Migratory Birds In Sarawak Free Of Avian Flu
Bernama, 26 Feb 2006

KUCHING, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Migratory birds stopping to feed in the Buntal Peninsula, about 40km from here and near the popular Santubong beaches, were found free of avian flu in a recent census.

The census was conducted by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Kuching Branch in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Medical Faculty's microbiology department late last year.

Kuching MNS chairman Oswald Braken said Sunday the census recorded 230 species of birds in the forests and surrounding coastlines of the peninsula.

Such migratory birds were normally heading back north during the months of January and February after flying south before winter in search of feeding grounds, he told Bernama on the sidelines of a dialogue session with the media on the Santubong Peninsula organised by Kuching MNS. 

Braken, who is also the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) senior manager for biodiversity conservation, said another census on shore birds conducted by SFC in the coastal areas of Sematan at the southern tip of Sarawak also came up with negative results.
 
 He said the Sematan census, which recorded 2,000 birds, was done between Dec 31 last year and Feb 10 as part of the biodiversity conservation effort. -- BERNAMA