Keeping hopes high -valuing Singapore’s nature reserves over more infrastructure
Nature rambles
Towards A Zero-Impact Cross Island Line
IPS Commons
Launch of the Ubin Living Lab at the former Celestial Resort
The Long and Winding Road
Larval Host Plant for Butterflies: Yellow Cow Wood
Butterflies of Singapore
A Cinnamon Ang Pow
Singapore Bird Group
Nesting of the White-breasted Waterhen
Singapore Bird Group
SIAU MING EN Today Online 28 Feb 16;
SINGAPORE — The roads around the Civic District and parts of the Central Business District were taken over by cyclists, joggers and pedestrians on Singapore’s first car-free Sunday (Feb 28).
The morning event was flagged off by the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan and Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong outside the National Gallery Singapore slightly past 7am.
This also kicks off a six-month pilot by the Urban Redevelopment Authority to promote a “car-lite” lifestyle. Such car-free days will be held on the last Sunday of each month.
Roads around the Padang, together with Fullerton Road, were fully closed to vehicles from 7am to 9am.
St Andrew’s Road and part of Stamford Road will remain closed until 12pm while Connaught Drive will be closed until 7pm. Shenton Way and Robinson Road will also be partially closed, creating a car-free walking, running and cycling route of approximately 4.7km.
Bicycles are available for rent at Connaught Drive, for people to cycle along the car-free route.
Various activities are also organised along the 4.7km route, including an outdoor yoga session at the Esplanade Park and an area for members to try their hand at various sports such as three-a-side basketball and mini tennis at the Padang.
Food trucks will also be parked along Connaught Drive till 7pm and some people were seen having a picnic at the Empress Lawn.
The National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum and the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall also adjusted their opening hours to open at 9am.
Car-free in the city
Benson Ang THE STRAITS TIMES AsiaOne 27 Feb 16;
On Sunday evening, Ms Cheong Mei Yan, 24, will be doing yoga in a mass outdoor session at the Esplanade Park.
And, unlike on a typical weekday, she will not see busy executives hurrying through the park or hear the noise of traffic.
Sunday is the first Car-Free Sunday SG, where the Civic District and parts of the Central Business District (CBD) will be closed to traffic. The initiative is part of a move towards a car-lite Singapore.
The car-free day will take place on the last Sunday of every month till July. The roads that will be closed include a stretch of Fullerton Road - from Connaught Drive to Maxwell Road - Robinson Road and Connaught Drive.
The roads will be given over to walkers, joggers and cyclists.
The mass yoga session is among a slew of activities - most are free - lined up for that day to liven up the Civic District and parts of the CBD, which is usually deserted on weekends.
Ms Cheong, an assistant e-marketing manager, says: "I like doing yoga outdoors because the air is fresh. With the noisy cars gone, I'm sure it will be easier to relax and focus.
"Doing yoga in an iconic park, surrounded by many of Singapore's historical landmarks, will also be an experience. Going car-free is beneficial to the environment and I'm sure the activities will be fun."
Her mother, a 58-year-old freelance personal trainer, will join her at the free session.
Mr Woon Taiwoon, 40, co-founder of cycling group Love Cycling SG, will lead a group of cyclists in a mass walking, jogging and cycling session from 7 to 9am.
More than 60 people have signed up, but he is open to others joining them during the event.
He says: "We will be cycling at a leisurely pace, so those on rollerblades and skateboards, as well as those cycling with family members or have pets with them, can join us.
"This meaningful event makes the city more liveable and is a pleasant way to experience the city."
Other activities include walking tours, street performances and concerts.
There will be a breakfast picnic and night stalls selling local fare. Several eateries will also open earlier to cater to the morning crowd.
Exercise
MASS WALKING, JOGGING AND CYCLING SESSION
This will take place along a 4.7km route, including stretches along Shenton Way and Robinson Road. It will be flagged off by Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, and National Development minister Lawrence Wong.
