Asia -Trail of the Tiger

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Scientific Name: Irena puella

Found In: Southeast Asia including the countries of Nepal, Sri Lanka, China and the Philippines

Size: The Asian fairy bluebird measures 9.4 to 10.6 inches in length.

Diet: Omnivore: Nectar, insects and fruit, especially figs.

Threat Level: Least concern – Though listed as least concerned, the population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation, as well as hunting pressure.

Facts: They have a very loud contact call and have a song consisting of a loud, melodious series of whistling notes.

Asiatic Black Bear

Scientific Name: Ursus thibetanus

Found In: Parts of Middle East and Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Japan, and Vietnam

Size: Females bears weigh between 88 and 309 lbs and males between 132 and 441 lbs.

Diet: Omnivore: Consist of shoots, forbs and leaves in spring, insects and a variety of tree and shrub-borne fruits in summer, and nuts in autumn.

Threat Level: Vulnerable – Habitat loss due to logging, expansion of human settlements, roadway networks, and hydro-power stations, combined with hunting.

Facts: There is a crescent-shaped yellow or cream marking on the chest, which has led to this bear being called the ‘moon bear’ in some areas.

Virginia Zoo Moon Bears: male Chai

Binturong

Scientific Name: Arctictis binturong penicillatus

Found In: South and Southeast Asia occurring from eastern Nepal, Bangladesh, northeast India and southern China through mainland and islands in Southeast Asia.

Size: Weighs 30 to 50 pounds.

Diet: Frugivorous: predominately eats fruits

Threat Level: Vulnerable – Habitat loss and degradation, and fragmentation are threats.

Facts: Binturongs are primarily arboreal, but they do descend to the ground

Virginia Zoo Binturongs: male Tasik

Black-naped Fruit Dove

Scientific Name: Ptilinopus melanaspilus

Found In: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Size: They are medium-sized birds that can grow up to 9.5 inches long.

Diet: Frugivorous: Diet conists mainly of various fruits, figs and berries.

Threat Level: Least Concern – Does not meet the standards of vulnerable

Facts: The female usually lays one single white egg.

Bornean Orangutan

Scientific Name: Pongo pygmaeus

Found In: Indonesia and Malaysia

Size: Males: 3.9-4.6 ft. weighing 110-220 lbs. | Females: 3.3-3.9 ft. weighing 66-110 lbs.

Diet: Omnivore: mostly fruits, but also includes leaves, barks, flowers and insects

Threat Level: Critically Endangered – Major threats are destruction, degradation and fragmentation of their habitats, as well as hunting.

Facts: Bornean orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals in the world.

Virginia Zoo Orangutans: Inside Exhibit: male Schnitz and female Pepper | Outside Exhibit: male Solaris, female Dara

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha

Scientific Name: Rhamphococcyx curvirostris singularis

Found In: Indonesia

Size: 17 to 19 inches in length

Diet: Frugivorous: Fruits, figs, and berries

Threat Level: Least Concern – Due to destruction of habitat

Facts: Unlike many cuckoos, Malkohas build their own nests and raise their own young.

Collared Finch-billed Bulbul

Scientific Name: Spizixos semitorques

Found In: China, Province of China, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Size: Up to 9 inches in length

Diet: Omnivore: Their diets consist of fruits, seeds, and insects.

Threat Level: Least Concern – The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Facts: These birds are named for the white collar of feathers around their necks.

Crested Wood Partridge

Scientific Name: Rollulus rouloul

Found In: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand

Size: These partridges can grow up to 10 inches in length.

Diet: Omnivore: Their diet mainly consists of fruits as well as seeds, large beetles, wood ants and small snails.

Threat Level: Near Threatened – Forest destruction in the Sundaic lowlands of Indonesia and Malaysia has been extensive, hurting the habitats in which these animals live.

Facts: These colorful birds can usually be seen in parties of five to fifteen individuals, foraging for food in the leaf-litter of the forest floor.

Malayan Sun Bear

Scientific Name: Helarctos malayanus euryspilus

Found In: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, and other Southeast Asian countries

Size: Adults are about 47-59 inches long and weigh 60-176 pounds.

