Best of our wild blogs: 14 Jan 14

Asian Glossy Starling eating Nephelium lappaceum leaves
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Raffles Museum Toddycats! at the 20th Anniversary celebration of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (7 Dec 2013) from Toddycats!

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Conservationists find Marine Life Park partnership with Conservation International puzzling

Jeanette Tan Yahoo Newsroom 14 Jan 14;

When Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)’s Marine Life Park (MLP) in Singapore announced a new partnership it is undertaking with non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International (CI), the news raised a few eyebrows among conservationists in Singapore.

According to an announcement by the two parties, the partnership will “allow collaboration on important marine issues in Singapore”, and will last for five years.

It will focus on conservation, marine mammal veterinary medicine, public education and the support of regional projects through joint conservation events and fundraising efforts, according to the statement released on Friday.

“Beyond being a world-class tourist attraction, the park has also demonstrated a strong commitment to marine conservation and has a team with a wealth of expertise,” said CI’s senior vice-president of its Asia-Pacific field division David Emmett. “I believe that this partnership will further our mission to ensure that vital natural resources are preserved and used sustainably for the long term benefit of people and all life on Earth.”

The MLP previously received significant criticism for its treatment of 27 bottlenose dolphins purchased from the Solomon Islands. Three of them died while in training in the Philippines and Langkawi before being transferred to Singapore.

The remaining 24 are housed in its Dolphin Island, where a series of interactive programmes, with admission ticket prices ranging from $58 for child or elderly observers to $498 for its “Trainer for a Day” programme for adults. Some of them are also on display at its SEA Aquarium.

‘Hypocritical'

Speaking on behalf of wildlife activist group Acres, its founder and executive director Louis Ng said he was very “disappointed” to learn of the tie-up. In 2011, Acres had spearheaded a campaign against MLP's purchase and housing of the bottlenose dolphins. It says the effort garnered more than 630,000 supporters.

In a post on his Facebook page, he said he was “really disappointed that Conservation International, a group I really respected as a student, has chosen to not only partner with Resorts World but to publicly say that the Marine Life Park has ‘demonstrated a strong commitment to marine conservation’”.

“Does the strong commitment to marine conservation include the purchase of wild-caught dolphins and pushing the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins one step closer towards extinction in the Solomon Islands? Not forgetting that 3 of the wild-caught dolphins have already died,” he wrote. “I wonder if Conservation International will be able to clarify this further.”

Echoing Ng's view was veteran local naturalist Tony O’Dempsey, who has been involved in various conservation projects in Singapore the past two decades.

“I am curious as to why a conservation organisation [CI] would offer such high praise for an organisation that enslaves wild-caught dolphins,” said the 52-year-old. “As long as RWS continues to enslave dolphins, they will have no credibility with me no matter what other research they may be involved in.”

Independent wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai noted that CI may have good intentions in its partnership, as RWS’s large numbers of visitors do stand to benefit in learning about marine conservation issues such as shark finning.

The group, however, should not simply ignore the dolphin issue, he added. “This avoidance of the fact [that MLP is dealing with wild caught dolphins] does not portray CI in a positive light as it is simply too large a black cloud over MLP," he said.

“The main fact is that these dolphins have been removed from the wild, risking wild populations, for RWS’s entertainment plans,” he continued. “CI should realise and understand this and do something positive about it."
Ng also asked if CI can clarify if it is receiving funding from RWS as part of the partnership, and if so, how much it is getting.

“We hope that CI can clarify if it is aware of the way the dolphins were acquired by RWS and the scientific literature about the effects of the capture of the dolphins,” he said.

Partnership ‘does not cover dolphins’: CI

When asked about the partnership, a spokesperson for CI stressed that the collaboration “does not cover dolphins”, and that its partnership will launch “a series of marine conservation efforts, focused initially on sharks and manta rays”.

She also added that their joint efforts will focus on education, science and outreach. “We will provide counsel and advice on marine conservation and sustainability issues,” she said.

CI’s spokesperson also directed dolphin-related queries to RWS’s corporate social responsibility department.

CI has previously been criticised by international conservationists and environmental news agencies for its controversial partnerships with large corporations, all of which involve the companies donating significant, but undisclosed, sums to CI. When asked about this, a spokesperson for RWS did not respond directly to queries, but the company previously noted that opinion, on the whole, about dolphins under human care remains divided.

However, in a statement posted on its Facebook page in response to concerns aired by Facebook users, CI said it did not receive any funds from RWS when setting up the partnership.
When contacted by Yahoo Singapore, CI confirmed this, noting that RWS will only fund projects that are undertaken by both CI and RWS in the process of the partnership.

