Sumatra Island Complete Details

A large island in western Indonesia in Southeast Asia. With an area of 473,000 square kilometers, it is the sixth largest island in the world and the largest island independently owned by Indonesia. With a population of 50.18 million, it is the second most populous island in Indonesia. It has a tropical rainforest climate.

Located above the equator, it is one of the four main islands of the Greater Sunda Islands. It is separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca in the northeast, bordered by the Indian Ocean in the west, the South China Sea in the east, Java in the southeast by the Sunda Strait, and the Andaman Islands in the north.

The ancient name of Sumatra is Suvara Dvipa (Sanskrit: Golden Island), which is called the Golden Island in ancient Chinese literature, because the mountainous areas of Sumatra have been rich in gold since ancient times, and in the 16th century, the reputation of the "Golden Island" attracted a lot of Portuguese explorers to go to Sumatra to look for gold.

Basic introduction Chinese name ：Sumatra Island Foreign name ：Sumatra Island AKA ：Golden Island Affiliated area ：Indonesia Jurisdiction ：Ten provinces Geographic location ：Western Indonesia Area ：473,400 square kilometers Population ：50.18 million Climate conditions ：Tropical rainforest Climate Source of the name，History, Mulliputian state, Sumatra state, the Western invasion, the administrative area, natural geography, the history of the island, the state of Mullifore, the western invasion, and the history of the island. Administrative Region, Physical Geography, Topography, Rivers, Coast, Climate, Biological Resources, Tsunamis and Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, Socio-Economic, Population, Agriculture, Industry, Transportation, Local Customs, Wildlife, Origin of Name There are two theories on the origin of the name of the island of Sumatra: one says that the name of the island is derived from the Sanskrit word SamudraDvipa, which means " sea", and dvipa, which means " sea". The first is that the name of the island comes from the Sanskrit word SamudraDvipa, with samudra meaning "sea" and dvipa meaning "island", so Sumatra was once called Sumutrabhumi, which means "glorious and beautiful countryside", and a synonym of this name is Sumutrabhumi (Sumutrabhumi), which is the name of the island of Sumatra. Sumutrabhumi, Sumatra evolved from Sumatra Bhumi. Sumatra was known as Andalas, a name of Arabic origin. Hundreds of years ago, the island was widely planted with rubber trees, and the people called it "Pazia", which means "Rubber Island" in Indonesian. After Indonesia's independence, the island earned the nickname "Island of Hope". Sumatra is written as Sumatera in Indonesian and is customarily spelled Sumatra in English, and the name Sumatra has been recorded in ancient Chinese texts from early times, with the earliest being in the Yuan Shi Shi Zu Ji (Annals of the Yuan Dynasty), in which the 19th year of the reign of the Yuan Dynasty is recorded. The earliest record is the "Yuan Shi Shi Zu Ji" (The History of Yuan Dynasty - The Chronicle of Shizu), in which it is written that in the 19th year of the reign of Yuan Dynasty (1282), the state of Sumudusi sent an envoy to China. Sumudusi is the earliest translation of the name of the island in Chinese historical records, and in the Yuan History it is also translated as Sumudusi. The Ming Dynasty set up the old port of Sumatra, and then its name is often found in the Chinese history and many of its books, but the translation is not uniform, to the Qing Dynasty, the name was changed to Sumatra, and the modern books follow this translation. Satellite Map of Sumatra History Sumatra was on the main route of the Maritime Silk Road, so the economy flourished and some famous trading cities appeared, mainly in the east. Indian religions, especially Buddhism, also penetrated the region with it. Historically, the island of Sumatra was home to the ancient kingdoms of Mulli Fudah, Sumatra, Baxi, Aceh, Na Orphan, and Ledai. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China (5th-6th centuries), there was the state of Kantali. Murali Phodrang Kingdom In the mid-7th century, the Murali Phodrang Kingdom emerged in the first year of the Yonghui reign (650) of the Tang Dynasty in China, replacing the Chantali Kingdom, and was located in the area of present-day Jugang. This Buddhist kingdom dominated the 7th-9th centuries, spreading Malay culture across Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and western Borneo through trade contacts and physical conquests. Historians believe, however, that the kingdom's sphere of influence was limited to the coastal areas and that the interior was virtually untouched by it. In the late 7th century, in the second year