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Palm Oil Detectives Sep 20, 2025

The Indigenous Malaysian concept of ‘Badi’: respecting the land and wildlife

The Indigenous Semai #indigenous people of #Malaysia can teach us a lot about how to protect people, planet and biodiversity. The Indigenous concept of #badi is not superstition or taboo, it’s about respecting the land, environment and #wildlife in order to avoid negative ecosystem impacts. #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

#Semai are a large #Indigenous group in #Malaysia 🇲🇾 with beliefs and traditions connected to their ancestral land 🌊🫧🎋 and #environment. Their knowledge can help protect against #ClimateChange #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔💀🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-78c

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Written by Dr Cyren Wong – an anthropologist and ecologist who specialises in the study of Indigenous communities, humanity’s relationships with nature, and tropical terrestrial ecosystems. He is also the head of the Malaysia Immersion and Pathways, a field-based research and education hub under the Vice President (Education) portfolio at Monash University Malaysia. Follow his Facebook page, Naturetalksback with Dr. Cyren Asteraceya to know more about his latest outreach work. Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™, read original.

“In the forest, you never know who is related to whom,” says a Semai villager.

The Semais, one of Malaysia’s largest Indigenous groups, have a rich system of beliefs, practices and traditions connected to their ancestral lands’ ecosystem and environment. They offer a highly localised strategy for mitigating unwanted disasters such as environmental degradation, a global pandemic or the occurrence of major zoonotic diseases.

When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the Semai community blamed it in part on society as a whole having incurred ‘badi’. The badi was so severe it spread beyond the confines of the original offenders to the entire world.

Badi: over-exploitation of nature and other creatures results in spiritual sickness

Semais see badi as a negative consequence of over-exploiting or disrespecting nature and other creatures, spiritually inducing sickness and bad luck. It can affect humans on an individual level but also has the potential to spread beyond the borders of a village to affect other communities or even the entire world.

The vagueness around badi and its control over so many aspects of Semai life might seem perplexing to outsiders. Anthropologist Robert Dentan explained that the Semai like many Indigenous communities often engages in what is known as “ad hoc empirical testing”; a form of reflexive adaptation of the community to challenges faced whereby the definitions of taboos and customs are necessarily broad to accommodate for the unpredictability of natural phenomena. The undefinable “tragedy” that must be mitigated through avoiding badi can take on various forms and negative events are often only attributed to badi retrospectively. By reflecting on their actions and their consequences, the Semai badi is also articulated in the context of behaviours and lessons that need to be enforced among future generations.

The Semai live in close proximity to wildlife, creating a path for zoonotic diseases or the transmission of animal pathogens to humans to occur. By evading badi, the Semai believe they can prevent contracting any animal-borne diseases, especially during hunting and gathering.

Badi is most commonly known among Semai hunters and their wives whose responsibilities are to prepare the animals for consumption. A wide range of practices and beliefs could be attributed to badi, from the way animals are killed and the type of animals to how they are stored before consumption. For example, you should not keep two different kinds of animals near one another, and ensure animal blood does not mix, transfer, or touch human bodies while hunting and slaughtering animals. When asked the reason for these taboos around hunting and food, the Semai people would succinctly describe it as precautions taken to avoid incurring badi.

Though often phrased as ‘local food superstitions’ or ‘taboos’ by past observers, our growing engagement with Indigenous communities and understanding of their knowledge and identities have presented an alternative view.

But this is not the same time-worn ‘ecologically noble savage’ debate which assumes an essentially a-contextual, holistic and mutually beneficial relationship between Indigenous peoples and the environment.

The Semai, like any other communities, are subjected to the same social and ecological pressures of climate change and global warming. Just as the composition of animals in the rainforest has changed, so too has the Semai’s adaptation to the changing environment.

The mass extinction of native wildlife and the migration of animals to escape destruction and encroachment has forced Indigenous communities to struggle with the loss of culturally significant plants and animals.

They have been exploring new ways of engaging with the existing resources. In the Ulu Geroh village in Perak, Malaysia, butterflies, which were once considered sacred to Ngku, the feared Thunder God have now been collected en masse and sold for money to buy food as the Semais can no longer hunt and sustain themselves.

However, the practices and beliefs of the Semai people still impart a valuable lesson in temperance and moderation.

“The world is changing all around us. We are entering new relationships with nature and have no idea what the implications of our actions will be. But we may have no choice in the matter, but we must approach with caution, never take more than we need or be overcome by greed as we try to understand our new place in it.”

Semai villager

ENDS

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The Indigenous Malaysian concept of ‘Badi’: respecting the land and wildlife

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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.

