Best of our wild blogs: 14 Jan 11

Water monitor lizards fight 泽巨蜥大战@SBWR
from PurpleMangrove

Speedy Dragonfly: Pseudothemis jorina
from Flying Fish Friends

Singapore's mangrove and marine life on ARKive
from wild shores of singapore

Does chopping down rainforests for pulp and paper help alleviate poverty in Indonesia? from Mongabay.com news

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Langkawi dolphin pens 'appalling'

Acres says enclosures didn't meet standards; RWS rebuts allegations
Sandra Davie Straits Times 14 Jan 11;

THE dolphins, slated to be an attraction at an oceanarium in Resorts World Sentosa, continue to draw debate.

After going to Langkawi to inspect four sea pens where the bottlenose dolphins had been kept for a year before they were relocated to the Philippines, local animal protection group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) has said it is 'appalled' at what it discovered.

Two of the nine marine mammals died last October while the remaining seven were recently sent to a facility in Subic Bay in the Philippines, which houses another 18 of the RWS dolphins.

The 8ha oceanarium, called Marine Life Park (MLP), was among the draws touted by RWS, owned by Genting Singapore, when it made its bid to run an integrated resort here.

Acres executive director Louis Ng and another staff member visited Langkawi from Sunday to Tuesday. 'The dolphins were housed in rusty enclosures measuring approximately 10m by 10m,' he said. 'If you go by the standards set by the European Association for Aquatic Animals which AVA (the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority) goes by, this is clearly insufficient to meet the needs of these wild-caught dolphins.'

He added that the pens, just off the coast where the Genting group has a hotel called Awana Porto Malai, is in an area frequented by boats.

'Sounds of mechanical origin are probably the most stressful for the dolphins because of their regular repetitive nature,' Mr Ng said, claiming that RWS did not employ a full-time vet to care for them or have an animal hospital.

The female dolphins - one aged between four and five years, and the other around 10 - died from an acute bacterial infection arising from contact with contaminated soil and surface waters.

Mr Ng also asked why the dolphins were not sent to the Philippines from the start. Citing studies, he said: 'Each time they are confined and shipped from one place to another, it is as traumatic as if they were being newly captured from the wild.'

Contacted by The Straits Times, RWS spokesman Krist Boo said the allegations against the MLP were 'cursory' or 'inaccurate in parts'.

Noting that Acres visited the Langkawi facility nearly a month after it had closed, she said the enclosures were more than double the size of what Acres had indicated, and met global standards. She added that there was a full-time vet and two consulting vets.

'Acres chose, in pictures it used for campaigning, to highlight rust on the side of a boardwalk next to the enclosures. This picture is not reflective of the facility when it was in operation.

'Acres, with its own experience and challenges in setting up an animal shelter, should be familiar with how swiftly unpopulated outdoor facilities deteriorate. This is especially so at sea.'

She added that round-the-clock security had been provided to prevent boats from coming too near the enclosures.

Ms Boo explained that the relocation to the Philippines had been part of a plan to expand the 'development of our dolphins and trainers'.

'The MLP team will also start preparations to commence our long-term goal of developing a breeding programme for the dolphins,' she said, adding that all are in good health.

While animal activists here have been up in arms over the captivity of dolphins, RWS has stressed that the oceanarium - the world's largest aquarium - was 'part of the bid' when it won the IR licence in 2006.

The Singapore Tourism Board had stressed recently that RWS must comply with global regulations, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), and the requirements of the AVA, to safeguard animal health.

Bottlenose dolphins are listed in Appendix II of Cites which entails strict regulations in their trade. The RWS had said previously it would comply with these regulations.

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Green fingers win pupils green award

Project where they cared for endangered plants was tops in primary-school category
Grace Chua Straits Times 14 Jan 11;

THE young paramedics ran a battery of tests, which included taking temperatures, checking the acidity levels and measuring the intensity of light.

Their patients, rooted to the spot, sipped from home-made intravenous drips fashioned from recycled plastic bottles.

More than 80 Stamford Primary School pupils each spent several weeks last year caring for an endangered indigenous plant obtained from local nurseries. Most were the iridescent, branching peacock ferns or the tongue-like Wallich's Schismatoglottis, which are listed as vulnerable here (having fewer than 1,000 mature plants in the wild).

And though many of their delicate charges did not survive a spell of foul weather, the pupils emerged more aware of conservation and more knowledgeable about the environment.