of the Tang Xianheng reign (671), a Tang monk, Yi Jing, visited the kingdom of Murray Buddha's death and stayed for six months. At the beginning of the 10th century, in the first year of the Tang Dynasty (904), it was renamed Sanfoqi, with Burinbang (today's Jugang) as its capital. At the end of the 10th century, in the first year of Jianlong of the Northern Song Dynasty (960), in the second year (961), in the third year (962) in March, and in the third year in December, the king of Sanfoqi, Sili Daxaritan, sent an envoy to pay tribute to Fang Fang. In the 11th century, the Srivijaya empire expanded its power to most of Sumatra, as well as other islands and mainland areas. In the second year of the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty (1079), on the third day of the seventh month, Samphoon-Jambi envoys came to pay tribute to Fang Fang; in the third year of the Yuanyou era (1089), they sent an envoy in December to pay tribute to Fang Fang; in the fifth year of the Yuanyou era (1091), in September, they paid tribute to Fang Fang again. By this time, the old capital of Samphoqi, Buriram, had already been occupied by East Java, and the capital of Samphoqi was moved to Jambi. Sumatra's forests were being destroyed In the early 13th century, Zhao Ruisi, a Song dynasty official from Quanzhou City, wrote a detailed account of Samphoqi in his book Zhufan Zhi (The Records of All the Buddhas) in the first year of the Southern Song Dynasty's Baoqing reign (1225). In the middle of the 13th century, the Samphoqi failed in their expedition to Xiulan, and their power was weakened. In 1377, the capital of Samphoqi fell into the hands of the Javanese Majapahit empire, and since then the kingdom fell into disrepair in Sumatra, and in the late 14th century it was destroyed by the Javanese King Manjabawi in the 30th year of the Ming dynasty's Hongwu reign in 1397. Sumatra Sumatra was known as "Sumendana" during the Yuan Dynasty, and was located at the mouth of the Parsei River on the island of Sumatra today, where there was also a small village called Sumandra. 1298 Marco Polo described Samara as the Sumendana Kingdom. The Arabian traveler Ibn Battuta once visited the country of Sumandra, which he called "Sumatra" (the Arabic translation of "Samudra"), but "Ibn Battuta's Travels" did not receive the attention it deserved, and only in the 19th century was it rediscovered by Western European scholarship. In the early 15th century, the Venetian traveler Niolò Da Conti traveled to the country of Sumatra for a year, and he called Sumatra Shamuttera in his Travels. At the end of the 13th century, in the ninth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1282), the country of Suwendana sent an envoy to pay tribute to Fang Fang. It was only in the Ming Dynasty that the name was changed to Sumatra, but it was still not the whole island of Sumatra. At the end of the 14th century, in the first year of the Ming Dynasty (1367), the king of Sumatra offered gold leaf tablets, horses and square objects. During the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He's seven expeditions to the West Ocean repeatedly passed through the coast of Sumatra. In the same year, Emperor Chengzu of Ming Dynasty ordered Zheng He to give a big bell to the King of Aceh, which is still displayed in the Aceh Museum. In the third year of the Yongle reign (1406), the king of Sumatra, Sultan Hanan Abidin, sent an envoy to Ali to pay tribute, and Ming Emperor Chengzu declared Dan Hanan Abidin to be the king of Sumatra, and gave him a seal and gold coins. In the fifth year of Yongle, he again sent an envoy to pay tribute. After that, Sumatra was invaded by the Orphan Kingdom. The King of Sumatra was killed by a poisoned arrow, and the Prince Sukanla was very young, so the Princess ordered that if any warrior could avenge the King's death and defend Sumatra, she would be willing to marry him. An old fisherman stepped forward and defeated the orphaned kingdom. The princess married the old fisherman and honored him as the old king. In the seventh year of Yongle (1410), the old fisherman king came to the capital to pay tribute, and in the tenth year of Yongle (1413), Ming Chengzu sent an envoy to Sumatra. By this time, the former Prince Sukanla had become an adult and killed the Old Fisherman King and then fled to the mountains to establish a mountain stronghold. In the 13th year of Yongle (1416), Zheng He, the third eunuch, captured the former Prince Sukanla and sent him to the capital to be executed. The king was grateful for the capture. In the 10th year of Xuande (1436), Emperor Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty named the son of the king as the successor to the throne. Later, the state of Sumatra was destroyed by the Emirate of Aceh, which lasted until the 20th