Don't Let It Die Trivia Quiz

Answer: Malayan tiger

The Malayan tiger was recognised in 2004 as a subspecies distinct from the Indochinese tiger. Although physically indistinguishable from the Indochinese tiger, genetic analysis revealed that the Malayan tiger has substantial genetic variation that warrants its own subspecies classification. The Malayan tiger is one of the smallest tiger species and it roams peninsular Malaysia. Its geographic region may overlap with that of the Indochinese tiger's in southern Thailand. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classified the Malayan tiger as critically endangered in 2015, at which time its population was estimated at only a few hundred individuals. As is common with other endangered species, the main threats faced by the Malayan tiger are habitat fragmentation and poaching.

The Malayan tiger is the national animal of Malaysia. It is depicted on the Malaysian coat of arms as well as the State of Johor's coat of arms. The tiger also features in the heraldry of public and private institutions such as the Royal Malaysia Police, the Football Association of Malaysia, Malayan Banking (Maybank) and automobile manufacturer Proton Holdings. The tiger is called "harimau" in the Malay language and it is colloquially dubbed "Pak Belang", which means "Uncle Stripes" ("pak" = "uncle"; "belang" = "stripes").

This question was given its stripes by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Bornean Orangutan

These beautiful creatures are only found in the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, which is appropriate, as their name, in the Malay tongue, translates to "person of the forest". They're highly intelligent, they make tools to employ, but they're not very social. They tend to live solitary lives and this begins from a very early age. The moment the child reaches sexual maturity, they separate from the mother. When you throw into the mix the fact that their reproductive rates are very low, the chances of them recovering from any adverse impact on their numbers are low.

Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 was turned every which way but loose in researching this question.

Answer: By grazing on selected grasses

Rhinos are pretty selective in their grazing and tend to chew on grasses that tend to dominate a landscape. By doing so they create room for those plants that, otherwise, would not have been able to compete. This then opens the door for a mosaic of plants to flourish.

Sadly, in an article published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2021, it was estimated that there were only 30 individual Sumatran rhinos known to be in the wild. Their biggest issues are habitat loss and separation (fragmentation). The fragmentation makes their ability to locate each other extremely difficult, making the survival of these smaller groups unviable. Their population has been reduced to just the islands of Sumatra and Borneo but there was a time when they could be found roaming in eastern India and Bhutan, around the foothills of the Himalayas and across Myanmar and Thailand. There is evidence that they may also have roamed as far away as Vietnam and China.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who has avoided telling a rhino joke in case the audience was hippo-critical.

Answer: Bird

The rhinoceros hornbill has a stunning golden-yellow casque on top of its beak. The casque is similar to a horn. It is made of keratin, similar to what your fingernails are made from, and it is hollow. The bill acts like a form of echo-chamber and it serves to amplify the bird's call.

The bird is held in high regard by the Dayak people of Malaysia and it is the state bird of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The sad part is that the horn, which gives the bird some uniqueness, also makes it a prize for hunting and this, coupled with the growing loss of habitat, is making it vulnerable to extinction.

The question flew in from Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Answer: Rolling up into a ball

The Sunda pangolin (also known as a Javan or Malayan pangolin) is an arboreal mammal whose upper body is covered from head to tail by tough scales. Their go-to defensive action is to curl themselves up into a tight ball, so their less-well protected face and underbelly is also safely behind a wall of scales. Additionally, the scales on their tails are quite sharp, so can be deployed as a defensive weapon, and they are able to emit a foul-smelling acid to put off potential predators. The name pangolin is actually derived from the Malay word 'pengguling', which means 'to roll up'.

Unfortunately, the Sunda pangolin's defense against the predators it naturally encounters in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia is part of the reason why it, along with other pangolin species, became critically endangered. Pangolin scales are sought-after for their use in traditional medicines and while rolling up into a ball might stymie a tiger, it simply makes it easier for a human to pick it up and carry it away. Other threats to the species include being hunted for its skin and meat and the loss of its natural habitat.

This question was rolled into the quiz head-first by Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81.

