SIK: The World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia has spotted a rare species of bird known as the Oriental Darter, which is almost extinct in the country, during an expedition in Tasik Muda recently.
        WWF Malaysia senior scientist Hymeir Kamarudin said the bird, known scientifically as Anhinga melanogaster, was last seen in 1991 in Sepang, Selangor.
      "During an expedition in Tasik Muda three weeks ago, our scientists had seen the bird swimming on the water surface,'' he said.
      Hymeir and another WWF scientist Reza Azmi concluded on Tuesday another two-day expedition to determine the "correctness of the bird's habitat'' in Tasik Muda.
      "So far, we have not been able to ascertain whether the bird that was seen came from the Tasik Muda area or was using it as a place for transit,'' he told reporters who had also joined the expedition. He said the WWF needed time to determine the bird's actual habitat.
      Hymeir said if the Oriental Darter actually made Tasik Muda its habitat, then it could become another tourism product that would attract visitors to the lake.
      When the Oriental Darter swims on the water surface, its body is submerged except for the head. Its main diet is fish. The bird's habitats can be found in areas between Indonesia and Myanmar.                                                                        Bernama  The Star 20.04.2001