century, while Sumatra became the name of the whole island. Western Invasions Beginning in the 16th century, European powers - first Portugal, then the Netherlands and Great Britain - traded with, fought with and established forts in the coastal principalities of Sumatra, while the Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1824 and 1871 extinguished British sovereignty over Sumatra, and the Dutch, through economic development and administration, gradually incorporated the interior into their sphere of influence in the 19th century. During the 19th century, the Sumatran kingdoms were defeated one by one by the Dutch colonizers, with the exception of the Emirate of Aceh, which remained independent. The Dutch paid a high price for the occupation of this emirate by fighting the costly Aceh War (1870-1905). The northern part of Aceh took 30 years of fighting before coming under Dutch control in the early 20th century. Sumatra was occupied by the Japanese during World War II and became part of the Indonesian **** and State in 1950. Since then, the Sumatran people have from time to time expressed their dissatisfaction with centralized ****ancial issues, often launching rebellions or other regional social movements. The most notable of these was the situation in Aceh, where armed conflict between Acehnese separatists and the Indonesian army has been a regular feature since 1990, and in late 2004 Sumatra was struck by a natural catastrophe, when a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean (triggered by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Aceh) ravaged the low-lying areas of the northwestern coast and neighboring islands, resulting in heavy casualties and disasters. The island is divided into eight provinces, namely North Sumatra, Jambi, Riau, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Bangka-Belitung, Bengkulu and Lampung, as well as the semi-autonomous province of Aceh. The main cities are Medan, Megaport and Padang. About 3/5 of the population live in rural areas; Medan in northeastern Sumatra is the most densely populated. Java has migrated to Lampung province in southern Sumatra to ease overcrowding. The whole island of Sumatra*** is divided into nine provinces: Administrative divisions of Sumatra Aceh Province (Aceh) Capital: Banda Aceh Bangka-Belitung Province (Bangka-Belitung) Capital: Bangkalpinang Bengkulu Province (Bengkulu) Capital: Bengkulu (Bengkulu) Capital: Bengkulu (Bengkulu) Capital: Bengkulu (Bangkulu) （Bengkulu Capital: Bengkulu City Jambi Capital: Jambi Lampung Capital: Bandar Lampung Riau Capital: Pekanbaru Riau Islands Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Capital: Tanjung Penang Riau Province - Capital: Pekanbaru Kepulauan Riau Riau Riau Islands Province - Capital: Tanjungpinang West Sumatra - Capital: Padang South Sumatra - Capital: Palembang North Sumatra - Capital: Medan Physical Geography Terrain The island of Sumatra has a north-west-south-east orientation and consists of two main parts: the Barisan Mountains (Barisan Mountains) in the west and the Barisan Mountains (Barisan Mountains) in the south. Sumatra has a northwest-southeast orientation and consists of two main parts: the Barisan Mountains in the west and the lowland plains in the east. The western coastal plain is too narrow. The Barisan Mountains in the western half of the island are a succession of Cenozoic mountain ranges on the Tibetan Plateau, which run northwest-southeast, stretching 1,600 kilometers across the island. There are more than 90 volcanoes, the highest of which is Mount Kerinci, which reaches an altitude of 3,800 meters. As a result of the volcanic ash, parts of the island are fertile and conducive to agriculture. Lakes abound, the most famous of which is Lake Toba in the northern part of the mountain range, covering an area of 1,140 square kilometers, which is the largest freshwater lake in Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world. Topographic map of Sumatra East of the mountains, powerful rivers carry silt downstream, forming vast alluvial plains, dotted with swamps, wide in the south and narrow in the north, over 100 kilometers wide at their widest point. Although the eastern plains have little arable land and are unfavorable for agriculture, their importance to Indonesia's economic development cannot be underestimated, as "what goes above the ground produces oil, goes below the ground": palm oil and petroleum. Rivers There are many rivers, the main ones being the Musi, Padang Hari, Indrakiri and Gamba, which are mostly navigable. Among them, the Hari River is the longest, navigable for 480 kilometers. Coastal Although Sumatra has a long coastline, the western coast lacks a natural harbor. The reason for this is the frequent attack of the "Indian Ocean lapping wave". This is