Get
To Know
The
Banded Leaf Monkey is a species of monkey which is endemic to
the Thai-Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra. It is diurnal
and is found in mixed mangrove, primary freshwater, riverbank, primary
lowland logged, scrub-grassland riverbank, and secondary riverbank
habitats. Arboreal and gregarious, it is primarily frugivorous,
as its diet consists principally of fruit and immature leaves. It
is found in taller trees of swampy peat forest in Malay Peninsula,
while in Singapore it is limited to primary, secondary, swamp, and
dryland rainforests of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve where
less than 40 individuals still struggle to exist. Considering the
extensive habitat loss that has taken place within the range of
the species, there is reason to believe that this species is in
decline, probably at a rate of less than 30% over three generations
(approximately 30 years), thus qualifying if for listing as Near
Threatened. Additionally, infant mortality rate is extremely high
for these monkeys - probably more than 50 per cent, which greatly
affects their replacement numbers. Deforestation and conversion
of habitat would appear to be the major threats to this species.
It is particularly affected by oil palm plantations, which are expanding
very rapidly within its range. In Singapore, which cites the monkey
as precious to their history, there is an effort to protect the
remaining forest habitats, and to police its habitat against poaching
and human disturbances.
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Small Clemency
By
JD DeHart
The one across the room
describes her utopia as a place
where everyone is a Christian
(she would probably say white,
too, given the chance)
and no one is gay.
I wonder how she came to be,
I wonder about the contents
of their living rooms, what they put
into her soup, and how the human
condition must always erect
an antagonist, always have someone
to excommunicate. I listen
to diverse voices, trying to find
some semblance of my own,
attempting to show kindness, clemency
to the ignorance of malice
yet ultimately fail and must move on.
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