Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Locations: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali), and Borneo

The Sunda flying lemur, also known as the Malayan flying lemur or Malayan #colugo, silently glides through the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, relying on ancient forests to survive. Despite their name, they are not true lemurs, nor do they fly—they are gliders, and among the most skilful in the world. This species is experiencing population declines in several parts of their range. They are threatened by #deforestation from #timber, #palmoil plantations, and #hunting by local communities. Forest loss, particularly in #Java, #Vietnam, and #Thailand, is fragmenting their populations and endangering their survival. Use your wallet as a weapon every time you shop and protect these sensitive creatures #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/NUukaAK4YSI

The elegant #Sunda flying #lemur AKA #Colugo can glide 100m through trees 🪽🕊️ in #Sumatra #Kalimantan and #Borneo. Totally reliant on trees, #palmoil is a major threat to them 😿 Fight back and🌴🩸🔥☠️🧐🚫 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/08/sunda-flying-lemur-galeopterus-variegatus/

Hauntingly beautiful gliding #mammal, the Malayan #Colugo/ Sunda Flying #Lemur uses a cape-like skin membrane to slide 100’s of metres through the #rainforests of SE #Asia. Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🙊🤮🚜🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/08/sunda-flying-lemur-galeopterus-variegatus/

Appearance & Behaviour

Sunda flying lemurs are hauntingly beautiful gliding mammals, with their large, forward-facing eyes adapted for night vision and a delicate, kite-shaped membrane of skin called a patagium stretching from their neck to their fingertips, tail, and toes. This structure allows them to glide over 100 metres through the forest canopy, losing as little as 10 metres in elevation. On the ground, they are nearly helpless, but in the trees, they move with astonishing agility. These quiet, nocturnal mammals spend their days curled up in tree hollows or nestled in the dense fronds of coconut trees, becoming active at dusk when they begin foraging.

Threats

Palm oil deforestation

The widespread clearing of tropical rainforest to establish palm oil plantations is one of the greatest threats to the Sunda flying lemur. These gliders rely heavily on continuous tree canopy for movement, foraging, and breeding. When forests are fragmented or entirely removed for palm oil, flying lemurs become stranded, exposed to predators, and unable to access food or shelter. This process has caused severe habitat degradation across Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.

Human persecution and hunting

In Java and some other regions, Sunda flying lemurs are hunted by local communities, including the Baduy Tribe, who increase hunting activity every four years as part of cultural practices. Though the species yields little meat, they are still killed for consumption or perceived nuisance. Hunting disrupts already fragile populations, particularly in areas where habitat loss has already reduced numbers and isolated groups.

Logging and forest fragmentation for timber

Commercial and illegal logging contribute to the rapid degradation of forests across Southeast Asia. Even selective logging can cause fragmentation, which limits the flying lemur’s ability to glide and forces them to descend to the ground—where they are highly vulnerable to predators and human threats. Logging roads also increase human access to remote forests, further accelerating hunting and forest conversion.

Competition with invasive species

In degraded habitats and plantations, Sunda flying lemurs face increased competition for food and nesting sites from invasive and generalist species such as the Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus). These squirrels are more adaptable and can dominate food sources, leaving less for the more specialised colugo. Competition like this puts additional stress on the already fragile populations of flying lemurs, especially in fragmented or edge habitats.

Urban expansion and infrastructure development

Rapid urbanisation across Southeast Asia has resulted in the encroachment of cities and towns into previously forested areas. Roads, buildings, hydroelectric dams and agricultural expansion sever vital canopy corridors and isolate populations, making gliding impossible in many urban landscapes. As a result, Sunda flying lemurs are forced to navigate unsuitable environments, increasing their risk of vehicle collisions, electrocution from power lines, and conflict with humans.

Weak protections and lack of enforcement

Although the Sunda flying lemur is legally protected in several countries, enforcement is often weak or inconsistent. In areas like Sarawak and Java, data on current populations is outdated or incomplete, making it difficult to assess trends or plan effective conservation strategies. Without strong protections and ongoing monitoring, habitat loss and hunting will continue to drive the species toward future vulnerability or extinction.

