Wildlife of Fraser’s Hill Fraser’s Hill is a well-known location for studying birds and insects. Equally exciting, but lesser known, is the life. Celine Low sheds some light on the subject.

Text by Celine Low

raser’s Hill (in Malay, Bukit Fraser), which straddles the states of Pahang and Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia, is part of the for- ested Titiwangsa Mountain Range and risesF to 1,310 m elevation. Fraser’s Hill is covered and surrounded by sub-mon- tane primary rainforest, and has cool temperatures of 17–25º C year round (Strange, 2004). The World Wide Fund For Nature– Malaysia gives the number of mammals Red-cheeked was formerly Red-cheeked Ground Squirrel. It is not common but is sometimes seen on or near the ground along for Fraser’s Hill as 52 species. From my the roads. Photo Tan Heok Hui records, at least 10 more species can be added to the list, but some are not sub- stantiated. Work is currently under way The two little of Fraser’s Hill to compile a complete checklist; for the time being this anecdotal visual presen- Two small squirrels in the genus occur at Fraser’s Hill, so look tation will have to do. Fraser’s Hill is covered and surrounded by sub-montane primary rainforest, and has closely if you spot one of those. Both the Slender Squirrel S. tenuis and Low's cool temperatures of 17–25º C year round. Photo Morten Strange. Among the commonly seen mam- Squirrel S. lowii have been collected from Fraser's Hill and confirmed recently Himalayan Squirrel, Tamiops mcclel- in photographs, but they are difficult to distinguish in the field. mals of Fraser’s Hill the White-thighed The Slender is definitely more slender with a relatively longer tail and Langur (or Leaf Monkey) is one of the landii) being abundant and the Pallas’s the belly is greyish, while Low's has an unmistakably white underside, clearly most conspicuous, although the Dusky Squirrel (previously Mountain Red- demarcated. The fur of Slender appears more rufous, while Low’s is dark Langur also occurs, see Nature Watch bellied Squirrel, erythraeus) brown. Low’s tends to move low in the under-storey or even on the ground, 19(2) for more information about also common. The Grey-bellied Squirrel while Slender is often higher in the trees. the leaf monkeys. Southern Pig-tailed and the Red-cheeked (Ground) Squirrel To make matters even more complicated, the Slender Squirrel at Fraser’s Macaque is a fairly shy monkey that is are less numerous. See box regarding Hill is of the subspecies Sundasciurus tenuis tahan which is restricted to high- the small Sundasciurus squirrels. As we Low’s Squirrel. Photo Tan Heok Hui lands in Peninsular Malaysia. It sometimes seen along the access roads; has been found to be genetically whilst the bolder Long-tailed Macaque know, most mammals in the tropics are distinct and is likely to be elevated has come up to the hill in recent years. nocturnal, and among those the Masked to species level in the very near The daily call of the Siamang rouses Palm Civet appears to be the most com- future, S. tahan. It is our opinion feelings primeval, but good views are dif- monly seen at Fraser’s. that Sundasciurus tenuis and S. ficult. The related White-handed Gibbon tahan do not co-exist, and that only (Hylobates lar, not illustrated here) occurs Some stories S. tahan can be found at Fraser’s I have started visiting Fraser’s Hill regu- Hill, although other observers have lower down the hill near the Gap. reported both subspecies. This Other diurnal mammals include the larly since December 2006, when my needs to be confirmed. For the Eurasian Wild Pig, the photograph on companions and I discovered a charm- Western Striped Squirrel is a very common time being, and for the purpose the poster was taken near the garbage ing colonial bungalow with plenty of mammal at Fraser’s Hill. Here one is feed- of the poster, we have included The Slender Squirrel at Fraser’s Hill is of ing on a cicada near the Jelai Highlands the subspecies Sundasciurus tenuis tahan. character and a view of the kind that Low’s Squirrel has a distinct white belly the Slender Squirrel here as dump, and of course the squirrels, with Resort, famous for its bird activity at dawn. seen well from this angle. Photo Nick Baker Photo Morten Strange the Western Striped Squirrel (previously must have enraptured Louis James Fraser Photo Morten Strange. Sundasciurus tenuis.