Where: Flag-off in front of National Gallery Singapore
When: 7 to 9am
Admission: Free, no registration needed
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
AEROBIC-INFUSED MIXED DANCE FITNESS WORKOUTS
The Health Promotion Board and Sport Singapore will jointly organise free sessions in the morning for zumba (11/2 hours), piloxing (45 minutes) and KpopX fitness (45 minutes) at the Empress Lawn, in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.
The health board will also organise hour-long zumba and Bollyrobics sessions in the evening at Connaught Drive.
Where: Empress Lawn (morning sessions); Connaught Drive (evening sessions)
When:7.30am (zumba), 9am (piloxing) and 9.45am (KpopX fitness); 5pm (zumba) and 6pm (Bollyrobics)
Admission: Free,no registration needed
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
YOGA SESSIONS
Yoga company Yoga Seeds will hold two hour-long sessions - in the morning and in the evening.
Where: Esplanade Park
When: 7.30am (hatha yoga) and 5.30pm (sunset yoga flow)
Admission: Free, registration is encouraged
Info: To register, go to carfreesundayyoga.eventbrite.sg
MODIFIED VERSIONS OF POPULAR SPORTS
You can play basketball, football, mini tennis and traditional sports such as chaptek for free.
Ex-national football stars Aleksandar Duric and T. Pathmanathan will be present to conduct football activities for children.
Where: Esplanade Park, the Padang and Empress Lawn
When: 7am to noon
Admission: Free, no registration needed
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
CYCLING
Cycling group Love Cycling SG is organising a bike-to-work buddy initiative to encourage experienced riders to cycle from three heartland locations - Kembangan, Clementi and Bishan-to the event.
The Bishan group is starting at the McDonald's outlet in Bishan Park. It will not accept any more participants.
The other two groups will start at Kembangan and Clementi MRT stations.
All three groups hope to reach the Padang by 8.10am.
Bicycles can be rented from bike rental companies listed on ura.sg/carfreesundaysg.
Rollerblades, unicycles, wheelchairs, prams and kateboards are also allowed on the roads, but not motorised transportation devices, such as hoverboards, e-bikes and Segways.
Where: Kembangan and Clementi MRTstations
When: 7am
Admission: Free with registration
Info:To register, go to www.facebook.com/groups/lovecyclingsg/events
Family-friendly fun
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Children can enjoy origami, sketching and plant propagation activities.
Where: Esplanade Park
When: 7am to 7pm
Admission: Free
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
SCAVENGER HUNT
Organised by the Land Transport Authority, participants are encouraged to look out for five posters along the route around the Padang and within the CBD.
They are asked to take photos with these posters and share the photos on Instagram with the hashtag #walkcyclerideCBD.
After they have found all the posters, they can go to the organiser's booth in Connaught Drive to claim a prize.
Participants do not need to form groups, but are welcome to take part in the activity with their families and friends.
Where: Throughout the CBD
When: 7am to noon
Admission: Free, no registration required
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
Pamper yourself
SPA TREATMENT
The Fullerton Spa in The Fullerton Hotel has introduced two new spa packages to coincide with Car-Free Sunday .
Its Back To Mile Zero treatment refreshes and supports tired feet with a specially selected combination of essential oils.
The 45-minute session costs $80, which is the usual price for a 30-minute treatment.
There is also the Post Office treatment to relieve stress in the back, shoulders, arms and head, using de-stress muscle gel and de-stress massage oil infused with rosemary, lavender, black pepper and ginger. The 60-minute treatment costs $128.
The packages will still be available at the spa after Sunday.
Where: The Fullerton Spa, 1 Fullerton Square, The Fullerton Hotel
When: 10am to 10pm
Prices: $80 (Back ToMile Zero) and $128 (Post Office)
Info: To book, call 6877-8182 or e-mail thefullertonspa@fullertonhotel.com
Eat
BREAKFAST@EMPRESS
Stalls set up at the Empress Lawn will sell local delights such as roti prata, nasi lemak and mee rebus.
