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Rimba features nine endangered animal species native to Southeast Asia's rainforests. These rainforests are the world's oldest, acclaimed for their incredible biodiversity. They age back to Pleistocene Epoch 70 million years. The dense jungles are not only home to the rarest wildlife but also houses two thirds of all living animal and plant species on the planet.
One of the featured animals in Rimba is the tiger. The once majestic animal with eight different species is now left with five - the Javan, Bali and Caspian tiger is now extinct. Excessive game hunting and poaching for body parts, believed in Asia to have medicinal qualities, have endangered the tigers' lives. Defragmentation, where humans take over the habitats of these animals, causing separation and inbreeding is also another factor driving them to extinction. Today, even with numerous projects to save the tigers, less than seven thousand are left on earth.
Another animal featured that is found in the Southeast Asian jungles is the sun bear. The bear was reported by WWF in 1999 as being under an increasing threat to extinction. The sun bear is known as such for its yellowish crescent on its chest, which resembles the rising or setting sun. It's love for honey has also made it known as the honey bear. Unlike other bears, the sun bear does not hibernate in winter. Comparably, it is also a rather small bear. Due to these conditions, some baby bears have been kept as pets and killed when it reaches adulthood. This, plus other factors such as habitat destructions and trading of the body parts have resulted in a dramatic population decline.
The hornbill, the only avian featured in Rimba, gets its name from its enormous beak composed of horn-like material. Some have a casque on top of the bill, giving the appearance of a double beak. The Rhinoceros Hornbill for example, has a typical downward-curving, white pointed beak, but atop it a bright orange-red casque curls upward at the tip like a rhinoceros horn. Courtship can involve spectacular head-on collisions between males, clashing their casques together. Averaging more than 4 feet long with 3-foot tails, hornbills make dramatic silhouettes as they fly over the forest canopy. Unfortunately, their size attracts hunters who kill them for sport or food. Other factor includes deforestation where the hornbill nests are destroyed along with the young. In 2000, 60 percent of hornbills were listed in Threatened Birds of the World.
Sculpted in a bold new style, with an emphasis on capturing the animal's personality, these beautifully tactile miniatures are reminders of our natural heritage, and their precarious chances for survival.
For a limited time, receive a pewter dolphin bookmark when you purchase any two of the Rimba figurines. The bookmarks are available only whilst stocks last.
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