8 Nature Watch Jul - Sep 2011 Jul - Sep 2011 Nature Watch 9 when he decided to build his home Another one of my travel compan- obligingly showed us the spot where she somewhere near the hill that was later ions described a mammal he had seen had seen the Tiger lying down one fine References named after him. behind one of the bungalows when he morning, while she was practicing taiji. Francis, C.M. (2008). A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-East Asia. New Holland, London. The caretakers who used to run the was taking photographs of butterflies, It was at the boundary of the forest and Strange, M. (2004). Birds of Fraser’s Hill: An Illustrated bungalow told us that regularly and I surmised it to be a Yellow-throated her vegetable garden, and it had prob- Guide and Checklist. Nature’s Niche, Singapore. came to raid the peas they grow in the Marten when he mentioned it stood up ably gone there to rest for the day. She garden, and sure enough, one morning on its hind legs to look at him. I have immediately scooted off into the house in September 2008, three White-thighed since, very diligently, sneaked around when she saw the Tiger, locking all the Langurs descended in our garden and that very same bungalow every time I doors. Her gardener’s dog was tied up gorged on the peas. After their legumi- went to Fraser’s Hill, but to no avail. by the vegetable garden, tail tucked in nous breakfast, they sat on the garden As if Lady Luck were taunting me, between its legs, shivering with fright. bench and luxuriated in the delight- when my companions and I were assidu- It was cowering, trying to be as incon- ful morning breeze, entranced by the ously applying our efforts to look for spicuous as possible, as quiet as a mouse. zephyr softly fingering the fur framing wildlife, traipsing about one afternoon Fortunately, the Tiger did not have a their thoughtful faces. We jostled for in December 2008, and we had left one palate for dogs and left it alone. prime viewing spots, trying to blend of our travel mates resting on a bench Fraser’s Hill is ‘peppered’ with an Binturong. Photo Celine Low into the curtains while taking photo- because he was not feeling well, she exotic plant called Piper aduncum, feeding on the infructescence of the of New Years Present as it did not occur graphs, and our simian visitors even cheekily sent a pair of Yellow-throated which has invaded Peninsular Malaysia plant. It seems it is not only humans to me that it was a Binturong. Later, who have a taste for exotic and non- when I caught up with a friend who was native fruits and vegetables. walking ahead and showed him my pho- 2009 must have been my lucky tograph, he identified it as a Binturong year, for having waited ten years to see and we were so excited we went back to

a Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) ogle at it like star-struck teenagers at a The author on the left with some friends at in the wild, I saw three of them in that celebrated idol. Fraser’s Hill covering all the angles. Photo same year. After I saw the first one, a The very next night, which was Vilma D’Rozario. friend joked that my curse had been a full moon night, we were walking Celine Low is a keen naturalist and the broken, and true enough, I saw the next along the same road again, hoping secretary of the NSS Vertebrate Study two within a short span of time, both of that the Ghosts of New Years Yet To Group. When she is not out looking for those were at Fraser’s Hill. Come would indulge us with a repeat animals, she is a sales executive in the I have also been very fortunate to see performance. Of course, the Binturong pharmaceutical industry. one of our modern day unicorns, the had other ideas and had made itself Bats are common at Fraser’s Hill but pho- rare Binturong. It was the night before scarce. I was rewarded though, with a tographs are hard to come by and more New Year’s Eve in 2009, and my com- sight so magical, my heart soared with Editor’s note to the poster on pages studies of the species are need. This is a Great Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros armiger panions and I were walking along one the giant flying squirrel (Petaurista sp.), 12-13: We compiled and edited a selection photographed inside one of the bungalows of the roads, spot lighting, while slivers which floated from a tall tree to another, of photographs of mammals taken at Fraser’s by Nick Baker. of mist caressed our faces like Ghosts of right above me. The squirrel covered a Hill, some by the author of the article, oth- New Years Past. I was lagging slightly distance of at least 50 metres across the ers by various contributors. The support we White-thighed Langur gorging on peas. Photo Celine Low behind when I spotted eye-shine in a road, and I felt as though time stood got from visitors to the hill station was very left us a memento by the garden bench Martens scampering across his view, tree and signaled the rest to stop. still and watched with me, enthralled, at encouraging, and we thank all contributors – remains of their previous meal, which even rummaging through a dustbin We started taking photographs and a screen playing in slow motion, show- for their efforts. All images in the poster are we dutifully photographed, since none for scraps. Did Sophocles not say that it looked like an unusual civet to me. ing the squirrel’s fully extended body of authentic free-living mammals photo- of us volunteered to tuck it into his/her success comes to he who toils? I would We could only see its face as it was rest- and patagium, etched against the volu- graphed on location at Fraser’s Hill. Most memento drawer. make him eat his words now. The excel- ing in the tree and its body was hidden. minous silvery full moon in the sky. were spotted right around the main network It was in one of the nights during lent photo here was taken not by me I must have been blinded by the Ghosts I knew then, that I was home. of roads such as the Telekom Loop, the Old this trip that we had another mammali- unfortunately, but by another lucky visi- Road, Jalan Richmond, Bishop’s Trail and other favorite wildlife watching trails. While an visitor, a winged one. We had put up tor from Peking University, Zhang Yong. Yellow-throated Marten. Photo Zhang Yong Tips for Mammal Watching a moth sheet and lights to attract moths Our caretaker had mentioned that 1. Fruiting trees are great stakeout points. diurnal mammals are fairly comprehen- since 1957 or earlier. My companions 2. Nocturnal mammals can be detected by their eye-shine, which glows red or yellow or sively covered, some nocturnal groups such to our balcony, so that we could photo- her sister had seen a Tiger (Panthera white when a torch light or head lamp is shone on them. graph and document them. We attracted tigris) around the time that the four boys and I have seen Sunda Slow Lorises in 3. Be as quiet as possible, unless you want to warn animals of your impending approach. as bats, rats and cats are under-represented. The bats are there, but they are difficult moths, and the moths attracted an were lost in Bishop’s Trail in 2005, so it Piper aduncum numerous times, and I Etiquette for Mammal Watching insectivorous horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus is probable that Tigers had been flushed have also photographed a Slow Loris 1. As nocturnal mammals have extra sensitive eyesight as an adaptation to a dim light envi- to identify and photograph, likewise with sp.), which flew around our balcony out of their territories to take cover at feeding on the inflorescence of the ronment, minimal use of strong light should be employed. most of the . Among the cats, both and caught moths on the wing. It was the edge of human habitation when the plant, leading us to nickname the plant 2. Repeated camera flashing is also unseemly behaviour. Leopard Cat and Leopard (black form) the ‘Slow Loris Plant’. We have also seen 3. Do not cause the animals undue stress. The welfare of the animals should be para- have been sighted, and a Tiger was photo- amazing to watch how the bat expertly army and police descended on the forest mount at all times, rather than the collecting of digital trophies, especially under the maneuvered its way around the relatively around Bishop’s Trail. Common Palm Civets in the Piper and guise of promoting awareness and conservation. graphed along the New Road in July 2009. confined space without hitting the walls Fascinated, we went off to inter- I have photographed a Small-toothed 4. Do not go out alone in case one sustains an injury or loses consciousness and is unable However, we were unable to obtain a copy or pillars and skillfully picked off the view our caretaker’s sister, who was the Palm Civet feeding on the inflorescence to get help. of the photograph. 5. Keeping to the roads and trails would be prudent as one can easily get lost in the forest. juicier moths with its echolocation. caretaker of another bungalow. She as well, and a Western Striped Squirrel