Where: Empress Lawn
When: 7am to noon
Admission: Free, pay for food
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
FOOD TRUCKS
A truck from The Travelling C.O.W., which has a cafe at CT Hub in Kallang Avenue, will sell seafood laksa pasta ($8), chilli crab nachos ($6) and mini burgers ($6).
Another truck from Coffee Bandits will sell its speciality coffees ($4.50 to $6), coney dogs ($6) and nachos with cheese sauce ($5).
This truck can be found at SLF Building in Thomson Road on Thursdays and at Fusionopolis 1 near One-North MRT station on Fridays.
Where: Connaught Drive
When: 8am to 7pm
Admission: Free, pay for food
Info: thetravellingcow.com, coffeebandits.sg
NATIONAL GALLERY
Two of its eateries will open earlier. Padang Cafe, which opened three weeks ago, serves dishes such as rendang chicken-spiced sandwiches and veggie quiches. It will open 11/2 hours earlier at 8am.
The Gallery & Co museum store, which houses a cafeteria and bar, will open an hour earlier at 9am. It will have two promotions on Sunday. Customers get a free non-alcoholic drink if they spend $25 or more at the store and those who buy a beef brisket and kimchi burger can top up $5 for a bottle of Asahi beer (usual price $10) or $10 for a bottle of craft beer (usual price $16).
The store's marketing manager, Ms Cheryl Ho, 31, says: "We are introducing these promotions to catch some of the crowd on Car-Free Sunday. Hopefully, they will join us for lunch and maybe stay on after that. This area is usually a little quiet on Sunday mornings, but we hope many more will show up this Sunday."
Padang Cafe
Where: 1 Saint Andrew's Road, National Gallery Singapore
When: 8am to 5pm
Gallery & Co
Where: 1 Saint Andrew's Road, National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, 01-05
When: 9am to 10pm
Info: www.nationalgallery.sg/ see-do/shopping-and-dining
ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM
The Prive cafe, which serves items such as eggs Benedict, home-style buttermilk pancakes and its signature wagyu beef burger, will open an hour earlier at 8am. The cafe offers a 10 per cent discount to museumv isitors.
Empress restaurant, which serves Chinese cuisine such as its triple roast platter of char siew, crackling roast pork and sweet and sticky pork ribs, will open as usual.
Prive ACM
Where: 1 Empress Place, 01-02
When: 8am to 10.30pm
Info: www.priveacm.com.sg
Empress
Where: 1 Empress Place, 01-03
When: 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 11pm
Info: www.empress.com.sg
FULLERTON BAY HOTEL
The Clifford Pier restaurant will serve a heritage dim sum brunch, with classics such as steamed siew mai with tobiko roe, steamed pork ribs in fermented black bean sauce and steamed custard buns.
The brunch spread also consists of hearty local delights such as Nonya popiah, kueh pie tee, laksa with tiger prawns, fried carrot cake, Hainanese chicken rice, soup kambing and rickshaw noodles with braised pork belly.
Where: 80 Collyer Quay
When: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Admission: $48 (adult), $24 (child)
Info: www.fullertonbayhotel.com/dining/the-clifford-pier
COSTA COFFEE
Its outlets in the Central Business District will open on Sunday as usual.
Where: 30 Raffles Place, Chevron House, 01-37; 252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City, 01-45; 35 Robinson Road, Sofitel So, 01-05
When: Various timings, go to www.costacoffee.com.sg
SATAY NIGHT LIVE
This is the only pre-event activity and takes place tomorrow instead of on Sunday.
Feast on satay and other local fare while enjoying performances by home-grown live bands Jack & Rai and Jive Talkin'.
A song request station will take requests from the audience.
Where: Empress Lawn
When: Tomorrow, 6 to 10.30pm
Admission: Performances are free, pay for food
Info: ura.sg/carfreesundaysg
Cultural activities
VICTORIA THEATRE AND CONCERT HALL
It will open at 7am, three hours earlier than usual. Performances on Sunday include a play by Pangdemonium, The Effect, a psycho-romantic comedy-drama about a beautiful psychology student and a charming slacker who are "guinea pigs" in an experiment.