a type of wave that rolls up in a long row or two or three rows and pushes toward the shore with such force that it can lift a fishing boat to the top of the wave and then flip it over and fall down. Due to the existence of "Indian Ocean waves", the west coast of Sumatra has almost no natural harbors. Climate Sumatra, which is crossed by the equator, has a tropical rainforest climate (high temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the year, with distinct wet and dry seasons). Due to the year-round heat and rain, there is little difference in temperature between different parts of the island, while rainfall varies significantly. Annual precipitation is 3,000 millimeters on the west coast and up to 4,500-6,000 millimeters in the mountainous areas; 2,000-3,000 millimeters on the eastern slopes of the mountain ranges to the coastal plains, and 1,500-1,700 millimeters on the north and south ends of the island. Biological Resources The island of Sumatra, which occupies a quarter of Indonesia's national territory, is a veritable treasure trove of life. There are 176 species of mammals alone. In addition, there are numerous reptiles and amphibians. The island's fauna includes orangutans, various species of apes, elephants, tapirs, tigers, the two-horned Sumatran rhinoceros, gibbons, tree shrews, flying lemurs, wild boars and lingcats. The island's three national parks (Mount Leuser, Kerinci Seblat and Bukit Barisan Selatan) were together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. As human activity increases in the local rainforest, biological resources are under increasing threat, with fewer than 5,000 orangutans and, according to the Indonesian Wildlife Conservation Foundation, in 2001 there were only 132 Sumatran rhinoceroses left. Sumatra's ecological problems have attracted much attention. It is hoped that Sumatra's natural biological treasures will remain intact. Most of Sumatra is covered by tropical forests and belongs to the tropical rainforest belt. With the exception of the highlands, Sumatra's climate is hot and extremely humid, with vegetation such as Sumatran pine, Pinus merkusii, Rafflesia arnoldii, mahogany, bamboo, rhododendron, orchids, palms, oaks, chestnuts, ebony, ironwood, camphor, sandalwood, and a variety of species that can be used to make rubber. These forests were once home to valuable flora and fauna (orangutans, tigers, tapirs, Rafflesia, etc.). Tropical plants of all kinds cover the entire area, which is teeming with life. Cascading mountain ranges are flooded by virgin forests, rivers with mirror-like waves are surrounded by tall coconut palms, and cities, villages, fields, and roads are drenched in a sea of green. The green sea and the azure sky constitute a harmonious and beautiful picture of style, which has become a bright landscape of Sumatra that has remained unchanged for a long time, leaving a deep impression on travelers. Unfortunately, corruption and illegal exploitation of the forests by the Indonesian authorities have put these pristine forests at risk of destruction. Even the so-called "protected areas" have been deforested. Tsunamis and earthquakes At the end of 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami was triggered by the island of Sumatra. On October 25, 2010, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which was followed by a huge tsunami. On April 11, 2012, at 16:38, an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale struck the west coast of North Sumatra. The depth of the quake was 33 kilometers. On March 12, 2019, at 00:34, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck the northern part of Sumatra Island (1.10°N, 98.75°E) at a depth of 80 km. Main article: 3-12 Sumatra earthquake Volcanic eruption On September 26, 2012, Mount Merapi volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted, and a large amount of ash was ejected 1.5 kilometers west of the crater. Socio-Economic Population Sumatra has a population of about 37 million people, with a low population density (85 people/km2). The most densely populated areas include North Sumatra and the central highlands of West Sumatra, with the largest urban areas concentrated in Megaport and Medan. There are 52 different languages spoken by the local people, all belonging to the South Island language family, and the cultures are very close to each other. In the east, the most common language is Malay, but other languages are spoken by different ethnic groups in other areas: Lampung and Minangkabau in the south and center, Batak in the mountainous areas of the north, and Acehnese in the northernmost coastal areas. There are also Chinese speaking Minangkabau in the urban areas. Most people in Sumatra follow Islam, but the Batak follow Christianity (a religion spread by the Dutch), in addition to