Diet: Omnivore: Termites, ants, beetle larvae, bee larvae and honey, variety of fruit species, especially figs.

Threat Level: Vulnerable- Two major threats to sun bears are habitat loss and commercial hunting

Facts: Sun Bears have a long tongue, perfect for reaching their favorite food – honey.

Virginia Zoo Sun Bears: male Palu

Malayan Tapir

Scientific Name: Tapirus indicus indicus

Found In: Indonesia (Sumatera), Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand

Size: Tapirs grow to be between 5 ft. 11 in. and 8 ft. 2 in., and weigh between 550 and 710 pounds.

Diet: Tapirs are browsers that feed on more than 380 different species of leaves and seeds.

Threat Level: Endangered – Primary threats to the species are large scale deforestation and increase in hunting.

Facts: Malayan tapirs are solitary animals that are usually nocturnal.

Virginia Zoo Tapirs: female Haddie, males Rosco and calf Luther

Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon

Scientific Name: Ducula rufigaster

Found In: New Guinea

Size: On average, they weigh about 15-21 ounces.

Diet: Frugivores: palms, nutmegs, laurels and figs

Threat Level: Least Concern

Facts: Not much is known about this species, but the species is beginning to be researched.

Red Panda

Scientific Name: Ailurus fulgens fulgens

Found In: Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal

Size: Red pandas weigh between 8-14 pounds and are 22-25 inches in length plus a 15-19 inch long tail.

Diet: Omnivore: Young leaves and shoots of bamboo, fruit, roots, succulent grasses, acorns, lichens, birds’ eggs and insects.

Threat Level: Endangered – Major threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, degradation and physical threats.

Facts: French Zoologist Frédéric Cuvier first described the western Red panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens in 1825, 48 years before the black-and-white bear was cataloged.

Virginia Zoo Red Pandas: Pathway – male Timur, Asia – female Bo (currently off exhibit)

Sarus Crane

Scientific Name: Antigone antigone

Found In: India, South-East Asia and northern Australia

Size: Sarus cranes can grow up to 61 inches.

Diet: Feeds on a variety of roots and tubers as well as invertebrates and amphibians.

Threat Level: Vulnerable – Main threats are loss and degradation of wetlands, as a result of drainage and conversion to agriculture, ingestion of pesticides and the hunting of adults and collection of eggs and chicks.

Facts: Indian birds inhabit open wet and dry grasslands, agricultural fields, marshes and pools, while the South-East Asian and Australian species prefers the dry Savannah woodlands.

Virginia Zoo Sarus Cranes: male Icabod and female Sally

Siamang

Scientific Name: Symphalangus syndactylus

Found In: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand

Size: 29-35 inches with males being slightly larger. Siamangs weigh between 17-28 lbs.

Diet: Omnivore: consisting of mostly fruit, Siamangs also eat leaves and the occasional small bird, bird eggs, spiders and insects.

Threat Level: Endangered – Major threats are destruction, degradation and fragmentation of their habitats, as well as hunting.

Facts: Siamangs are strictly arboreal, highly territorial and primarily monogamous.

Virginia Zoo Siamangs: males Bali and Guntur

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Scientific Name: Goura victoria 

Found In: Indonesia & Papua New Guinea

Size: Typically 29 to 30 inches long. Some pigeons may exceed a length of 31 inches and a weight of 7.7 pounds.

Diet: Omnivore: Fallen fruit (particularly figs), seeds, and insects.

Threat Level: Near Threatened – A major threat is that it is prized by hunters for meat and, to a lesser extent, for its feathers.

Facts: This species is named after Queen Victoria.

White-Cheeked Gibbon

Scientific Name: Nomascus leucogenys

Found In: Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Vietnam and possibly extinct in China (Yunnan – Native)

Size:

Diet: Mainly frugivorous (eats fruit); Also eats leaves and flowers

Threat Level: Critically Endangered – Primary threats are deforestation through agricultural intrusion into mountainous areas and fuel-wood and timber extraction from remaining forests.

Facts: Gibbons are strictly arboreal, living in tall, heavily degraded evergreen and semi-evergreen forest.

Virginia Zoo Gibbons: black male Dexter and white female Asia