Their project, ER@Stamford, was tops in the primary-school category of last year's Sembawang Shipyard Green Wave Environmental Competition. Twelve student project leaders from the primary school in Jalan Besar received awards at a ceremony yesterday.

In all, 49 winning teams from primary, secondary, junior college/ITE and tertiary categories were given prizes at the ceremony, held at the Marina Mandarin hotel.

Other bright ideas include a more efficient water-saving thimble for taps by Hwa Chong Institution student Selina Sia, 17, and an entire plan to make the MRT eco-friendly with biodiesel made from algae as fuel, by a Nanyang Technological University group.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman, the guest of honour at the ceremony, said in a speech: 'I would encourage the students present today to expand on their ideas and consider how these ideas can be made applicable to the larger adult population.'

Stamford Primary pupil Htat Wai Yan, 12, explained that they chose endangered native plants to drive home the message that conservation is important, and that these plants are at risk from habitat loss here and elsewhere in South-east Asia.

The surviving plants are now left to grow around the school's eco-pond.

For its efforts, the team was awarded a $4,000 prize, though the school has yet to decide what to do with the money.

Mathematics teacher Rosy Goh, who was in charge of the project, said: 'This is the third year our school has taken part. The first year, we got an encouragement award; the second year, we got a merit award. This year we were first - we're very encouraged now.'

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Why diesel-powered cars are better

Dylan Loh Channel NewsAsia 13 Jan 11;

SINGAPORE: Experts are calling them the most practical solution for "green" motoring today.

Modern diesel-powered vehicles, they say, represent the "bridging technology" that's needed before electric vehicles become commonplace.

It's estimated that if half of all vehicles on Singapore roads had modern diesel engines, 183,000 tonnes less of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, would be emitted each year.

Global Marketing & Sales e-mobility Asia Pacific assistant vice president Alexander Kraus said: "Standard petrol cars, I would say, would need about eight litres of petrol for 100 kilometres.

"And a diesel car can run the same distance with about five litres, or, with the same amount of fuel, like eight litres, you can run up to 140 kilometres".

So with better fuel efficiency and less carbon footprints, why aren't more switching to diesel?

Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw said: "The general perception is diesel vehicles are still pollutive, and they don't perform as well as petrol-driven vehicles.

"But for modern, clean diesel, that's no longer the case. In fact, consumption for modern clean diesel can improve by as much as 40 per cent compared to petrol".

-CNA/wk

Diesel greener than petrol? Believe it
Dylan Loh Today Online 14 Jan 11;

SINGAPORE - If half of all vehicles on Singapore roads had modern diesel engines, about 183,000 tonnes less carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, would be emitted each year, according to estimates.

That is why experts are calling diesel-powered vehicles the most practical solution for "green" motoring today - the "bridging technology" that's needed before electric vehicles become commonplace.

Driving a diesel-powered vehicle, some say, is like snacking on low-fat potato chips. You can enjoy it with a clear conscience because you know it will not be doing as much damage.

Another benefit is cash savings, since a tank of diesel is likely to take you further than a similar tank of petrol.

Mr Alexander Kraus, assistant vice-president of global marketing and sales of e-mobility Asia-Pacific, said: "Standard petrol cars would need about 8 litres petrol for 100km. A diesel car can run the same distance with about 5 litres. A diesel car, with 8 litres of diesel, can run up to 140km."

So, with better fuel efficiency and a smaller carbon footprint, why aren't more motorists switching to diesel?

The executive director of Singapore Environment Council, Mr Howard Shaw, said: "Mainly it's the higher cost of driving a private diesel vehicle. That policy is something that really should be re-looked."

There is also a perception issue that diesel vehicles are still pollutive and that they do not perform as well as petrol-driven vehicles, he added.

But with modern clean diesel, that is no longer the case. Improved consumption with modern clean diesel can be by as much as 40 per cent compared to petrol, said Mr Shaw.

Still, there is some way to go before people are convinced that diesel power is green power.

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Wild cat once thought extinct spotted in Borneo

Yahoo News 13 Jan 11;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – One of the world's rarest wild cats, an elusive creature once thought to be extinct, has been spotted in camera traps in Malaysian Borneo for the first time since 2003, researchers said Thursday.
This handout picture taken in May 2010 and provided by the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS), ITTO and Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) shows one of the world's rarest wild cats spotted in Malaysian Borneo.