Classical music concert Dohanyi & Shostakovich will also take place at the Victoria Concert Hall.
The Effect
Where: 9 Empress Place, Victoria Theatre
When: 3pm
Admission: Tickets at $40, $50 and $60from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)
Dohanyi & Shostakovich
Where: Victoria Concert Hall
When: 4pm
Admission: Tickets at $20 from Sistic
NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE
It will open an hour earlier at 9am. Do not miss two new exhibitions, A Fact Has No Appearance: Art Beyond The Object, which opened last month and investigates the impact of new ideas on South-east Asian art in the 1970s; and Earth Work 1979, which recreates an original 1980 exhibition by Singapore artist Tang Da Wu.
Where: 1 Saint Andrew's Road, 01-01
When: 9am to 7pm
Admission: Free for Singaporeans and permanent residents, $20 for non-Singaporeans
Info: www.nationalgallery.sg
BUILDING HIGHLIGHTS TOUR
The one-hour tour is conducted by docents from the National Gallery Singapore and covers highlights of the building's facade, including stories of the friezes and tympanum. There is also a brief introduction of the Civil District and the gallery.
Where: Meet outside the gallery's Padang Atrium entrance
When: 9.30 and 9.45am (English); 10am(Mandarin)
Admission: Free, no registration required
Info: www.nationalgallery.sg/ about/news/press-room/ car-free-sunday-2016
ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM
It will open at 9am, an hour earlier than usual. Check out the museum's new galleries, which opened in November.
The Khoo Teck Puat Gallery, for example, houses the famous Tang Shipwreck Collection - a virtual time capsule of treasures from 9th century China that was discovered in 1998.
The new Kwek Hong Png Wing has a Scholar in Chinese Culture Gallery, which focuses on objects associated with revered Chinese scholars, as well as the courts of emperors and merchants who sought to emulate them.
Where: 1 Empress Place
When: 9am to 7pm
Admission: Free for Singaporeans, permanent residents and children aged six and younger; $8 for others
Info: acm.org.sg
STREET PERFORMANCES
Performers such as lion dancers, stilt walkers, martial arts performers, Chinese drummers, instrumentalists, mime artists and balloon sculptors will take to the streets.
Where: Connaught Drive, Esplanade Park and Empress Place
When: 9am to 6pm
Admission: Free
Info: www.nparks.gov.sg/civicdistrictevents
MONUMENT TRAIL
Conducted by NParks, this 11/2-hour guided tour features historical landmarks as well as heritage and interesting trees in the Civic District. The tour starts at Cavenagh Bridge, near the mouth of the Singapore River, which was once the heart of Singapore's commercial activity and entrepot trade. It goes through Empress Place and Esplanade Park before ending at the War Memorial Park.
Where: Meet at the entrance of Cavenagh Bridge on the side of the Asian Civilisations Museum
When: 10 and 11.30am and 4pm
Admission: Free, no registration needed
Info: www.nparks.gov.sg/civicdistrictevents
FULLERTON MONUMENT TOUR
Organised by The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, this hour-long tour takes participants to discover the history of the former Fullerton building, now The Fullerton Hotel, which has been gazetted as Singapore's 71st national monument.
Limited to 20 people, the tour ends with a local breakfast experience, which includes kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, soya bean milk and local coffee, at the hotel's Post Bar.
Where: Meet at The Fullerton Hotel's concierge
When: 8 to 11am
Admission: $18 (adult), $9 (child); registration is required
Info: peatix.com/event/150041
Car-free Sundays a hit, could be expanded
SIAU MING EN Today Online 29 Feb 16;
SINGAPORE — Car-free events could get bigger and be set up more frequently or in more places — even in the heartlands — said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday (Feb 28), as he urged for attitudes to shift towards viewing such initiatives as a way of creating public spaces for people to enjoy.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the first car-free Sunday held in the Civic District and parts of the Central Business District yesterday, the largest such event to date, which attracted thousands who turned up to exercise, feast and relax with friends and family.