Experts in the study of animal welfare and environmental conservation have highlighted the difference between the two, explaining that while animal welfare does not accept the suffering of any species, conservation tends to take a broader perspective, frequently accepting trade-offs in the course of its aims.

Said Prof Chou Loke Ming, director of the Bachelor of Environmental Studies programme at the National University of Singapore, "There is so much to do in marine conservation, and partnerships are most rational in optimising synergy amid limited funding and increasing challenges."

He pointed out that the fact that dolphins are being held in captivity should not be taken as a point to censure RWS's overall marine conservation programme.

"If it is an animal welfare argument, then there is no difference between keeping dolphins and forcing horses to race, or caging singing birds, or keeping fish in aquarium tanks, small or large," he said. "If it is a conservation argument, the big picture is that other human activities such as fishing and habitat quality decline do greater damage and kill much more dolphins, and they should be addressed through more effective conservation efforts."

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Testing of electric cars in Singapore moves into second phase

Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 12 Jan 14;

SINGAPORE: The study of whether electric vehicles are feasible for Singapore roads is set to move into its second phase.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said this could involve car-sharing and commercial fleets.

The LTA said that data collected from the initial two-and-a-half-year test-bed period, which ended in December last year, could be used to plan further trials.

LTA and the Energy Market Authority are leading the testing process.

But some stakeholders question if the government is being over-cautious in driving the scheme.

Electric vehicles have gained traction in the last decade or so.

They are made from recyclable materials, and have zero tail-pipe emissions, which helps the environment.

Experts also said electric cars could cost about a third to a quarter of a normal vehicle in running costs. To run an electric vehicle, it costs about S$5 in electricity per 100 kilometres. To run a comparable petrol vehicle, it costs about S$20 in petrol costs per 100 kilometres.

Electric cars are also quiet and offer a smoother ride.

Business owner Moy Saha, who rents an electric car from electric vehicle-sharing company Smove, said: "I also have another car, but it's easy for me to find parking with a smaller car. That's one of the big draws. If I'm going to places nearby, it's always easier with the electric car which just works out better than a much larger car."

"Range anxiety", or the fear that electric cars will not have enough charge to reach their destination, has been a concern for users in other countries.

But this is less of a challenge in a small country like Singapore.

The average daily driving distance for normal cars in Singapore is 55 kilometres.

Preliminary findings from the test-bed show that the average daily drive for electric vehicles is 41 kilometres.

The LTA said the first phase of the test-bed involved 53 organisations, including companies, government agencies and institutions of higher learning. 89 electric cars have been used on the roads.

On a full charge, cars under the test bed could reach a maximum daily distance of 115 kilometres.

But there are other concerns too. Some participants said there are too few charging stations.

Bosch Singapore, which rolls out the infrastructure in Singapore, said there are currently 75 charging stations with 118 charging spots around the country.

Another concern has been the hefty price tag for an electric car.

Test-bed participants can purchase cars under the government's Transport Technology Innovation Development Scheme.

This means they do not have to pay for costs such as the Certificate of Entitlement, road tax and registration feed.

But the trial is not open to the public, and buying an electric vehicle without tax rebates or incentives could cost about S$200,000 after COE.

Thomas Jakob, managing director of Bosch Asia Pacific, said: "The extra price is essentially the battery, so one of the incentives one could think about is to exclude the battery from the taxation scheme. Because that's driving a lot of the cost and through the taxation scheme, the battery becomes even more expensive over here, because it's a percentage of the cost or of the market value."

If the cost of privately owning an electric car remains prohibitive, there could be other solutions.

Smove is currently the only electric car-sharing player in the Singapore market.

But this could change in phase two of LTA's trial, if more of such companies are roped in.

Electric cars could also be used in micro-communities around Singapore, where distances are too far to walk, but too short to drive.

The National University of Singapore has been collaborating with Toyota Tsusho - the trading arm of the Toyota group - to test micro electric vehicles (EVs) around its campus.

The one-seater micro cars are classified as a four-wheel motorcycle. They use acid-based, rather than a lithium-based battery, so there is no allowance for luxuries like air-conditioning, which use a lot of power.

Researchers said current results show an average trip on such vehicles to be about two kilometres.

Assoc Prof Tan Kok Kiong from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore said: "For me, before the micro EV, I used to go for meetings at other places within the university in my car, which is a seven-seater. So you can imagine a single person driving a seven-seater for a short trip, which is fairly inefficient.