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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

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#badi #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #climatechange #corruption #deforestation #environment #indigenous #indigenousKnowledge #indigenousMedicine #indigenousRights #Malaysia #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #Semai #wildlife

Palm Oil Detectives Apr 26, 2025

New Research: Indigenous Communities Reduce Amazon Deforestation by 83%”

Although #deforestation rates in the Brazilian #Amazon have halved, this globally critical biome is still losing more than 5,000km² every year. That’s an area three times larger than Greater London. By combining satellite imagery for the entire Amazon region with data from the Brazilian national census, our new study found that deforestation in areas protected by #Indigenous communities was up to 83% lower compared to unprotected areas.

Results demonstrate that returning lands to Indigenous communities can be extremely effective at reducing deforestation and boosting #biodiversity to help address #climatechange. Yet, forest conservation should not come at an economic cost to people living in Indigenous-managed lands.

The world’s largest #rainforest the #Amazon 🫁🌳🌿 is vanishing. Yet a bright spark of hope finds #deforestation in #Indigenous protected areas is 83% lower. They are the KEY to saving the #forests and animals! #BoycottGold4Yanomami #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8SM

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Written by Johan Oldekop, Reader in Environment and Development, University of Manchester; Bowy den Braber, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, and Marina Schmoeller, PhD Candidate, Ecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)vThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Tarcisio Schnaider/Shutterstock

Despite this win for indigenous-led conservation, our results also show that Indigenous communities had the lowest levels of socioeconomic development. Incomes in Indigenous territories were up to 36% lower compared to other land uses.

Indigenous people are among the most disadvantaged groups of people in the world. Although Indigenous communities in Brazil have strengthened their political representation in recent years, 33% of people living below the poverty line are Indigenous.

Improving the economic wellbeing of Indigenous people is not only the socially just thing to do but can also be environmentally effective. Research in Nepal showed that communities with higher levels of socioeconomic development are less likely to trade off development with deforestation. Providing communities with the ability to protect and conserve their local forests and develop economically can be a win-win for both people and the environment.

In 2022, governments across the world agreed to protect 30% of the planet’s surface by 2030. To meet the commitments of this 30×30 agenda, many countries need to drastically increase their conservation efforts to reverse deforestation in the Amazon and beyond.

Governments and philanthropic organisations pledged unprecedented political and financial support for forests and Indigenous peoples and local communities at the 2021 COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. These pledges have helped raise the voices of Indigenous peoples and ushered in a new era of commitments to return ancestral lands.

Yet, forests and their resources across the world remain coveted by many different interest groups, including mining and large agribusiness. The Supreme Court in Brazil is currently debating the constitutional validity of the controversial “Marco Temporal” or time limit framework which could substantially limit the ability of Indigenous peoples across the country to make claims for lands. This legal theory states that Indigenous peoples are only entitled to make claims for lands if they can prove that they were in possession of them on or before October 5 1988 when the Brazilian constitution came into effect.

Perhaps surprisingly, our results show that agricultural business development of the Brazilian Amazon is unlikely to provide greater socioeconomic benefits for local, non-indigenous communities than protection-focused alternatives that preserve forest cover but allow sustainable resource use by rural communities. But the agribusiness lobby in Brazil, who are often in direct conflict with Indigenous people, often argues that agricultural expansion will provide economic development for the region.

Our results demonstrate that returning lands to Indigenous communities can be extremely effective at reducing deforestation and boosting biodiversity to help address climate change. Yet, forest conservation should not come at an economic cost to people living in Indigenous-managed lands.

Access to land and opportunity

Indigenous communities need to regain access to their ancestral lands while also gaining access to development opportunities. Indigenous people in Brazil are eligible to receive support from social welfare programmes, such as the family allowance scheme (or bolsa familia in Portuguese), which is credited with lifting millions of Brazilians out of poverty and reducing inequality.

Protesters hold placards expressing their opinion during the demonstration. The Marco Temporal thesis, indigenous, and supporters of the indigenous movement met in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in May 2023. ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

However, many rural and isolated communities face substantial difficulties accessing support. For example, fuel costs to take long boat trips from remote communities to urban centres to collect payments are high and many communities lack access to technology to even apply for such schemes.

President Lula Da Silva’s government is considering developing an Indigenous family allowance programme to address access problems faced by Indigenous communities in Brazil. As efforts to return rights to land ramp up in the wake of the 30×30 agenda, more governments and nongovernmental organisations should support the many other rights that Indigenous peoples have and reduce the structural barriers that prevent rural communities from claiming them.

ENDS

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Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

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Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

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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

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#Amazon #AmazonRainforest #biodiversity #BoycottGold #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottGold4Yanomami #Brazil #climatechange #deforestation #forests #humanRights #indigenous #IndigenousActivism #indigenousKnowledge #indigenousMedicine #indigenousRights #landRights #PalmOil #rainforest #Yanomami

Amazon rainforest: Deforestation rate halved in 2023

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ɬush mayka nanich Arianna Jonny-Wadsworth yaka wawa kʰapa shawash lamatsin. (You should watch Arianna Jonny-Wadsworth talk about Indigenous medicine.)

