All articles tagged with #borneo
Indonesia arrested 72 people on suspicion of starting forest fires that have burned across parts of Borneo and Sumatra, with thousands of hot spots detected and peatland blazes driving hazardous haze. Authorities have deployed aerial firefighting and cloud-seeding, while rainfall is urged to help extinguish embers and clear the smoke.
A massive overnight fire in Kampung Bahagia, Sabah (Borneo), destroyed more than 1,000 stilt homes and displaced about 9,000 residents over four hectares of densely packed housing; firefighting was hampered by low tide and water access. The cause is under investigation, though a gas stove incident is suspected. No deaths have been reported, with several injuries and authorities coordinating relocation and relief for the affected communities.
A helicopter flying over palm oil plantations on Indonesia’s Borneo island crashed, killing all eight people aboard; rescuers from BASARNAS inspected the wreckage in Sekadau, West Kalimantan, as authorities investigated the cause.
In Borneo’s rainforests, the earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis) — a rare 'living fossil' dating back about 66 million years — moves through shadows with no external ears, rough camouflage scales, and a prehensile tail. It is elusive and nocturnal, feeding on earthworms, small crabs, and fish, and scientists warn that habitat destruction and illegal wildlife trade threaten its survival as the sole living member of its family.
Indonesia is constructing a new, eco-friendly city called Nusantara in Borneo, with no traffic and modern infrastructure, attracting new residents despite an uncertain future.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, recently named Pinanga subterranea, a palm that flowers underground, as a new discovery, although it has long been known to local Indigenous people in Borneo. This rare plant was found abundantly on the island, and its "discovery" serves as an example of conventional science catching up with Indigenous knowledge.
Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost tectonic plate, known as the Pontus plate, that disappeared 20 million years ago. The plate, once a quarter of the size of the Pacific Ocean, was found through rock fragments in Borneo and remnants detected in Earth's mantle. The discovery was made while studying the Pacific plate, and the researchers noticed a discrepancy in the latitude of the rocks collected in Borneo. Computer models revealed that the Pontus plate occupied a previously unknown gap between South China and Borneo. The plate formed at least 160 million years ago and eventually shrank before disappearing under the Australian and Chinese plates.
Researchers have discovered a rare palm species, Pinanga subterranea, in Borneo that flowers and fruits almost entirely underground. The plant, known to locals for its sweet and juicy fruit, had gone unnoticed by scientists until now. This discovery highlights the importance of collaborating with Indigenous communities and their knowledge of the landscape. The species is a unique case of geoflory and the first known example of its kind in the palm family. The researchers are still unraveling the mysteries surrounding this unusual plant, including its pollination mechanism. Up to half of the known palm species may be threatened with extinction.