It was the first in a six-month pilot to drive a “car-lite” culture here, in which traffic is shut out to create a walking, running and cycling route of approximately 4.7km in the city centre and where various activities such as an arts zone for children, food trucks and historical walking trails are held. The event is scheduled for the last Sunday of each month.
Mr Wong said if response in subsequent editions “gets even better” than the encouraging turnout on Sunday, the event could be expanded to a larger area or be held more regularly. He added that some places could even be converted into permanent car-free zones eventually, provided the public buys into the idea.
“It’s a conversation that needs to be done with the different stakeholders, we can’t just close off the road without support from the different stakeholders,” he said.
“Once people get used to the idea that closing off roads is not just preventing cars from using the roads, but creating more public spaces for Singaporeans and for people to enjoy, they (will) see the positive side of it. I hope that then it will bring about a change of mindset that being car-lite is not just a negative thing, it’s not just reducing car usage; but it’s a positive thing, we are gaining something from it.”
Over the years, the number of streets that are periodically closed to traffic has grown. Club Street, Circular Road and Haji Lane are among the locations holding such events.
Those who attended Sunday’s event praised it for standing out, noting that there was a wide variety of activities to keep them occupied and gave families a chance to come together on a Sunday morning.
Cyclists, in-line skaters and those on kick-scooters zipped along several closed roads, including St Andrew’s Road, Fullerton Road and Shenton Way; yogis gathered for an outdoor workout at Esplanade Park, and young and old partook in aerobic and dance workouts at Empress Lawn. Nearby, sports enthusiasts tried their hand at games, including mini-tennis and touch rugby.
Others tucked into breakfast fare served up from two food trucks parked along Connaught Drive or sold by vendors near Empress Lawn. The Kids’ Zone at Esplanade Park was also packed with young families, as children flocked to the bouncing castles and participated in the origami and sketching activities.
“I always like to come for such carnivals and this one has quite a nice ambience for everybody to enjoy on a Sunday morning. And it’s a good (event) to get people out (of their houses),” said pre-school educator Iris Lim, 42.
Cyclists were also particularly supportive of the event, as co-founder of interest group Love Cycling SG, Woon Tai Woon, pointed out that nearly 400 members from their group turned up. Most of them started their journey from Bishan, Kembangan and Clementi MRT stations. “There has been an awesome (turnout) ... it shows the possibilities of (having) a car-free area,” said the 41-year-old, adding that he hopes to see such car-free areas being extended into the heartlands.
Student Reno Tan, 16, who volunteered as a road marshall for the event, said everyone was considerate, whether they were cyclists, joggers or in-line skaters using the car-free routes.
Some participants, however, suggested for the event to start later than the 7am flag-off yesterday so that they would not have to start making their way to the area so early. Others hoped the event could be extended to a full day.
To create a more vibrant atmosphere for these car-free Sundays, Mr Wong said there needs to be a “good combination” of an exciting line-up of programmes and space for ground-up activities.
The next car-free Sunday will be on March 27, with activities yet to be announced. But an Urban Redevelopment Authority spokesperson said the focus will continue to be on community and family-friendly activities.
Car-Free Sundays may be expanded depending on response: Lawrence Wong
Olivia Siong, Channel NewsAsia 28 Feb 16;
SINGAPORE: The Car-Free Sunday initiative could expand to a bigger area and potentially continue beyond its six-month pilot, if response from the public gets "even better", said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
Such car-free days could also possibly be organised more regularly – more than once a month, Mr Wong added.
On Sunday (Feb 28), a few thousand cyclists, joggers and walkers took over the roads in the Civic District and the Central Business District on the first Car-Free Sunday.
Speaking to the media after a bicycle ride around the 4.7-km car-free route, Mr Wong said this was a "very encouraging start".
