next few hours, sometimes up to our necks in water, trying to coax it back into the sea. It gives you an enormous amount of satisfaction when the big tail fin starts to move and the giant mammal slowly heads out to sea. I hope that the whale made it because it was definitely quite exhausted. What other animals have you been involved in rescuing? Amongst other things we have been involved in rescuing Hornbills. Novi did a Hornbill survey over a few years and she indexed all the nests that we know of in Panaga, noting when the chicks hatched and the female entered the nest. She was going to write it up for UBD but ran out of time. Novi has been a tremendous help with various projects, in particular the Seashore series of which she co-authored 3 books. It is sometimes under-estimated how much time is spent on these sorts of tasks. For PNHS publications, this series of 8 booklets was a highlight. The second edition is currently with Brunei Press and we hope to see this edition released soon. The BSP sponsored Wildlife Watch book was our initial mainstay as we didn’t want to give it away so we sold it for a nominal amount with the money self-funding PNHS so we didn’t need to charge membership fees. What do you think of the general health of the Panaga area? You must have seen a lot of changes. In Panaga the changes haven’t been that massive. There were several elevated houses, subsequently torn down and replaced by 5 bedroom villas which have a far bigger footprint which affects the vegetation. The area surrounding Panaga has seen significant changes. The forest used to come right up near Seria but the Seria by-pass road, deforestation from fires and the 2000 houses project displaced many animals that then moved into Panaga. Silver leaf monkeys are an example of that. You would normally not find them in secondary forest near the seashore. Effectively they were blocked off from access to the lowland forests by large open areas and Silver leafs prefer to remain in the canopy. Perhaps in Panaga they also feel protected. Panaga is fairly densely populated with wildlife. The larger Panaga area is at carrying capacity with regards to Hornbills. Previously we used to see hardly any Hornbills in Seria and KB but now there are some, most likely originating from the Panaga group. Your name has been linked to several owl stories. Can you tell me some of the details? When we were first here we rehabilitated 2 baby Scops owls whose tree home had either been cut or fallen down. They were too young to be out on their own and their parents were nowhere to be found so they ended up in our second bathroom. We were due to leave Brunei so the last 3 months we lived with 2 rapidly growing owls; trying not to domesticate (imprint) them too much. In the end they started hunting lizards and flying around by themselves. I have never seen them come back although I always hoped they would. Sometime later we had a brown wood owl. It was a very similar story – this time the nest had been attacked by a group of Macaques. The parent owls had a big fight with the monkeys but were scared off. The young one was left there, being just old enough to be outside of the nest but it couldn’t properly fly so we ended up again with an owl in our house, this time residing in the bathroom during the day and living room at night. In the evening it would fly silently into the living room, so you never heard it coming as they are incredibly quiet flyers and it would surprise you by landing on your shoulder gripping with its claws but not gripping hard enough to draw blood.

Interview with Hans Dols

Blue Krait, photo by Dinah Pantic

It also liked to play with ear-lobes which it could have really hurt but never did. This one was with us for about 6 months until it was able to fend for itself. We tried to make an aviary outside which it didn’t really like; it preferred the big living room flying space. Eventually it was let free in the garden and we hoped it would keep coming back but unfortunately there was already 2 Nightjars inhabiting the garden and they were annoyed by the competition so they instigated night time dive-bombing raids on the owl, who after a day and a half got fed up with being assaulted and fled to a tree just outside our garden and then disappeared. About a year later the neighbours said they saw it around the vicinity so I think this one did survive. What affect have the wildlife rescues had on your children? They have grown up having animals around them and they are not scared of them and it is nice to see that they have an automatic or instinctive caring feeling for animals; if they find something that needs protection they will do it. It is a nice legacy to have and to pass on to others. What’s the smallest animal that you have rescued? The smallest would be tiny snakes which in general can look after themselves from an early age so it was just a matter of protecting them. We had one or two Pythons but on camp it is mainly the Bronzeback or the Paradise Tree snake. Of course there are Cobras and there has even been a single sighting of a Banded Krait on camp however I would say 90% of the snakes wouldn’t harm anyone. One of the saddest things that happened was a baby Silver leaf monkey we were caring for died. The mother had been hit and killed on Jalan Tengah, the baby was thrown off, and hitting the asphalt resulted in a serious head injury. A British expatriate did a brilliant job rehabilitating the baby monkey although its development seemed to lag behind. We looked after it for a long weekend and it died while it was with us and that gave us a horribly bad feeling.

What is the legacy you and your family will leave behind? We have been here for close to 20 years and it is a nice feeling that you can leave behind a legacy; there are quite a few trees that we saved on camp and hopefully it has helped the area to stay a bit more natural. I think there will always be people who will carry things on and as long as PNHS stays as a group, you will get people coming around showing interest in a topic and next thing you know they are becoming a specialist. That’s the nice thing here in Brunei that with relatively little knowledge but lots of good-will, you can still have an impact. In general, BSP’s HML and HSE departments are all thankful for the help we have given over the years and in return BSP has supported PNHS. If PNHS have any serious concerns then BSP will take these concerns into account. Over the years we have done many things for Corporate Affairs and in many ways the PNHS group is a good-will ambassador for BSP.

Will you allow yourself to get involved with Malaysian environmental issue in your new role in KK? To be honest I don’t want to get involved again with environmental concerns for some time as it tends to suck you in and you need to do a good job in your primary work as well. Naturally I will still retain an interest and when we go to KK there will probably be many opportunities. There will be lots of exploring to do. Our kids have lived all their life in Brunei and that is something we can be thankful for as few kids have the opportunity to grow up in an environment as clean, as protected or safe and as close to the beach and forest as here in Brunei. Brunei is certainly a place we will miss greatly and as a family with young children it has given us a quality of life which would be very hard to find anywhere else. There are very few people who can come home, kick off the shoes, walk straight onto the beach, go for a run or go for a surf, come back and in the morning listen to the Hornbills and the Silver leaf monkeys dancing on the roof as they commute through the canopy.

The Dols family’s

rescued Brown Wood

owl

Photo: Hans Dols

Hans Dols

PNHS Sightings List – Ian Frame

Around the years 2007-2010 Ian Frame took many photos around the BSP headquarters site, particularly in the swamp regions behind the car park. I am told he would set up his tripod and camera and wait patiently until some living creature came his way and “snap”, he would capture the moment. Here are a few of his butterfly photos identified using the book “A field guide to the Butterflies of Borneo and South East Asia” by Kazuhisa Otsuka. Many thanks to Victor Hitchings for validating the identifications;

Cethosia hypsea (Malayan Lacewing). Female. Flies

actively around margins of forests or verges looking

for nectar from flowers.

Junonia orithya (Blue Pansy). Female. Found in sea

shore and lowland areas, usually in sunlit places flying

about a meter above the ground. Graphium agamemnon (Tailed Jay). Male. Found in sea

shore and lowland areas, flying around in the hot sun

searching for nectar from flowers.

Junonia atlites (Grey Pansy). Female. Found in

lowland areas, usually in sunlit areas near verges or

low bushes. It doesn’t mind intense heat but is mindful

of any impending danger.