The Bornean Bay Cat, a long-tailed reddish or grey feline the size of a large domesticated cat, was sighted in the northern highlands of Malaysia's Sarawak state, the forest department said Thursday.

Three photographs showing two or three individuals were captured, bringing new hope for the future of the endangered animal about which very little is known, said research officer Wilhelmina Cluny.

"This species is very secretive... it was classified as extinct until a photograph of it was taken in 2003," she told AFP.

"I do feel encouraged, this photograph was taken in a logged forest... when we saw this it made us wonder whether this kind of habitat can sustain wildlife, even for rare and important species like the bay cat."

"We had been looking for any mammals and this bay cat came up, it's quite exciting that we got the photograph."

Cluny said there has been very little research into the bay cat, and there is no indication as to whether its numbers are rising or falling.

The images were captured in 2009 and 2010 but not released until the study was completed. The animals spotted were the grey variety, which are even more rare than the reddish type.

The camera trap was positioned next to the Pulong Tai national park in northern Sarawak, one of the two Malaysian states that make up part of Borneo. The vast island is shared with Indonesia and the small sultanate of Brunei.

The 2003 photographs were taken in the Lanjak Entimau wildlife sanctuary in southern Sarawak.

Other than these handful of images, most other information on the species consists of "historical records, morphological descriptions and anecdotes", according to the Sarawak Forest Department.

Rampant logging in timber-rich Sarawak has removed much of the state's forest cover, threatening the survival of animal and plant species as well as indigenous tribes whose way of life is increasingly in peril.

Related post
Rare Borneo cat spotted in national park Dennis Wong New Straits Times 4 Jan 11;

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Malaysia: Wild elephant knocked down on the East-West Highway

Wild jumbo knocked down on highway
2011/01/13
P. Chandra Sagaran New Straits Times 13 Jan 11;

GERIK: A female elephant was killed when it was hit by a cement tanker along the East-West Highway here early yesterday. The animal was in a herd of three, crossing the road from the jungle near Tasik Banding at Km32 when the accident occurred about 1am.

Grik district acting police chief Deputy Superintendent Wan Jamil Wan Chik said the 32-year-old tanker driver, from Kuala Terengganu, escaped unhurt. But the front part of the vehicle was badly damaged.


"The driver was forced to sit in the vehicle as he feared the other elephants may turn violent and attack him.

"He only got down after the elephants returned to the jungle. He later hitched a ride on a timber lorry and lodged a police report."

Wan Jamil said the driver's vision was hampered by thick fog and several sharp corners.


The driver tried to avoid the herd but could not stop in time as the female elephant was the last one to cross.

State National Parks and Wildlife Department officers were at the scene to investigate the incident.

Wan Jamil said this was the first such incident on the highway in the last five years.


"In the past, there had been several such accidents but no animals died."

He advised motorists to be cautious while travelling along the highway near Tasik Banding as wild elephants would cross the road, especially at night and at dawn.

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Indonesian government to implement forest conversion moratorium in January

Antara 13 Jan 11;

Jambi, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Forestry Ministry is to implement a 2-year moratorium on the issuance of permits for the conversion of primary and peat forests this year soon.

"The moratorium will apply to primary and peat forests," said Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan here on Thursday, adding that the halt in issuance of primary and peat forest conversion permits would be put into force in January 2011.

He said the moratorium had been agreed on in an Indonesia-Norway Letter of Intent (LoI) signed by the two countries on May 26, 2010. This agreement stipulates that the two-year moratorium must start in January 2011.

The LoI also carries a chapter stipulating the trial implementation of the REDD plus (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) provinces to be implemented in January 2011 whereas the second phase to be carried out in January 2012.

In tandem with implementation of parts of the LoI, the Norwegian government has disbursed the funding instrument of 200 million US dollar. The Indonesian government on its part is preparing the sectors for the implementation of the cooperation, Minister Hasan added.

He said that the Indonesian side is to establish special bodies as the moratorium executors as well as preparing a five-pronged national action plan which had been prepared during the period of June to December 2010.

The Norwegian government will then select one of the proposals whose condition to be adjusted with the REDD+ pilot projects.

The minister, who was in Jambi province for a working visit, expressed a hope that the two-year moratorium would help reducing carbon emission in Indonesia up to 26 percent until 2020. He acknowledged the critical conditions of forest areas in Jambi.