The pilot initiative will see roads in the Civic District closed to vehicles every last Sunday of the month for six months.
From 7am to 9am, the roads around the Padang – St Andrew's Road, Stamford Road and Connaught Drive – together with Fullerton Road will be fully closed to vehicles, while Shenton Way and Robinson Road will be partially closed.
St Andrew's Road and part of Stamford Road will be closed until 12pm while Connaught Drive will remain closed until 7pm.
Activities ranging from fitness group exercises to a breakfast picnic session were held at various public spaces in the vicinity.
"It's really to get people used to the mindset that streets and the roads can be free of cars. It's not just about closing off the roads, but the streets can be full of programming we can enjoy. We can walk, we can cycle, we can come together," said Mr Wong.
"I think once people get used to the idea that closing off roads is not just preventing cars from using the roads but creating more public spaces for Singaporeans and for people to enjoy, they see the positive side of it. I hope it will bring about a change of mindset that being car-lite is not just a negative thing. It's not just reducing car usage, but it's a positive thing – we are gaining something from it."
But Mr Wong stressed that for the car-free initiative to expand, there will be certain trade-offs and inconveniences, and will require support from stakeholders.
"If there are stakeholders, for example, that run businesses along a particular street and all of them are supportive of closing that street on a weekend, we will be very happy to facilitate (the closing of) any street in Singapore. So that's something that's progressing," said Mr Wong.
RUBEN SARIO The Star 27 Feb 16;
KOTA KINABALU: A mangrove area here, one of only two wetlands in the world located within a city, is due to get an international recognition by mid 2016.
The Kota Kinabalu Wetlands is expected to be accorded the Ramsar site status in about three to four months, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.
He said the ministry was in the final stages of getting the 24ha conservation area at Likas listed as the country’s seventh Ramsar site.
(Since 2013, the Sabah government had approved a bid for the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands to be listed as a Ramsar site - wetlands deemed important for their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational values based on the Ramsar Convention.)
Wan Junaidi said the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands was unique as it is the only one in the world apart from the one in Tokyo that was located within city limits.
“I am amazed that the mangrove is just 15 minute's drive from the downtown area,” he said after launching the World Wetlands Day celebrations at the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands on Saturday.
The other Ramsar sites in the country are located in Tasek Bera in Pahang, Tanjung Piai, Pulau Kukup and Sungai Pulai in Johor, the Kuching Wetland National Park in Sarawak and the Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands in Sabah.
Due to the area’s importance, Wan Junaidi said his ministry would provide RM750,000 for development and repairs of facilities at the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands in addition to the RM500,000 funding from the Sabah government.
Govt to declare Kota Kinabalu Wetlands as country's 7th Ramsar site
BERNAMA New Straits Times 27 Feb 16;
KOTA KINABALU: The government will declare Kota Kinabalu Wetlands that is located in the heart of the city centre as the country's seventh Ramsar Site.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said his ministry was now looking into the matter before the 24-hectare mangrove forest conservation area be accorded the Ramsar site status.
"The Kota Kinabalu Wetlands meets all the criteria to be listed as the Ramsar Site.
God willing, in the near future, the government will declare this area as the country's seventh Ramsar site.
Maybe in the next three to four months," he said. He said this to reporters after officiating the national-level World Wetlands Day 2016 and the 'A Guide to the Plants of Kota Kinabalu Wetlands' book launch, here today.
Present were Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society (SWCS) president Datuk Zainie Abd Aucasa.
Wan Junaidi said the other Ramsar sites in the country are located at Tasek Bera in Pahang; Tanjung Piai, Pulau Kukup and Sungai Pulai in Johor; Kuching Wetland National Park, Sarawak; and Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands, Sabah.
In the meantime, Wan Junaidi urged all state governments to preserve and conserve their mangrove swamps, as the area was the habitat and breeding ground for various marine life.
At the event, Wan Junaidi also announced an allocation of RM750,000 to SWCS for the purpose of conservation activities in the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands.