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Palm Oil Detectives Oct 1, 2022

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Retired Horticulturalist Mel Lumby: In Her Own Words

The beautiful begonias of Borneo and beyond deserve our love and protection

Bio: Mel Lumby

Hello, I’m Melody Lumby from the US state of Oregon. Throughout my career and life (over 50 years) I have been a passionate devotee of plants and a horticulturalist. Prior to retiring, I was a horticultural buyer for a retail nursery business and a lab technician in a horticultural laboratory, testing soil amendments and soil media for quality assurance.

I have always loved Begonias. I have loved them since falling for them at age 16 when I joined the American Begonia Society in Portland, Oregon – I am still a member!

When I first joined, it was me and a bevvy of sweet grannies and together we gathered to discuss and marvel over these plants.

Now after 50 years of living with, working with and loving begonias – I’m the one with the grey hair!

I’ve seen begonias go in and out of fashion over this time.

“Oh, yes. Begonias are a little old lady plant,” they used to say….now look at them!

Begonias are no longer citizens of Dorkville. They are coveted and collected by the hip and ‘planty’

Begonias are greatly coveted by hobbyists and are shown off on social media by hip and ‘planty’ enthusiasts.

I used to pay around $3.99 USD for certain begonias. Now? Some folks will pay $399 USD for unusual and desirable species of Begonia. Sometimes it can be even more expensive than that.

Begonias have been with me through the decades, a lovely silent friend to come home to after work, during life’s trials and joys, a beautiful accompaniment to a happy life.

~ Mel Lumby

Hidden in the jungles of SE Asia, scientists estimate that there are undiscovered begonia species to the tune of three to five hundred new species on Papua New Guinea. They occupy shady forest floors and limestone cliffs, without any name given by human kind. Horticultural commerce hasn’t had a glimpse of them yet.

On Borneo, it is estimated that 400 possibly even more species of Begonia exist – primarily in the under surveyed Kalimantan district.

Begonias, along with orangutans and many other rainforest inhabitants are in danger now. Will these precious jewels of the jungle be located by scientists, described, eventually named and shared, so that people can love and marvel at their incredible beauty? Or will the bulldozer get there first, destroying where they live, making way to plant oil palm plantations for cheap palm oil?

[Pictured] Begonia Rex, National Gallery of Canada (1868)

Come on an enchanting and curious journey into of the world’s most beautiful, medicinal and endangered plants of the rainforest: #Begonias with retired horticulturalist Mel Lumby @Norska11 #Boycott4Wildlife #Boycottpalmoil

Will exquisite #begonias become historical relics…no longer found in real life #rainforests? Not if Begonia lover Mel Lumby @Norska11 has anything to do with it! Help her fight for rare plants #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Beautiful #begonias are the unsung heroes of #rainforests. Their supreme beauty dazzles us. Their medicine protects us. Yet #corporate greed threatens them. By Horticulturalist Mel Lumby @Norska11 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

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We buy inexpensive products that contain palm oil now. It is a cheap, useful, oil that manufacturers like to use. Cookies, crackers, frozen pizza, shampoo, face lotion.

We buy these products without realising that we are contributing to rainforest destruction. Those rainforest shady places where beautiful Begonias grow are vulnerable to deforestation for palmoil.

“We are destroying swathes of rainforest containing beautiful, jewel-like, treasures. I cannot sit by quietly, while our beautiful earth burns. I must act!”

“I thought that I would quietly retire at the beach, grow a flower garden and happily live out my days with my chickens. I have done this. But I cannot be silent. I am now adding my voice to many others who are trying to save the animals and plants we love from mass extinction. I am only one person, but I can do something.”

Mel lumby

Mel Lumby on Instagram: More begonias being carefully, lovingly grownMel Lumby’s Begonia moysesii in bloom Mel Lumby’s Instagram: Evey Big Buff and Eloise Little Miss, two of my buddies hanging out in the garden bed.

Photos: Mel Lumby on Instagram @spock_like_object

“I am able to help fight against the greed of palm oil. This feels so good!”

This issue has been on my mind for quite some time now.

It really bothers me that there are beautiful undiscovered begonias that took millions of years to evolve.

We won’t even get to know about them because of dumb old palm oil!

Nobody even asked for this in our food, etc. The Palm Oil Detectives gal is really a cool person – it is an honour to try to help her.

~ Mel Lumby

Palm Oil and Pollution by Jo Frederiks

Deforestation for agriculture is a clear and present threat to tropical rainforests. Especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, economic growth has come at an enormous cost to its unique plants, wild animals and indigenous peoples.

In Indonesia, 10 million hectares of primary forest was lost over the past two decades. A 2019 study identified palm oil plantations to be responsible for 23% (the single largest proportion) of the deforestation in Indonesia between 2001 and 2016.

Over 3 million hectares of the forest estate in 2019 were allocated to palm oil production, which was in strict violation of national forestry law.

