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100 new species in Myanmar reveal its ‘biological riches’
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Into the woods: A Popa langur walks in the North Zamari Wildlife Sanctuary (NZWS) in Myanmar’s Bago region, on April 26, 2020. (AFP/WWF/Handout)
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t least 100 new species — from monkeys to mussels — were found in Myanmar in a decade, according to conservationists who said discoveries during the country's fleeting period of openness revealed "astonishing biodiversity".
Beginning in 2010 with the identification of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey, a small black primate known as the "sneezing monkey", researchers have made an "incredible sequence of discoveries", said international wildlife group Fauna and Flora International.
Over 10 years, during which Myanmar's generals eased their stranglehold on power, scientists from all over the world made a beeline to the country to explore rainforests, delve into cave systems, wade through rivers and pick their way across majestic karst rock formations.
"Myanmar harbors biological riches that most countries can only dream of. Its remaining tracts of forest are home to some of the most spectacular wildlife in mainland Southeast Asia," FFI said in a statement.
But the organization raised fears over a "barrage of threats", including from illegal logging, hunting, agriculture, infrastructure development and quarrying.
FFI had tallied up the list of 100 new species early last year. But before they could celebrate, the Myanmar army seized power in a February 2021 coup.
With field operations already suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FFI's acting country manager Ngwe Lwin said the team was focusing on existing conservation programs with Myanmar partner Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association.