The Sabah state government also contributed RM500,000 to SWCS. --Bernama
RUBEN SARIO The Star 28 Feb 16;
KOTA KINABALU: The increasing number of orphaned baby Borneo elephants being rescued at plantations near forest reserves is worrying the Sabah Wildlife Department.
These baby elephants were found wandering alone, an indication that the adult animals including their mothers, had been killed.
Department director William Baya said that feeding these baby elephants was a financial burden because the cost of feeding one per day was between RM200 and RM250 for the milk formula.
The total cost of feeding them with milk formula amounted to at least RM500,000 annually, he said.
“I would like to call on corporate bodies to help us fund the daily care and feeding of these baby elephants,” he said.
“They could even adopt these baby elephants, similar to the way UK-based non-governmental organisation Orangutan Appeal UK does it for the orang utan in Sepilok.”
William said that Wildlife Rescue Unit rangers had been working round-the-clock for the past three years, rescuing 15 orphaned baby elephants, all below a year old, and caring for them.
He said the rangers rescued two orphans in 2013, adding that another three were found the next year.
There were eight rescued elephant calves last year and just this month alone, rangers saved another two more orphans.
“All these babies were rescued throughout the east coast of Sabah in human-elephant conflict areas in Tawau, Lahad Datu, Telupid, Kinabatangan and Sandakan,” William said.
He attributed this to an increasing loss and further fragmentation of elephant habitat.
William said the translocation of problematic elephants to other areas used to work well about 10 years ago.
Except for a few cases, he said many translocated elephants caused conflict with humans at their new locations or returned to their earlier area.
“The villagers are getting frustrated, shooting and even poisoning elephant herds,” William said.
Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said the killing of adult elephants or complete herds was a another hurdle in the survival of Sabah’s Bornean elephants.
Wildlife researchers have been concerned about the low genetic differentiation among the elephant population due to inbreeding caused by the fragmented habitat, he said.
“This could spell a deadly cocktail that would lead the Bornean elephant on the same trail of extinction like our rhinos, now considered extinct in the wild,” Dr Sen said.
Sabah Wildlife concerned over rising number of orphaned baby elephants
RUBEN SARIO The Star 27 Feb 16;
KOTA KINABALU: The increasing number of orphaned baby Bornean elephants being rescued from plantations near forest reserves is worrying the Sabah Wildlife Department.
The fact that the baby elephants were found wandering alone was an indication that the adult animals including their mothers had been killed.
Department director William Baya said the rescued baby elephants were a financial burden as the cost of feeding one per day was between RM200 and RM250.
For the past three years, the department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) rangers have been working around the clock rescuing and caring for 15 orphaned baby elephants all below one-year-old.
William said WRU rangers rescued two orphans in 2013 and the figure increased to three the following year.
The number of rescued elephant calves jumped to eight last year and just this month alone, Wildlife Rangers saved another two more orphans.
“All these babies were rescued throughout the east coast of Sabah in human-elephant conflict areas in Tawau, Lahad Datu , Telupid, Kinabatangan and Sandakan,” William said.
With the increasing loss of their habitat, reports of human-elephant conflict has skyrocketed to the point where efforts to reduce the problem has become extremely challenging.
He said the translocation of problematic elephants to other areas used to work well about 10 years ago.
However, many of the translocated elephants continued to come into conflict with humans at their new locations or they returned to the area where they had been removed from.
“Villagers are getting frustrated and taking the law into their own hands, shooting and even poisoning elephant herds,” William said.
According to William, the cost of feeding an elephant calf with milk formula amounted to more than RM500,000 annually excluding the cost for round-the-clock care for these orphans.
“I would sincerely like to call upon corporate bodies in Sabah or even throughout Malaysia to help us by funding the daily care and feeding of these baby elephants,” he said.
“They could even adopt these baby elephants in a similar way as UK-based NGO Orangutan Appeal UK does for the orang utan in Sepilok,” William said.
Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said the killing of adult elephants or herds was another hurdle in the survival of Sabah’s Bornean elephants.