Geographic Range

Sunda flying lemurs are found across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, southern Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia (Java, Bali, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Borneo). They are patchily distributed, with population declines noted in Java and possibly Sarawak. They occur in both primary and secondary forests, and are sometimes seen in plantations and gardens—but dense forest canopy is critical for their survival. Populations in disturbed habitats are less viable due to limited gliding space and reduced food availability.

Diet

The Sunda flying lemur feeds primarily on young leaves, buds, shoots, flowers, and fruits of a wide variety of forest trees. In Bako National Park, Sarawak, they have been observed feeding on over 12 tree species, with Buchanania arborescens making up over 50% of their diet. They also consume tree sap and have even been seen licking bark for water and minerals. Interestingly, they have been recorded feeding on ants (Paratrechina longicornis) in rare cases, highlighting their adaptability in changing environments.

Mating and Reproduction

After a gestation period of about 60 days, females give birth to a single young, which clings to the mother’s belly and is cradled within the folds of the patagium. The mother’s gliding membrane acts like a living pouch, offering warmth and protection as she climbs and glides through the treetops. Not much else is known about their mating systems or breeding intervals, but juveniles stay with their mothers until they are old enough to glide on their own.

FAQs

How many Sunda flying lemurs are left in the wild?

Exact population numbers are unknown, but the species is believed to be in slow decline. Localised extinctions are suspected in parts of Java and mainland Southeast Asia due to hunting and habitat fragmentation. While still widespread, their dependence on intact forests makes them vulnerable to ongoing deforestation (Boeadi & Steinmetz, 2008).

How long do Sunda flying lemurs live?

In the wild, their lifespan is estimated to be around 10–15 years, though this can vary depending on threats and environmental conditions. Data from wild populations are limited due to their elusive, nocturnal habits (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Why are they threatened by palm oil?

Palm oil plantations destroy the lowland tropical forests that flying lemurs depend on. Unlike other adaptable mammals, colugos require dense canopy cover for safe gliding, resting, and breeding. When forests are cleared, these gliders lose their ability to navigate safely, exposing them to predators and starvation. The conversion of rainforest into monoculture plantations has led to significant declines in habitat quality across their range (Lim et al., 2013; Nasir & Abdullah, 2009).

Do Sunda flying lemurs make good pets?

Absolutely not. Sunda flying lemurs are wild animals with specialised needs. They are not domesticated, and keeping them as pets leads to extreme stress, injury, or death. Capturing these animals for trade disrupts family groups and contributes to their extinction. If you care about flying lemurs, advocate against the exotic pet trade and never support it.

What conservation efforts are underway?

National laws protect the Sunda flying lemur in many range countries, and studies have been conducted in places like Bako National Park and Singapore. However, much stronger protection is needed, particularly in habitat protection and indigenous-led conservation. Conservationists recommend protecting forest patches, especially those with >95% canopy cover, to ensure their survival (Lim et al., 2013).

Take Action!

Protect the Sunda flying lemur by choosing only products that are 100% palm oil-free. Avoiding palm oil directly combats deforestation and preserves vital canopy corridors these animals depend on. Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection movements. Never support the exotic pet trade or keep wild animals in captivity. Every purchase you make has the power to either destroy or safeguard their rainforest homes. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support Sunda Flying Lemurs by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Boeadi & Steinmetz, R. 2008. Galeopterus variegatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T41502A10479343. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T41502A10479343.en. Accessed on 06 April 2025.

Lim, N. T-L., Giam, X., Byrnes, G., & Clements, G. R. (2013). Occurrence of the Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) in the tropical forests of Singapore: A Bayesian approach. Mammalian Biology, 78(1), 63–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2012.06.008

Nasir, D., & Abdullah, M. T. (2009). Foraging ecology of the Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) in Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal, 61(4), 285–294. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290610443_Foraging_ecology_of_the_sunda_colugo_galeopterus_variegatus_in_bako_national_park_sarawak_malaysia

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Sunda flying lemur. Retrieved April 6, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunda_flying_lemur

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

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The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

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Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

The elegant #Sunda flying #lemur AKA #Colugo can glide 100m through trees 🪽🕊️ in #Sumatra #Kalimantan and #Borneo. Totally reliant on trees, #palmoil is a major threat to them 😿 Fight back and🌴🩸🔥☠️🧐🚫 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

http://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/08/sunda-flying-lemur-galeopterus-variegatus/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Год Змеи уходит, а я так и не выложил фото мангровой змеи(уленбуронг)
/mangrove snake(gold-ringed cat snake)/Boiga dendrophila с Борнео.