The 1.0 billion US dollar-value environmental cooperation between the governments of Indonesia and Norway is the first of its kind in the world, something that the global environmental communities expect it to be applicable to other countries.(*)

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Indonesia: Oil palm plantations replace mangrove forests on Sembilan island

Antara 13 Jan 11;

Langkat, North Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Hundreds of hectares of mangrove forests on Sembilan island in Pangkalan Susu district, North Sumatra province, have been turned into oil palm plantations, according to a local environmental observer.

"We have seen the destruction of mangrove forests at Pangkalan Susu, particularly on Sembilan island where the damage is the worst," Heri Widiyanto, executive director of the Langkat-based environmental non-governmental organization Lentera Institute, said here on Thursday.

Widiyanto said the condition of mangrove forests there had deteriorated continuously and the culprits had yet to be identified, He called on the Langkat district chief to take actions to stop the destruction of the environment and enforce the relevant laws to protect the environment.

According to Widiyanto, at least 400 hectares of mangrove forests had now become oil palm plantations, a condition that might eventually cause the island to disappear due to the absence of natural buffers against sea waves. The same thing had already happened to Tapak Kuda Lama island in the Tangjungpuraregion.

In addition, Widiyanto hoped that law enforcing institutions including the police would look into the causes why the forests had metamorphosed into plantations. He also regretted the Forestry office in the regency which had only resorted to token actions in view of such cases there.(*)

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Tagged penguins could skew climate studies - scientists

Yahoo News 12 Jan 11;

PARIS (AFP) – Tagging penguins with flipper bands harms their chances of survival and breeding, a finding which raises doubts over studies that use these birds as telltales for climate change, biologists said on Wednesday.

The metal bands, looped tightly around the top of the flipper where it meets the body, have long been used as a low-cost visual aid by researchers to identify individual penguins when they waddle ashore.

Foot tags are not used because of the penguin's anatomical shape.

But, says the new study, the seemingly harmless bands affect the penguin's swimming performance, causing it to waste more energy in foraging for food, sometimes with life-threatening consequences.

Publishing in the journal Nature, French and Norwegian scientists reported that they took 100 king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), selected at random on Possession Island on the Crozet archipelago, a sub-Antarctic group in the southern Indian ocean.

All were tagged with a minute, electronic transponder that was implanted under the skin, which can only be read by using specialist equipment placed close to the bird. Fifty of the 100 birds were additionally given a flipper band.

The team then recorded sightings of the group over the next 10 years.

Banded birds were 16 percent likelier to die than non-banded counterparts, and had 39 percent fewer chicks, they report.

"The picture is unambiguous," researcher Yvon Le Maho told AFP. "Among banded penguins, the least-fit individuals died out in the first five years of the study, which left super-athletic birds.

"In the remaining five years, the mortality rate between the two groups was the same, but the reproductive success of banded penguins was 39 percent lower on average."

Le Maho said he had warned many years ago against banding penguins on ethical grounds but was sidelined. Opponents argued that the birds were not affected by the practice or got used to the tag after a year or so.

The latest findings, though, are unequivocal, he said.

They add to small-scale studies on captive Adelie penguins that suggest these birds -- which beat their flippers about three times a second when swimming -- lose up to 24 percent of their power when banded.

Le Maho said that banded penguins in his study arrived much later (16 days later on average) at breeding grounds compared with non-banded counterparts.

Late arrival is a known factor for poor breeding success, for chicks that are born later are nurtured in harsher weather and there are more predators around to grab them.

Birds failing in reproduction also spent five days longer at sea foraging for food for their chicks -- 21 days against 16 days -- and this again can be pinned on impeded swimming, he said.

Worried about ethical concerns, some research institutions abandoned banding in the late 1980s, but "massive banding schemes" continued, says the paper.

Penguins sometimes feature in climate research as tool for measuring the impact of global warming on cold-water wildlife.

But such studies may now have to be reviewed, for penguin population data could be skewed by flipper banding, says the paper.

"During the course of our study, when the sea temperature was low and food resources were abundant, there was virtually no difference between banded and non-banded birds," explained Claire Saraux, like Le Maho a member of France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

"However, when there was a rise in sea temperature and food was less abundant, the penguins had to swim farther, and banded penguins stayed longer at sea to forage compared with non-banded birds."

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