It is gut-wrenching and soul-destroying to see. Now palm oil threatens plants, animals and indigenous peoples in South America, India, Papua and Africa as well.

Learn how to help

Fast facts about Borneo & plant diversity

Borneo is home to more than 15,000 plant species

A diversity that rivals the African continent. This may be the highest number of plants of any region on Earth.

There are 931 Begonia species in Southeast Asia
Currently, there are 216 species and one subspecies of Begonia in Borneo.
In Sarawak alone there are 96 species, with an average of at least 10 species described per year over the past 7 years.
In Borneo, there are also 3,000 species of trees, 1,700 species of orchids and 50 carnivorous pitcher plant species.

The natural habitat of begonias is cool, moist forests and tropical rainforests, but some begonias are adapted to drier climates

[Pictured] Begonia socotrana grows in between the shady cracks in rock formations on the arid island of Socotra, Yemen.

Fast facts about the family Begoniaceae

They grow in the deeply shaded forest understory from the lowlands to mountain tops and on all rock types including granite, limestone, sandstone and ultramafic rocks.

A Guide to Begonias of Borneo by Ruth Kiew et. al.

The Begonia was named after a French botanist in the 17th century.
There are over 2,000 known species of family Begoniaceae – one of the largest genera of flowering plants. New species are being discovered almost on a monthly basis.
They are mostly terrestrial and are either herbs or undershrubs, but occasionally may be grown from air (ephiphytic).
They thrive in moist tropical and subtropical climates of South and Central America, Africa and southern Asia.

Their leaves are often large, vividly marked and are they are assymetrical and unequal-sided, giving each plant unique beauty.
They are popular ornamental plants for conservatories. Currently, begonias are incredibly trendy and are coveted and admired by house plant lovers all over the world.

[Pictured] Begonia Rex, National Gallery of Canada (1868)

The world’s tiniest begonia was recently discovered Begonia elachista.

They exist at the mouth of a limestone cave in central Peru and nowhere else in the world.

Then there is a newly described giant begonia from Tibet, tall enough to tower over a person: Begonia giganticaulis.

The pretty Florist’s Reiger Begonia comes in a fantastic array of colours including pinks, peaches, oranges, reds, yellows, white.

We cannot forget the lovely tuberous begonias that we plant in the shady reaches of our yards.

To plant large flowerbeds full of Wax begonias in summertime is a sheer delight.

During drought periods, Begonia socotrana drop their pretty, round, leaves and survive as a tuber.

Many years ago, Begonia socotrana was used as one of the parent plants to eventually create Florist’s Reiger Begonia mentioned above.

Mel Lumby

Exceptionally beautiful begonia paintings from history

Those lovely plants are there, for now, surrounded by tropical bird call and orangutan hoots. They often live in very small stretches of area, sometimes only existing on one hillside and nowhere else in the world. Plants can’t run away if that bulldozer comes, they are sessile, fixed in one place.

If a bulldozer razes everything and scrapes that Begonia inhabited hillside bare, that’s it – that particular begonia will be lost, gone forever from our earth in the wild. Millions of years of evolution, gone. All that beauty, gone.

Mel Lumby

[Pictured] ‘Diversity of Species in the Rainforest by Oro Verde – the Rainforest Foundation (2009).

Scientists are constantly discovering new Begonia species in Indonesia

Indonesia has one of the largest concentrations of of begonia species diversity, especially in Southeast Asia with 243 species. In 2022 alone, at least a dozen new species were discovered, here in this article below, seven are mentioned.

Hoya batutikarensis
Hoya buntokensis
Dendrobium dedeksantosoi
Rigiolepis argentii
Begonia robii
Begonia willemii
Etlingera comosa

Read the full story: ‘Indonesian researchers discover seven new species of ornamental plants,’ Indonesian Window.

Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of approximately 17,508 islands and is covered by tropical rain forest, seasonal forest, mountain vegetation, subalpine shrub vegetation, swamp and coastal vegetation. With its reflective mixture of Asian and Australian native species,
Indonesia is said to possess the second largest biodiversity
in the world, with around 40,000 endemic plant species
including 6,000 medicinal plants

Nugraha, Ari S, et. al (2011) . ‘Revealing Indigenous Indonesian Traditional Medicine: Anti-infective Agents’, Natural Product Communications. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1934578X110060124

We may be losing plants with medicinal purposes and cures as yet unknown which will help humankind

If we bulldoze Borneo, plow down Papua New Guinea, annihilate the Amazon, we wipe out incredibly beautiful plants that haven’t yet been discovered!

It isn’t just Begonias. It’s orchids and all sorts of fascinating tropical plant species. Nepenthes, the pitcher plant species. Aroids – the wonderful Philodendron relatives of Begonias that are also popular now.