14.07.2025
Kinabatangan river, Borneo, Malaysia

#malaysia #borneo #фотоохота #mangrovesnake #nature #naturephoto #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #wildlifephoto #wildlife #kalimantan #kinabatanganriver #kinabatangan #kinabatanganwetlandsresort #sabah

Island of Hornbills: amazing documentary about hornbills in (Indonesian) Borneo. I really like that they got a local birder to host this video.

https://youtu.be/oiqbak_FKeQ

#TootSea #Indonesia #Borneo #Kalimantan #Birds #Birding

Storm’s Stork Ciconia stormi

Storm’s Stork Ciconia stormi

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered

Location: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei

Found in lowland riverine and peat swamp forests of #Borneo, #Sumatra, Peninsular #Malaysia, and southern #Thailand. Core strongholds include the floodplains of Sabah and peat swamps of #Kalimantan.

Storm’s Stork Ciconia stormi is the rarest and most elusive #stork in Asia, and one of the world’s most threatened. Currently listed as #Endangered by the IUCN Red List, with fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild, their continued survival hangs by a thread in #Malaysia #Indonesia #Thailand and #Brunei. These elegant, black-and-white #birds once ranged widely across the Sundaic region. Today, their numbers are spiralling due to large-scale #deforestation for #palmoil plantations, logging, and infrastructure projects like dams and roads that slice through their forest home.

Peat swamp #forests—critical for nesting and foraging—are rapidly disappearing. But you can help turn the tide. Use your wallet as a weapon to protect these remarkable birds. Choose products that are 100% #palmoilfree and support indigenous-led conservation. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan

Storm’s #Storks have bright red and yellow faces and live in #Malaysia 🇲🇾 and #Indonesia 🇮🇩. They’re #endangered due to #PalmOil #deforestation 🌴🔥 and hunting 🏹 Fight for them when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/05/storms-stork-ciconia-stormi/

Raising two chicks per year, monogamous Storm’s #Storks of #Thailand 🇹🇭 #Malaysia 🇲🇾 and #Indonesia 🇮🇩are #endangered due to #deforestation for #rubber and #palmoil. Resist for them when you shop #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸🚜🔥🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/05/storms-stork-ciconia-stormi/

https://youtu.be/YC-5PstWy3A?si=MdZcfzu9in0ZWeL_

Appearance and Behaviour

With their sleek black plumage, brilliant white undertail, and arresting red facial skin encircled by a yellow eye ring, Storm’s Storks are unmistakeable once seen—if seen at all. Adults stand at 75–91 cm tall, their red legs often stained white from perching high in the canopy. They are silent outside the breeding season but may utter soft whistling or a frog-like call at the nest.

Unlike many storks, they are shy and solitary, rarely seen in groups. They glide high above the forest on thermals, and are often seen alone or in pairs near quiet, muddy riverbanks. Nesting high in tall trees, often overhanging rivers, they raise just two chicks a year with intense parental care and secrecy.

Diet

Storm’s Stork feeds primarily on small fish, frogs, worms, aquatic insect larvae and sometimes crustaceans and grasshoppers. They stalk quietly along shaded forest streams and oxbow lakes, moving slowly and deliberately. Parents regurgitate these prey items into the nest for their young, with foraging usually taking place 2–3 km away from their nesting site.

Reproduction and Mating

Monogamous pairs construct large twig nests high in the canopy, often reusing the same nest over several years. Nesting takes place in primary forest close to rivers, with clutches of two eggs and chicks fledging after approximately 90 days. Breeding displays include aerial flips and ground-based mutual bowing. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks, although the female tends to remain longer at the nest.

Geographic Range

Storm’s Stork occurs at extremely low densities across Borneo (Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia), Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and southern Thailand. Borneo is its core range, especially in Kalimantan and Sabah, where it persists in lowland peat swamps and riverine forests. Once present across the Greater Sundas, it is now extinct or nearly so in Thailand and Myanmar. In Sumatra, populations remain on the Kampar Peninsula, Way Kambas, and Siberut. In Peninsular Malaysia, only small relict populations exist, mostly within Taman Negara.

