Bear-like creature spotted along Ulu Pandan

Vimita Mohandas Channel NewsAsia 12 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE: A bear-like creature was spotted along Ulu Pandan on Monday morning.

The strange scene was caught on an amateur video using a hand phone.

Eyewitness Wilson Tay, a civil engineer, was driving home with his son when he spotted "something strange".

He said his son took the video when the creature was spotted near a dustbin.

By Mr Tay's estimation, the bear was about the height of an average adult human being.

It's as yet unclear whether the creature is for real.

In a media release, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said no bears had been missing from its parks.

Wildlife Reserve Singapore manages the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park and the upcoming River Safari.

It added it was unable to verify yet, if the creature was a real bear.

-CNA/wk

Bear on the prowl?
Bryan Huang Straits Times 12 Oct 10;

TWO days after it was supposedly spotted , captured on video by an amateur photographer and posted on citizen journalism site Stomp, a strange, bear-like creature along Ulu Pandan Road is generating buzz online although it has yet to be verified.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) said on Wednesday that it is still seeking clearer pictures of the creature and more information from the public on the bear sighting.

The creature was seen standing by a dustbin at a bus stop along Ulu Pandan Road by Stomper Philip3D, who said he and his son first thought it was 'a big dog or some sort of creature'.

'After it caught sight of us and started heading our way, it made sense to drive off without hesitation,' the Stomper said, adding that it had been 'a close shave'.

WRS said in a statement that no bears have escaped from the premises of its parks, which include the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari. The zoo is home to the Malayan sun bear and polar bear, and the sloth bear resides in the Night Safari.

WRS said it was unable to verify the authenticity of the bear sighting, adding: 'To our knowledge, there has been no prior report of wild bear sightings in Singapore in recent times.'