Mel Lumby

Newly discovered Begonia medicinalis has cancer-fighting properties

Begonia medicinalis was discovered only recently in 2019 by scientists. This incredible species of begonia native to Sulawesi has been used as a medicinal plant by Indigenous peoples for 1000’s of years. Now this plant has been shown to have the potential to fight cancer!

Begonia medicinalis is known as benalu batu in Bahasa Indonesia is a herbal plant that is locally used for traditional medicines. The secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, and terpenoids have been reported to be found in these plant extracts. The content of flavonoids can lead to anti-cancer abilities while heat-sensitive flavonoid compounds can be extracted by the Ultrasound-assisted Extraction (UAE) method.

In this study, the anticancer potential of B. medicinalis extracts from the leaves (leaves extract/LE) and stem (stem extract/SE) in three cell lines (Hela, MDA-MB, HT-29) have been performed.

The anticancer potential was obtained from cytotoxic measurements by the MTT method on 3 types of cancer cells incubated with the extract for 24 hours. The value of total flavonoid content (TFC) in the LE was higher than that of SE extracts. Both extracts have the potential as a remedy for the treatment of cancer.

Prihardina & S Fatmawati; (2021); ‘Cytotoxicity of Begonia medicinalis aqueous extract in three cancer cell line,’: IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 913 012084. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/913/1/012084/pdf

Begonia isoptera is used by indigenous peoples in Borneo and has profoundly important medicinal properties

This Begonia species found in Borneo has been used by indigenous peoples for aeons for medicinal purposes. A study from 2011 has found that this begonia species has positive antimicrobial and antibacterial effects on the human body.

[Pictured] Begonia Isoptera in Hiroshima Botanical Gardens 2008

Read more: Nugraha, Ari S, et. al (2011) . ‘Revealing Indigenous Indonesian Traditional Medicine: Anti-infective Agents’, Natural Product Communications. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1934578X110060124

Indonesia’s native plants: A medicine cabinet of powerful drugs growing in the rainforest

Indigenous peoples in Indonesia have been using native medicinal plants from their medicine cabinet – the rainforest for 1000’s of years. These medicines are influenced by Indian Ayurveda since Hinduism spread from India to Asia.

[Pictured]: Dyak/Dayak peoples in Borneo have a rich knowledge of ancient plant medicine that is recognised by western science. Images from PxFuel, creative commons.

Indigenous treatments using plants involve a combination of physical and spiritual aspects to form a holistic approach to healing.

The inclusion of indigenous medicinal plants not found in India enhanced Indigenous Indonesian medication. This was further enriched by the influence of Chinese and Arabian traders to the islands.

Dayak indigenous peoples of Borneo are knowledge-keepers of ancient indigenous medicine and treatment from plants. This knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. Now western medicine is realising just how important it is to keep these plants from going extinct. Research shows that these plants may hold the key to unlocking fatal diseases like dementia and cancer, as well as being useful for treating common illnesses and injuries.

Most of this indigenous knowledge of medicine is not recorded. It is passed down verbally in stories from generation to generation and healer to healer.

Dayak Indigenous Ethnographer Dr Setia Budhi: In His Own Words

“For Dayak peoples in Borneo, the land is mother, where they plant fruit, vegetables and grains for their families. The soil is mother where trees grow and develop.

“From these trees they harvest an abundance of creeping rattan for medicine, food and crafts.

“The forest has a ritual function, a medicinal function and a family protection function.”

Dr Setia Budhi, Dayak Ethnographer.

Interview with Dr Budhi Short story by Dr Budhi

Historically, Dutch colonialists of Indonesia incorporated elements of indigenous medicine into their treatments, due to lack of availability of western medicine from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Medical texts from this period show that physicians found traditional medicines to be legitimate and effective in treating common illnesses. These publications include:

De medicina Indorum by Bontius in 1642
The Ambonese herbal by Rumphius in 1741
Materia Indica by van der Burg in 1885
De nuttige planten van Nederlansch Indie by Heyne in 1927
Select Indonesian medicinal plants by Steenis Kruseman in 1953
The Medical Journal of the Dutch East-Indies (1894- 1925)

[Pictured] Dutch colonialists overseeing the local workers in a warehouse in Deli Medan North Sumatra, 1897. www.nationaalarchief.nl

Since the 1970’s, the use of lab-based equipment, technology and computational modelling has revealed the remarkable properties of Indonesian rainforest plants, which have anti-viral, anti-malarial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents within them.

Read more

The wonder drugs of the rainforest: Nugraha, Ari S, et. al (2011) . ‘Revealing Indigenous Indonesian Traditional Medicine: Anti-infective Agents’, Natural Product Communications.

Professor Budiman Minasny; ‘The dark history of slavery and racism in Indonesia during the Dutch colonial period’ (2020), University of Sydney, The Conversation.