Threats

Ciconia stormi is native to the swamp and plains-level forests of the Greater Sundas, where it occurs at a very low density and nowhere is numerous. Over the past three generations (31 years: 1992–2023), it is suspected of having declined rapidly (40–60%) in response to industrial removal of its habitat for agro-industry plantations, particularly oil-palm and rubber. Its global population size is uncertain, but probably numbers 300–1,750 mature individuals; with ongoing habitat loss compounded by forest fires which may increase with frequency in response to climate change, this species is considered to be a high risk of extinction in the near-term. Accordingly, it is listed as Endangered.

IUCN Red list

• Widespread deforestation for palm oil and rubber plantations has destroyed much of the lowland forest habitat that Storm’s Stork depends on.

• Peat swamp forests, their stronghold in Borneo, are being drained, logged and set alight, especially during El Niño years.

• Logging roads fragment the forest and degrade rivers through erosion and sedimentation, reducing aquatic prey.

• Forest fires intensify due to human activities, especially in drained peatlands, further eliminating habitat and nesting sites.

• Hydropower projects, like the Chiew Larn Dam in Thailand, have flooded large tracts of prime habitat.

• Hunting still occurs, though not the primary driver of decline. These sensitive birds abandon nests if disturbed.

• Captive trade was a minor historic threat; however, tamed birds in zoos are unlikely to be rewilded successfully.

• Climate change and habitat fragmentation create uncertain future conditions, especially for isolated populations on Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.

Take Action!

Storm’s Stork is a symbol of everything we stand to lose through the reckless destruction of rainforests. You have power to stop this.

Use your wallet as a weapon and boycott palm oil. Refuse to buy from companies that drive deforestation. Support indigenous-led agroecology. Speak out against the destruction of Southeast Asia’s peat swamp forests. Take action every time you shop and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife, be #Vegan!

FAQs

How many Storm’s Storks are left in the wild?

Estimates suggest only 260–500 individuals remain globally. Around 240–1,600 mature individual birds may persist in Borneo, especially in Kalimantan. Sumatra’s population may be as low as 50–100 mature birds, while Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand hold fewer than 10 pairs each (BirdLife International, 2021; Martin et al., 2024).

How long do Storm’s Storks live?

Although exact data is scarce, storks in the genus Ciconia are long-lived, with some individuals living more than 20 years in the wild. Their slow reproductive rate and long lifespan make population recovery difficult after sharp declines (Danielsen et al., 1997; BirdLife International, 2021).

Why is palm oil so destructive for Storm’s Stork?

Palm oil expansion targets the very peat swamp and lowland forests Storm’s Stork calls home. These habitats are easy to access and commercially valuable, making them first to be logged, drained, and cleared. The result is mass habitat loss, water pollution, fire risk, and collapsing food chains that leave the storks with nowhere to nest or feed (Miettinen et al., 2011; Harrison et al., 2016).

Are Storm’s Storks affected by hunting or the pet trade?

They are hunted opportunistically by forest dwellers and poachers, especially as access increases through roads. However, hunting is not the main cause of their decline. The pet trade spiked in the late 1980s, but today, habitat loss remains the overwhelming threat (BirdLife International, 2021; Martin et al., 2024).

Support the conservation of this species

Reko Forest

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2023. Ciconia stormi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T22697685A224541343. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T22697685A224541343.en. Accessed on 23 March 2025.

BirdLife International. (2021). Ciconia stormi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22697655A194974787. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22697655A194974787.en

Martin, B., Staniewicz, A., Darmansyah, S., & Karo, I. (2024). Records of the Endangered Storm’s Stork Ciconia stormi in East Kutai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and notes on its conservation in Borneo. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381294067

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Storm’s stork. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 22, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm%27s_stork

Storm’s Stork Ciconia stormi

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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✓ Subscribed

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Bird #birds #Borneo #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #Brunei #climateChange #dams #deforestation #EastKalimantan #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #fires #ForgottenAnimals #hunting #hydroelectric #illegalPetTrade #Indonesia #Kalimantan #Malaysia #mining #palmoil #palmoilfree #poaching #rubber #SouthEastAsia #SouthKalimantan #stork #Storks #StormSStorkCiconiaStormi #Sumatra #Thailand #timber #vegan #Wetlands