Sanctuary | Wild Destination
The White-bellied Sea-eagle is often seen perched upright on bare branches close to water waiting to swoop down on unsuspecting fi sh. Though a
coastal species, the White-bellied Sea-eagle can also be seen further inland along rivers and lakes.ELEPHANT FACEOFF
This afternoon we plan to spend time on the lake and head
out after a late breakfast. Halfway to the lake near Sira
Jawa, our boatman spots an elephant cooling off in the
river. We approach to within 50 m. and stop on the left
bank. Before long, four smooth-coated otters land up a few
metres from the resting elephant. As the otters – diminutive
by comparison – enter the river with indomitable confi dence
in front of the elephant’s nose, the agitated giant trumpets
a warning, blowing water in their direction with impressive
force. The otters, masters of the wet element, disdainfully
ignore the colossal pachyderm and swim casually down the
river. In the opposite direction, a young male elephant crosses
the river some 70-80 m. behind us, possibly the same one
which we saw earlier with the family group. Sandwichedbetween two elephants, we have little choice but to stay
and savour the moment. I turn my head just in time to see a
White-bellied Sea-eagle swoop down to catch a fi sh, miss, and
then pull up like a jet fi ghter.
The boatman cuts the engine, moving closer to the
resting elephant, then revs it a few times to gently persuade
the elephant to move. The giant trumpets an unmistakable
expletive at us, exhales a breath strong enough to turn part
of the river into a bubbling jacuzzi, and mock charges us.
Wisely we move away and decide to visit the lake another
day. On the way back to the lodge, we see a Changeable
Hawk-eagle sitting on a branch, looking intently up into the
foliage, and moments later disappearing among the leaves.
Following a brief commotion, we see the eagle being chased
by a Large-billed Crow.A NEW DAY, NEW ADVENTURES
We reach the lake without event to typical views of fi sh
eagles, ospreys, kingfi shers, hornbills, woodpeckers, and other
avifauna. A stand of dead trees serves as perches for birds,
and we notice swifts and swallows, some resting on the trees
while others chasing after insects or dipping their beaks in
the lake on the fl y. The manoeuvrability of these fast fl yers
boggles the mind. As we are watching their aerobatics, a dark
shape swoops in like a missile to pluck one of the swallows
with skill and precision. We watch open-mouthed as the
Peregrine Falcon carries its prey to a branch. Before the
falcon quite lands, an osprey to our left grabs a fi sh out of
the lake and fl ies off in the opposite direction.
What a rich forest! The action often left us confused as
to where we should look for fear of missing out on some
rare action or other. On our return to the lodge, we see the
group of six elephants we encountered the fi rst day, once
again near Sira Jawa, cross the river in the opposite direction,
possibly because they already had their daily mineral dose.The Wild Supports Food Security
The damming of the Muda river, commissioned in the
1970s inundated a large tract of forest and resulted
in the creation of the Tasik Muda lake, which saw new
water-dependent and piscivorous species colonise the
area. Beyond the dam, the Muda fl ows southwest to
join the northern border of Penang before emptying
its waters into the Strait of Malacca. There are two
more man-made lakes here, namely Pedu and Ahning,
which collect the waters of the expansive catchment
area of the Greater Ulu Muda Forest Complex and feed
agriculture, industry, and people of Kedah, Penang, and
Perlis. This water catchment also supports the vast rice
fi elds of the Kedah Plains, allowing double cropping,
which sustains roughly 40 per cent of Malaysia’s rice
production and is crucial to Malaysia’s food security.