This is what stands to be lost if more rainforests are destroyed for timber and palm oil in SE Asia, Papua, Africa and South America

“I can’t only be a begonia collector/grower anymore. Boycotts work to shift brands to act when governments fail to act” ~ Mel Lumby

Please join me and a growing number of people around the world who love nature, rainforests, animals and plants and who make an effort daily to push back against the corrupt and greedy people funded by the palm oil industry to spread greenwashing misinformation about “sustainable” palm oil.

Together we can use our wallets as weapons, #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife” ~ Mel Lumby

Join the #Boycott4Wildlife

Begonias in blossom by Freepix

Borneo is in great danger of being destroyed by deforestation to plant palm oil plantations.

Other places as well: Papua New Guinea, The Amazon, African countries like Guinea. You have seen the news. Our world is in trouble.

There are places with undiscovered endemic plant species with very limited habitats being bulldozed, burned and cut down. Science hasn’t even found these plants! We chop down their only habitat before they get discovered!

Amazing new Begonia species are being discovered all the time in Borneo: Begonia baik, Begonia darthvaderiana, Begonia nothobarimensis. And on and on. Scientists are still finding new and wonderful species there.

It’s super easy to get into a nihilist mindset these days

“It is a struggle and depressing when one realises how everything in the natural world is set up to be used, abused and destroyed – simply for profit!

“We have all been through ‘some things’ these last few years, that’s for sure! I just focus, concentrate and keep going. When it all gets too much, I take a couple of days to chill. Then I begin again with campaigning against tropical deforestation and against palm oil.”

Mel Lumby

The regal and rare Begonia rajah

Begonia rajah is a species of flowering plant in the family Begoniaceae, native to Peninsular Malaysia. They typically have striking bronze leaves and contrasting green veins, and are best suited for terrariums.

Watercolour painting of Begonia rajah of an original wild-collected plant grown in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore via Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Begonia coriacea is a species native to Indonesia

Begonia coriacea – Hooker – Curtis Botanical Magazine Bot. Mag. 78 t. 4676 (1852)

Stinky meat flowers of Borneo: Rafflesia arnoldii & Rafflesia pricei

Borneo is also home to the largest flower in the world, Rafflesia arnoldii. They along with their relatives, are parasites, living their entire lives inside of tropical vines. These amazing plants only ever emerge when it is time to flower and flower they do! Their superficial resemblance to a rotting carcass goes much deeper than looks alone. These flowers give off a fetid odour of rotting flesh that is proportional to their size, but not to their visual beauty. This aroma has earned them the nickname “carrion flowers.”

Rafflesia pricei by Rimbawan on Getty Images Rafflesia arnoldsii by Boris 25 on Getty Images

12 new species of begonia were found on Sarawak in 2022

Twelve new species and one new record of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Sarawak, Malaysia, are described. All species belong to Begonia sect. Petermannia. Three species are recorded from Totally Protected Areas, one species occurs both within and outside Totally Protected Areas, and eight species occur only outside Totally Protected Areas.

Edinburgh Journal of Botany, Begonia special issue, Article 410: 1–46 (2022). https://doi.org/10.24823/EJB.2022.410.

Different species of Begonia by Botanicus http://www.botanicus.org

“Polka-dotted. Striped. Furry. Shiny. Bumpy. Ferny. Maple-shaped. Elm-shaped. Grass-shaped. Black, silver, pink, mossy green and bright apple green leaf colors. Reds and oranges, too. Some will shine in the deep forest, with a beautiful blue sheen. The variety of Begonias is incredible!”

Mel Lumby

If you can successfully grow a Darth Vader Begonia – consider yourself a badass

Begonia darthvaderiana

Discovered in 2013 by C.W. Lin, S.W. Chung and C.I. Peng and found in Sarawak, Borneo and found in shaded valleys, streams and slopes.
Not a beginners begonia, this one is challenging to grow. They need a humid terrarium environment. Even then, their leaves are prone to ‘melting’ if temperatures, humidity waver too much from what they like.
This beautiful species has a cane-like habit, olive black leaves and red colouring underneath, with a white to lime green edging.

[Pictured] Begonia Darthvaderiana By Lya Solis Blog

Begonia amphioxus: Polka-dotted princess

Begonia amphioxus was discovered in 1984 growing on a limestone hill of Batu Punggul in Sabah, Borneo.
Their red polka dots, bizarre and narrow leaves and pointed at both ends give this species an unusual look.
This delicate looking begonia not only has aesthetic appeal but also commercial value and are highly collectable by plant hobbyists.
They love high humidity and require a terrarium to grow. Once happy they will produce tiny white flowers.
Threats in the wild include timber logging, palm oil, mining and quarrying for limestone and marble. Fires, droughts and extreme weather due to climate change along with tourist activities.

[Pictured] Begonia amphioxus by Lya Solis Blog

Every animal species in Borneo relies on native plants, including humans! So it’s about time we look after Borneo’s plants – because they look after us all!

Without direct intervention in Borneo’s national parks to protect plants and animals: Everyone from orchids and orangutans, begonias and binturongs will go extinct!

