Malaysian conservationists crying ‘fowl’ over dwindling species
Hunting, cross-breeding and encroachment upon the bird’s habitats mean the colourful red junglefowl is getting harder to spot in Malaysia
By Fatimah Zainal
While the Year of the Rooster has kicked off, the future looks bleak for Malaysia’s very own endangered red junglefowl.
Known for its brilliantly coloured plumage, it used to be found foraging in the wild.
This type of fowl lives in a mix of open ground and dense vegetation such as around villages, plantations and the edges of towns and cities.
These days, it is getting harder to spot these fowls thought to be the wild ancestors of the domestic poultry.
“The red jungle fowl is generally considered as endangered due to encroachment of their habitats,” said Malaysian Nature Society president Henry Goh.