Hindus, Buddhists and Catholics. Agriculture Rice, coffee, rubber, tea, oil palm, tobacco and coconut are the main agricultural products. Agricultural products grown for export include rubber, tobacco, tea, coffee, palm oil, ramie fiber, agarwood, copra, betel nut, kapok, peanuts and pepper. Vegetables for export are grown in the highland areas of North Sumatra. Subsistence crops include corn, root crops, vegetables and rice. About one-third of Indonesia's timber comes from Sumatran forests, which also produce various oils and fibers. Industries Industries include oil refining, mining, machinery, chemicals, and food processing. Important cities include Medan, Padang, and Megaport. The island's mountains, plains and swamps along the northern coast are interspersed, making it the largest plantation area for cash crops in Indonesia. In addition to mineral resources such as tin and oil, a wide variety of tropical cash crops such as rubber and coffee are mainly grown here. The value of exports from this island accounts for more than 60% of Indonesia's goods, which shows how important Sumatra is in Indonesia's economy. Sumatra and its neighboring islands are rich in oil, natural gas, tin, bauxite, coal, gold, silver and other minerals. The Umbilin coal field near Sawahlunto covers an area of about 100 square kilometers. Other coal fields include the Asen Mountains and deposits in South Sumatra. The Dumai area of Riau Province has some of the most productive oil wells in Indonesia, and there are also oil field developments in Megaport and Pangkalan Brandan. Transportation Northeastern Sumatra, the highlands of Padang and southern Sumatra are well served by a network of roads, while the rest of the country is accessible only by mountain trails and rivers. The northwest-southeast running Sumatra Highway was completed in the 1980s. Northern, central and southern Sumatra have separate, disconnected railroad networks. An Indonesian airline operates flights to and from major cities. The area of Sumatra including the neighboring islands is 482,393 km2 . Population: 43,309,707 including neighboring islands (2000). Sumatra's languages belong to the Austronesian languages (Malayo-Polynesian family). The Acehnese live in the northwestern part of the country, the Gajo and Alas in the mountainous north-central part, the Batak in the area around and to the south of Lake Toba, and the Minangkabau (the largest ethnic group in the region) in the highlands of Padang. The western coast of southern Patong is home to the Redjang and Lebong hill people and the Lampung coastal people. Coastal and riverine Malays are in the majority on the east coast and in the vast southern plains, and speak Malay (of the Indonesian group), the lingua franca of the Indonesian archipelago. The Minangkabau and Batak are the best educated in the Western style. The vast majority of Sumatrans are Muslims, but some residents are Christians and animists. The island of Sumatra is also known as "Menangkabau", meaning "victory of the buffalo". There is an interesting story about the origin of the name. About 1500 years ago, there was a dispute between Java and Malaya over the ownership of the island of Sumatra. In order to avoid bloodshed, the two sides came up with a marvelous solution: each side chose a buffalo that was representative of its own side, and let them fight, and the victory or defeat of the buffalo would determine the ownership of the island of Sumatra. The island of Sumatra was then given the name "Menangkabah", and the custom of bullfighting is still practiced in Indonesia. Sumatra's Batak people, taboo on the father-in-law and daughter-in-law to talk directly, have something to say must be through an intermediary. If a father-in-law wants to ask his daughter-in-law if there are eggs in the house, he must ask: "Muhammad, please go and ask my daughter-in-law if there are eggs in the house." The daughter-in-law must also reply, "Muhammad, please tell my father-in-law that I just bought a big bamboo basket yesterday." In this question and answer, Muhammad, as the intermediary, can stay on the side and pay no attention to what they are talking about, because the father-in-law and daughter-in-law can hear each other and do not need to be conveyed by others. If the father-in-law and daughter-in-law in the outside by chance, both out of politeness want to greet each other a few words, and at this time there is no third party, then the roadside stones, trees can act as a "middleman". In the southwest coast of Sumatra, there is a chain of islands called Mentawai Islands. On this island live tribal people who love tattoos, called "flower people". Due to the isolation of the natural environment, the Flower People have kept the habit of tattooing. Tattoo artists use palm tree sap and charcoal and other