In Issue 83

Dear friends

When a review copy of a beautiful new book about honey hunting in Malaysia arrived at the BfD office, it did not take long to decide that a picture of the bee tree species Koompassia excelsa - 75m tall and home to dozens of nests of the giant honey bee Apis dorsata, would make a great cover picture. Indeed, this very tree and the nearby honey hunter who has spent his life harvesting honey from bees in the tree have featured in BfD Journal before. This was way back in BfD Journal 35 (1995) when Professor Makhdzir Mardan organised a conference to raise awareness about honey hunting in this forest area close to Malaysia's border with Thailand.

As we go to press, we received alarming news that this bee tree has been damaged as yet more forest is cleared. Only prompt actions in alerting the media by honey hunter Pak Teh and Professor Makhdzir Mardan have saved this tree - at least for now. Read more about this on pages 8 and 9, and see the new book - written before this new threat to the tree - on page 6-9 and 14.

Nicola Bradbear, Director Bees for Development

Bees for Development

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