"Eventually we could look at places like industrial parks, maybe even some places of interest, like Sentosa. Eventually, if all goes well, we might be able to contribute to the LTA masterplan which looks at providing a better mass transportation system."

Another option is electric taxis. Currently, there are some 28,000 regular taxis plying the roads.

Data show that in two shifts, each taxi could travel about 520 kilometres a day.

Nanyang Technological University researchers have been working with the Technical University Munich (Technische Universitat Munchen) to develop an electric taxi prototype for Singapore.

The prototype can be fully charged in 15 minutes, and travel distances of more than 200km per charge.

Experts said the power currently generated in Singapore could be enough even if all cars turn electric, even though the power supply usually works on a surplus strategy, so in the long term, an extra power station may need to be built.

Authorities said the test bed has shown favourable results for electric cars in Singapore in the future, but not immediately, or even in the next three years.

Some stakeholders are concerned Singapore could be moving too slow.

Joseph Ting, head of operations at Smove, said: "I'm sure the government has to be a lot more judicious in its use of public funds, so that's why it's taking a more cautious and conservative stand towards this test bed. But the risk there would be we could fall behind other countries in terms of the development of the electric vehicle industry in Singapore."

The government said it is looking for balance.

Josephine Teo, senior minister of state for transport, said: "If the price of electric vehicles is still at a level that vehicle owners find not to be very economical - not worth them making that choice, then no amount of effort that you put in the infrastructural areas is going to change that fact. These things have to move in tandem. Too early, it falls flat. Too late, then you don't catch the opportunity as well. "

For now, electric vehicles are generating some buzz on Singapore roads. But it remains to be seen if they will become a key mode of transport for the future.

- CNA/xq

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Malaysia: Sabah under pressure to save endangered Sumatran rhinos

Ruben Sario The Star 13 Jan 14;

KOTA KINABALU: Conservationists in Sabah are feeling more pressure to save the remaining endangered Sumatran rhinos following the death of one of the creatures in captivity, here.

Gelugob, one of only 10 Sumatran rhinoceros in captivity worldwide, died on Jan 11 at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.

Sabah Wildlife Department veterinarian Dr Rosa Sipangkui said Gelugob’s age was about 37 years. There were probably less that 150 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild today, in Sumatra and Borneo, he said.

Sipangkui said Gelugob’s health had deteriorated rapidly since early January and it had refused to drink and ate little.

Department director Datuk Laurentius Ambu said conservationists were now even more determined to save rhinos from extinction.

“Sabah now seems to be the only state in Malaysia that has wild rhinos,” he said.

“Rhino numbers are too low and the wild rhinos too fragmented. If we do not intervene and rescue all of them and consolidate them into a managed breeding programme, propagation of new generations of baby rhinos will be impossible,” Laurentius added.

He said if this managed breeding programme was not done, then all the remaining rhinos would meet the same fate as Gelugob; growing old and dying without producing any more young rhinos, resulting in the extinction of this species in Sabah.

Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said Gelugob was believed to be the oldest rhino in captivity prior to her death.

The last Sumatran rhino to die in captivity was a 33-year-old male in Cincinnati Zoo in the United States.

He said Gelugob was rescued from Bulud Napa, Kinabatangan in 1994.

“Gelugob was immediately included into our Sumatran rhino captive programme, which was then located in Sepilok near Sandakan,” Sen said.

“For the following 19 years, local and foreign experts from around the world tried to breed and study her reproductive behaviour extensively until 2011, when she was found to be unable to produce eggs, even with hormone treatment, due to her old age,” Sen added.

On March 24 last year, Gelugob was brought to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park from the Tabin Wildlife Reserve as an ambassador for Sumatran rhino conservation efforts.

Bigger drive to save Sumatran rhinos
Ruben Sario The Star 14 Jan 14;

KOTA KINABALU: The pressure to save the remaining endangered Sumatran rhinos has grown more intense following the death of Gelugob – one of only 10 Sumatran rhinoceros in captivity worldwide.

Gelugob died on Saturday at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here.

Sabah Wildlife Department veterinarian Dr Rosa Sipangkui said Gelugob’s age was estimated at 37 years. There are probably less than 150 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild today in Sumatra and Borneo.

Sipangkui said Gelugob’s health had deteriorated rapidly from early this month and the animal had refused to drink and ate little.

Department director Datuk Laurentius Ambu said conservationists were now even more determined to save rhinos from extinction.

“Sabah now seems to be the only state in Malaysia that has wild rhinos,” he said.

“Rhino numbers are too low and the wild rhinos too fragmented.