Answer: False

The Borneo elephant or Borneo pygmy elephant is a wild animal that gets its name from its relative size and not any relation to human pygmies. They are a subspecies of the Asian elephant that range in height from 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 m). On average they are slightly smaller than their mainland cousins and considerably smaller than African elephants, who can grow up to 13 feet (4m).

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) determined that the Borneo elephant is genetically different from other Asian elephants and was isolated some 300,000 years ago from mainland and Sumatran elephants. Originally it was supposed they were introduced by man in the 18th century from a domesticated herd of the Sultan, but this theory has been genetically disproved.

The WWF began working in Borneo in 2005 in the Malaysian state of Sabah. They have worked with plantation owners and local governments to establish forest corridors for the elephants and other creatures to be able to move between natural forests and preserves. Human conflict and loss of habitat are the biggest threats facing the elephants.

This question was trumpeted into the quiz by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Convex horseshoe bat

The convex horseshoe bat was first discovered in 1995 in the Cameron Highlands District of Malaysia by Hungarian zoologists Gábor Csorba and Ferenc Zilahy. Only two members of the species have been collected, hence its status on the red list. One was found in a montane forest in Malaysia and the other by a cave in Laos, although this find has been deemed questionable. The species is a member of the pusillus group of the Rhinolophus genus of bats.

This question was winged into the quiz by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: It breeds only during the spring months

Also called the Malaysian sun bear, they become sexually mature between two to four years of age, will breed throughout the year and the young will remain with the mother for up to three years.

It stands at only 70 centimetres (a little under 30 inches), so it's little wonder that it is sometimes referred to as the "little bear of the forest". It weighs in at about 75 to 80 pounds, though a big male could get to as much as 100 pounds. Compare this to the average grizzly bear, which comes in at an average of 600 pounds.

The sun bear has strong rounded claws and is an excellent tree climber. It doesn't seem to hibernate, and this may be because of the abundance of food sources. It will dine out on a variety of different foods, ranging from bugs, such as termites and beetles, to honey, fruits and seeds. They have also been known to capture and eat birds and small deer on occasion.

This delightful creature gets its name from a distinctive cream to orange coloured patch on its chest and their digging for bugs has the benefit of enhancing the nutrient cycle of the forest. It has been given vulnerable conservation status thanks to rampant hunting of the species. In Malaysia hunting them has been made illegal, and a captive breeding programme has been put in place in an effort to resurrect the breed.

This question came from the fertile mind of Phoenix Rising's own dancing bear, pollucci19.

Answer: Cattle

The banteng is a species of wild cattle native to grasslands and forests of Southeast Asia. It was first listed as endangered on the IUCN red list in 1996. Conservation efforts, such as legal protection in multiple countries and the introduction of sanctuaries and protected areas, unfortunately failed to eliminate the poaching of these creatures and their population continued to decline in the 21st century. Over time its range has contracted to small pockets of territory in mainland Southeast Asia and some Indonesian and Malaysian islands, although some populations have also been introduced elsewhere - such as in Australia's Northern Territory.

Banteng are generally larger than domestic cattle species. Both sexes have horns and can be identified by a large white patch on their rump; males are bigger and stronger with dark brown or black coats, while females tend to be a paler chestnut colour with a darker line along the top of their back.

Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81 refused to be cowed and insisted on mooving this question into the quiz.

Answer: Dark head and limbs with light-coloured torso

The Malayan tapir is also called the Asian tapir or Indian tapir. It is the largest tapir species and the only Old World species of tapir. The other three tapir species are found in South America. The Malayan tapir's range stretches from southern Myanmar to southern Thailand, peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra in Indonesia. While the other three species of tapir are dark-coloured, the Malayan tapir's torso is white or pale grey, resembling an Oreo cookie. This colouring is believed to aid its camouflage. Their young are born with dark coats and pale stripes and spots. Malayan tapirs have poor eyesight but they have excellent hearing and sense of smell. They were placed in the Endangered category on the IUCN Red List in 2008 when their numbers were estimated at less than 2,500 mature individuals. The main threat to the Malayan tapir population is habitat loss through deforestation. In the Malay language, a tapir is called "tenuk".

This question was twisted, licked and dunked by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.