[Pictured] A critically endangered Sumatran orangutan by Craig Jones Wildlife Photography

When wildlife photographer and photojournalist Craig Jones visited Sumatra, Indonesia he found protected rainforests being destroyed by multinational palm oil companies – under the greenwashing guise of “sustainable” RSPO palm oil.

Craig Jones in his own words Eyewitness: Orangutans are rescued from an RSPO plantation

Here are some other ways you can help by using your wallet as a weapon and joining the #Boycott4Wildlife

What is greenwashing?

Why join the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Greenwashing Tactic #4: Fake Labels

The Counterpunch: Consumer Solutions To Fight Extinction

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Palm Oil Detectives is completely self-funded by its creator. All hosting and website fees and investigations into brands are self-funded by the creator of this online movement. If you like what I am doing, you and would like me to help meet costs, please send Palm Oil Detectives a thanks on Ko-Fi.

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Photography: Craig Jones Wildlife Photography, Wikipedia, Getty Images, PXFuel.

Words: Mel Lumby, Palm Oil Detectives, Dr Setia Budhi, Craig Jones.

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#Borneo #Botany #conservation #CreativesForCoolCreatures #Dayak #deforestation #endangeredPlants #flora #indigenousMedicine #indigenousRights #investigativeJournalism #journalism #Malaysia #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #plants #wildlife #wildlifeActivism

Palm Oil Detectives Jan 24, 2021

Thomas’s Langur Presbytis thomasi

Thomas’s Langur Presbytis thomasi

IUCN Status: Vulnerable (VU)

Location: Indonesia – Sumatra (Aceh Province)

Thomas’s Langur, also known as the North Sumatran Leaf #Monkey is famous for their bold facial stripes giving them a handsome profile. These monkeys are endemic to the lush forests of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Listed as Vulnerable by the Red List, this striking species is facing serious population declines due to habitat loss, primarily driven by illegal logging and oil palm deforestation. Though not as globally known as some of its neighbours, such as the Sumatran Orangutan, Thomas’s Langur plays an equally vital role in forest regeneration and seed dispersal. You can help protect them by using your consumer power: always choose palm oil-free products.#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan

https://youtu.be/kgSJha79_ew

The Thomas’s #Langur has striking stripes 🐵🐒🤎 They’re #vulnerable due to forest clearance for #palmoil and #timber in #Sumatra #Indonesia 🇮🇩 Protect this rare #monkey when you shop and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔☠️🩸🤮🙊🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/24/thomass-langur-presbytis-thomasi/

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Sporting bold facial stripes, the Thomas’s #Langur is a handsome icon of #Sumatra #Indonesia 🇮🇩 Threats include #palmoil #deforestation and human persecution 🏹😿 Fight for their survival and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔☠️🩸🤮🙊🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/24/thomass-langur-presbytis-thomasi/

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Appearance and Behaviour

Thomas’s Langur is a small-bodied, highly distinctive primate. Their expressive amber eyes are framed by a whimsical ‘mohawk’ of fur – white at the front and dark grey along the midline – with flaring white cheek tufts giving them a perpetual look of surprise. Their back and limbs are grey, while the underparts are pure white, creating a dramatic contrast. Infants are born almost entirely white.

They live in social groups of 10–20 individuals and are arboreal, moving gracefully through the canopy. Though they are agile and peaceful, these monkeys are alert and cautious, especially in areas with higher predator or infanticide risk. They’ve been observed adjusting their vigilance levels depending on their location within the forest and the presence of neighbouring groups.

Diet

Thomas’s Langur is primarily folivorous, meaning their diet mainly consists of leaves. However, they also consume unripe fruit, flowers, toadstools, snails, and even rubber tree seeds when available. They have highly adapted digestive systems with gut microbes capable of breaking down cellulose, allowing them to extract nutrients from fibrous plant material. They tend to avoid ripe fruit, which could kill these microbes, and instead prefer high-pH, less acidic produce.

Reproduction and Mating

These langurs reach reproductive maturity around 5.4 years of age. The average interbirth interval is about 22 months, though this can vary depending on whether the previous infant survives. Females give birth to a single offspring at a time and care for them extensively. Infanticide by incoming males is a documented threat in overlapping territories, which may influence both vigilance and social dynamics within groups.

In the wild, Thomas’s Langurs live up to 20 years, with longevity extending to 29 years in captivity due to the absence of predators and reduced stress.

Geographic Range

Thomas’s Langur is restricted to northern Sumatra in Indonesia, primarily within Aceh Province. They are found north of the Alas (Simpangkiri) and Wampu Rivers, though newer records suggest they also exist just south of the Alas. Key populations reside in the Leuser Ecosystem, particularly around the Ketambe Research Station and Bukit Lawang in Gunung Leuser National Park. The species’ range is geographically fragmented by rivers and human activity.