“If we do not intervene and rescue all of them and consolidate them into a managed breeding programme, propagation of new generations of baby rhinos will be impossible,” Laurentius said.

He said that without the managed breeding programme, all the remaining rhinos would meet the same fate as Gelugob, growing old and dying without producing any more young rhinos, thus causing extinction of this species in Sabah.

Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said Gelugob was believed to be the oldest rhino in captivity prior to her death.

The last Sumatran rhino to die in captivity was a 33-year-old male in the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States.

He said Gelugob was rescued from Bulud Napa, Kinabatangan in 1994 and her age at the time of capture was estimated at around 16 to 17 years.

Gelugob was immediately included into the Sumatran rhino captive programme, which was then located in Sepilok near Sandakan, he said.

For the following 19 years, local and foreign experts from around the world tried to breed and study her reproductive behaviour extensively, until 2011 when she was found to be unable to produce eggs, even with hormone treatment, due to her old age, Sen added.

Gelugob was brought to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park from the Tabin Wildlife Reserve on March 24 last year as an ambassador for Sumatran rhino conservation efforts.

Captive Sumatran rhino dies of old age
New Straits Times 14 Jan 14;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah lost one of its natural treasures when Gelugob, one of only 10 Sumatran rhinoceroses in captivity worldwide, died at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park on Saturday due to old age.

The female rhino, estimated to be about 37 years old, had been in captivity since 1994, the Sabah Wildlife Department said in a statement.

According to park veterinarian Dr Rosa Sipangkui, Gelugob "appeared to be moving slower and was not eating as well as she used to."

"Since these symptoms are quite normal in aging animals, it was noted and her condition was monitored. In early January, her condition worsened; she refused to drink and ate very little.
"Despite the best efforts of our veterinary team, her condition continued to deteriorate and on the evening of Jan 11, she laid down and died shortly after."

There are probably fewer than 150 Sumatran rhinos left in the wilds of Sumatra and Borneo today.

The department's assistant director, Dr Sen Nathan, said the lifespan of a Sumatran rhino was unknown.

The last Sumatran rhino to die in captivity was a 33-year-old male at the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States.

"We rescued Gelugob from Bulud Napa, Kinabatangan in 1994. Gelugob was immediately included in our Sumatran rhino programme, that was then located in Sepilok, near Sandakan.

"For the next 19 years, local and foreign experts from around the world tried to breed and study her reproductive behaviour extensively, up to 2011, when she was found to be unable to produce eggs, even with hormone treatments, due to her old age."

Gelugob was transferred to Lok Kawi on March 24 last year from the Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
"Though the death of Gelugob is a great loss, this only furthers our determination to do whatever we can to save this species from extinction. Sabah now seems to be the only state in Malaysia that has wild rhinos.

"Rhino numbers are too low and the wild rhinos too dispersed. If we do not intervene and rescue all of them and consolidate them into a managed breeding programme, propagation of new generations of rhinos will be impossible," said department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu.
He said that if conservation and breeding efforts were not carried out, all the remaining rhinos would meet the same fate as Gelugob -- growing old and dying without producing any more young rhinos, leading to their disappearance from Sabah.

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Malaysia: New sun bear sanctuary opens

New Straits Times 14 Jan 14;

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) hopes awareness on the protection of sun bears in Borneo will increase when a conservation centre dedicated to the mammal in Sandakan opens to the public on Thursday.

SWD director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu called on those who were keeping the protected species, especially its cubs as pets, to surrender them to the department or the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC).

Speaking during a press conference to announce the event, he said the centre housed 28 rescued bears since its inception in April 2008.

The centre would be officially opened in May and aims to educate the public about the threats to wildlife.

Sun bears are listed as an endangered species, the same as orang-utans and Sumatran rhinoceros. Killing or keeping a sun bear, even just having body parts like claws or gall bladders, could result in a punishment of up to five years' jail or a RM50,000 fine, or both.

The BSBCC, was established through a collaboration with SWD, Sabah Forestry Department and non-governmental organisation Land Empowerment Animals People. Aimed at promoting sun bear conservation through rehabilitation, education and research, it covers 2.5ha land, which includes 2ha of enclosed forest and key facilities, such as an observation platform, two bear houses and a visitor centre.

The centre founder, Wong Siew Te, a world known biologist and the first Malaysian to study sun bears, said it was difficult to estimate how many were left in the wild because of the lack of research.

Found throughout Southeast Asia, sun bears are the smallest of the world's eight bear species. Habitat loss and poaching for body parts for use in traditional medicine are among key threats that led to a 30 per cent drop in population in the last three decades.

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