10 Nature Watch Jul - Sep 2011 Jul - Sep 2011 Nature Watch 11 Mammals of Fraser’s Hill Official Magazine of Nature Society (Singapore) Volume 19 No 3 Jul - Sep 2011

Southern Pig-tailed Macaque White-thighed Langur Siamang Symphalangus syndactylus Western Striped Squirrel Pallas’s Squirrel Grey-bellied Squirrel Macaca nemestrina Photo Nick Baker Presbytis siamensis Photo Adam Strange Photo Morten Strange Tamiops mcclellandii Photo Morten Strange Callosciurus erythraeus Photo Morten Strange Callosciurus caniceps Photo Morten Strange

Long-tailed Macaque Dusky Langur Sunda Colugo Black Giant Squirrel Slender Squirrel Red-cheeked Squirrel Macaca fascicularis Photo Morten Strange Trachypithecus obscurus Photo Morten Strange Galeopterus variegatus Photo Nick Baker Ratufa bicolor Photo Preston Murphy Sundasciurus tenuis Photo Morten Strange Dremomys rufigenis Photo Morten Strange

Sunda Slow Loris Binturong Arctictis binturong Masked Palm Civet Indomalayan Pencil-tailed Tree-Mouse Short-tailed Gymnure Common Treeshrew Nycticebus coucang Photo Celine Low Photo Ong Peck Cheng Paguma larvata Photo Celine Low Chiropodomys gliroides Photo Nick Baker Hylomys suillus Photo David Bakewell Tupaia glis Photo Morten Strange

12Small-toothed Nature Watch Palm Jul -Civet Sep 2011 Red Giant Flying Squirrel Lesser Giant Flying Squirrel Eurasian Wild Pig Sunda Pangolin Yellow-throated JulMarten - Sep 2011 Nature Watch 13 Arctogalidia trivirgata Photo Celine Low Petaurista petaurista Photo Celine Low Petaurista elegans Photo Celine Low Sus scrofa Photo Morten Strange Manis javanica Photo Celine Low Martes flavigula Photo Zhang Yong