Threats

The species is considered Vulnerable due to past and continued population declines, estimated at more that 30% over the past 40 years (three generations) due to loss of habitat, especially to logging and oil palm plantations. Due to continuing threats, it is suspected to decline at the same rate over the next one generation.

IUCN Red List

• Palm oil and timber deforestation

Thomas’s langur faces severe habitat loss due to widespread deforestation in northern Sumatra. Logging operations, both legal and illegal, have cleared vast tracts of primary forest, fragmenting the langurs’ habitat and forcing them into smaller, isolated patches. The conversion of forests into oil palm plantations is accelerating this destruction, leading to population declines estimated at more than 30% over the past 40 years. This fragmentation not only reduces available food sources but also isolates groups, limiting genetic diversity and increasing the risk of local extinctions.

• Hunting and human persecution

Though protected by the local Batak traditional and religious taboos, there is some ‘marginal’ hunting pressure in the other parts of their distribution. The species is sometimes killed for bushmeat or captured for traditional medicine practices. In areas where these taboos are not observed, or where poverty drives people to seek alternative food sources, hunting pressure remains a real threat. Even low levels of hunting can have significant impacts on slow-reproducing primates like Thomas’s langur.

• Illegal Pet Trade

Infant langurs are often captured and sold in wildlife markets, especially in areas close to tourism hotspots like Bukit Lawang. To obtain a baby, adult females are usually killed, which has devastating consequences for troop dynamics and survival. Captive langurs often suffer from malnutrition, stress, and poor care, and rarely survive long in the pet trade. This exploitation is driving the species further toward extinction and contributes to the destruction of wild populations.

• Human-Wildlife Conflict

As forests are cleared, Thomas’s langurs increasingly move into croplands and plantations in search of food. This brings them into direct conflict with farmers, who may perceive them as pests and shoot them to protect crops. These retaliatory killings are not only cruel but contribute to the already rapid decline in population numbers. Furthermore, such conflicts reduce public tolerance for the species and hinder conservation efforts unless addressed through community engagement and education.

Take Action!

Thomas’s Langur is a symbol of Sumatra’s disappearing biodiversity. Protecting their habitat means preserving the rich web of life in which they play an essential role. You can make a difference, every time you shop #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife. Advocate for indigenous-led conservation in Sumatra and campaign against the illegal wildlife trade. Support plant-based agriculture and rewilding efforts. Go #Vegan #BoycottMeat

FAQs

How many Thomas’s Langurs are left in the wild?

Exact population estimates for the Thomas’s Langur are unknown, but data suggests that their numbers have declined by more than 30% in the past 40 years (three generations). This is largely due to habitat destruction and fragmentation (Wich et al., 2007).

How long do Thomas’s Langurs live?

In the wild, they typically live around 20 years. In captivity, individuals have been known to live up to 29 years (Wich et al., 2007).

Why are Thomas’s Langurs endangered?

The main threat is deforestation from logging and conversion of land into palm oil plantations. This leads to loss of their primary rainforest habitat and forces them into closer contact with humans, where they may be shot or captured for trade (IUCN, 2021).

Do Thomas’s Langurs make good pets?

Absolutely not. Keeping Thomas’s Langurs as pets is not only unethical but illegal. The illegal pet trade contributes directly to their decline, as infants are taken from their mothers, often involving violence. Supporting this trade fuels cruelty and threatens their survival. Advocate against the exotic pet trade instead.

Further Information

Setiawan, A. & Traeholt, C. 2020. Presbytis thomasi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T18132A17954139. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T18132A17954139.en. Downloaded on 24 January 2021.

Ecology Asia. (n.d.). Thomas’s Leaf Monkey – Presbytis thomasi. Retrieved March 25, 2025, from https://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/thomas’s-leaf-monkey.htm

Sterck, E. H. M., Willems, E. P., van Schaik, C. P., & Wich, S. A. (2005). Demography and life history of Thomas langurs (Presbytis thomasi). American Journal of Primatology, 69(6), 641–651. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20386

Steenbeek, R., Piek, R. C., van Buul, M., & van Hooff, J. A. R. A. M. (1999). Vigilance in wild Thomas’s langurs (Presbytis thomasi): the importance of infanticide risk. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 45, 137–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002650050547

Wich, S. A., Steenbeek, R., Sterck, E. H. M., Korstjens, A. H., Willems, E. P., & van Schaik, C. P. (2007). Demography and life history of Thomas langurs (Presbytis thomasi). American Journal of Primatology, 69(6), 641–651. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20386

Wich, S. A., Schel, A. M., de Vries, H., & van Schaik, C. P. (2008). Geographic variation in Thomas Langur (Presbytis thomasi) loud calls. American Journal of Primatology, 70(6), 566–574. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajp.20527

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Thomas’s langur. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 25, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas%27s_langur

Thomas’s Langur Presbytis thomasi

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