boiled into a dye, and then use the needle in the tattooed person pierced into a variety of floral patterns, and then dyed with the color juice, so that tattooed on the body of the pattern on the lifelong retention. This kind of tattooing is carried out under solemn and ancient ceremonies, not completed at once, but several times in each person's life, usually from the time of small children, and finally reach the completion of the whole body tattoo work. They consider it a beautification of a person. Because they basically *** clothes, only in the lower part of the waist around some leaves or tie a piece of cloth, so the body of the pattern of the beauty of the display, can make people at a glance. Wildlife Sina Global Geographic News Taipei, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- According to the U.S. National Geographic website, from 2004 to 2009, researchers from Wildlife Conservation International (WCI) and the Dreyer Institute of Biological Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent in the U.K. carried out a five-year research project in the Kerinci Segurat National Park on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, using automatic cameras installed in the park to capture the wildlife of the park. Using automated cameras installed in the park, they were able to capture many rare species, including the Sumatran tiger and Sunda clouded leopard. 1. Sumatran Tiger In May 2007, a Sumatran tiger walked in the direction of an automatic camera in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia. The Sumatran tiger is listed as "Critically Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Kerinci Sebulat National Park is also one of the last havens for the Sumatran tiger. From 2004 to 2009, a team of researchers installed automated cameras in the park to capture the tiger's every move. Animal advocates say it was one of the largest such programs ever undertaken. Biological Resources of Sumatra During this project, a team of researchers from Wildlife Conservation International (FFI) and the Dreyer Institute of Biological Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, UK, captured photographs of 35 Sumatran tigers in one ****. It is estimated that the total number of Sumatran tigers may only be around 500. Wildlife Conservation International last week published for the first time photographs of Sumatran tigers and a number of other forest species captured during the program. According to Mike Linkie of Wildlife Conservation International, unlike the well-known Bengal and Siberian tigers, Sumatran tigers "have not gained international visibility, in part because they are always hiding in dense evergreen rainforests, which are very difficult to document." According to Rinkiel, two other tiger species in Indonesia - the Bali tiger and the Javan tiger - are extinct, and because of illegal hunting on Sumatra, the Sumatran tiger is "very likely to follow in their footsteps and become part of history". But the international community has not given up hope of saving the Sumatran tiger, he said, noting, for example, that Wildlife Conservation International has set up five anti-poaching teams in Kerinci Sebulat National Park. 2. Sunda clouded leopard A Sunda clouded leopard is seen foraging for food in this photo taken in December 2006. in 2007, scientists discovered that the Sunda clouded leopards of Southeast Asia's Borneo and Sumatra were in fact a different species. Until then, the Sunda clouded leopard was thought to be the same species as the mainland clouded leopard. Due to deforestation, the Sunda clouded leopard's population has been declining, and today there are fewer than 10,000 of them, and they are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 3. Sumatran Ground Cuckoo After disappearing for 90 years, the Sumatran Ground Cuckoo was finally captured in May 2006 by an automatic camera. The last time this bird was seen was when it was first discovered in 1916. That automatic camera also inadvertently captured footage of poachers looking for Sumatran ground cuckoos in the park, Linkiel said. In one set of photos, according to Rinkill, a hunter "apparently spotted the flash because in the next photo he brushed past the camera in the same orientation, but the camera still captured him in shorts with a cigarette in his mouth." 4.Asian Tapir In September 2006, two Asian Tapirs were seen under the cover of night in Kerinci Seblat National Park. Asian tapirs, also known as Malayan tapirs, are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and their numbers have been declining in Southeast Asia for the past 30 years. According to the IUCN, the decline in Asian tapir populations is mainly due to the loss of habitat caused by the conversion of forests into palm oil plantations and other human activities.