He noted that wildlife researchers had voiced their worry over the low genetic differentiation among populations due to inbreeding caused by fragmented habitat.
“This could spell a deadly cocktail that would lead the Bornean elephant to extinction like our rhinos that are now considered extinct in the wild,” Dr Sen said.
“Steps must be taken right now and not 20 years later to save our elephants,” he added.
SHARON LING, STEPHEN THEN, andM. KUMAR The Star 28 Feb 16;
PETALING JAYA: The dry season is smouldering on with forest fires raging in various parts of the country – from the limestone hills in Batu Caves to vast tracts in Sarawak.
The fires have ravaged at least 404ha - an area about the size of 1,000 football fields in the Kuala Baram district.
About 80ha of oil palm plantations in the Marudi district have also been razed and 242 ha are now under threat, according to the Marudi Fire and Rescue Department.
In Kuala Baram, firemen have put out fires in an area of about 35sq/km.
The department carried out 100 rounds of water bombing using two Bombardier aircraft of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
A smoke can be seen from the other side of Batu Caves.SAMUEL ONG / THE STAR, 27TH FEBRUARY 2016.
Smoke seen at the jungle from the other side of Batu Caves in Selangor.
The two aircraft have since been redeployed to Kedah to fight fires in Baling.
“So we only have the firefighters on the ground to deal with the fires,” Miri Fire chief Supt Law Poh Kiong said yesterday.
In Kuala Lumpur, the bush fires at Bukit Batu Caves, which started Friday morning, was still burning yesterday.
About 160 firemen are working to put out the reduced number of smaller fires along the hillside.
Selangor Fire and Rescue assistant operations director Mohd Sani Harul said the dry weather was also making the task more difficult.
“However, the fires are under control,” he said yesterday.
Residents of Taman Industri Bolton also woke up to see thick smoke covering the hillside near their homes yesterday.
Fire fighters managed to put out the fires, which had crept up to about 60m from the slopes.
In Alor Setar, the fire on Gunung Pulai which had been burning for the past four days, were finally put out on Friday. but firemen were still on standby in case it flared up again.
Kedah Fire and Rescue Department Supt Mohamed Yunus Abu said 50 firemen were assisted by about 40 forest guides and 15 volunteers from the state Civil Defence Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), state Forestry Department and the Baling District Council.
“The MMEA’s water bomber was a great help,” he said.
Hikers who had cooked on the mountain were believed to have started the fire.
Red-alert – drop a match or ciggy and a fire will start
ADRIAN CHAN The Star 28 Feb 16;
PETALING JAYA: It seems to be the burning season for the country with the fire alert map covered almost entirely in red – the highest warning – for the coming days.
The worse is, this is only the beginning.
A map of the Malaysia Fire Danger Rating System, under the “Fine Fuel Moisture Code”, has nearly all parts of the peninsula in red, with the exception of a few places, including Kuching, which ironically, is currently hit by floods.
Although there may be occasional rains, they are not heavy enough in the dry season.
Red represents “extreme” – the highest in the scale – which indicates ease of ignition and flammability of grasslands and bushes.
Large portions of Sarawak and Sabah are now also covered in red in the map.
Only a few parts of the peninsula’s east coast, south of Sarawak and northern Sabah are spared.
A Meteorological Department officer said the fire danger rating system map was modelled on meteorological parameters including wind speeds, temperature, relative humidity and rainfall.
“It explains the availability of fine fuels in the soil,” she said, urging those living in the “red” areas to be extremely careful and avoid burning.
“It is so dangerous to even drop matches or cigarettes because firescan spread very fast in these areas,” she said.
The officer said the map was not always red throughout the year.
Asked if this could be due to the El Nino phenomenon, she said: “The country is experiencing the end of the North-East Monsoon season now, which usually brings drier weather and less rain in the peninsula, especially the northern part.
“When it comes to the end of March, we can expect wetter weather again.”
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wira Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said more fires were expected and that this would usually last until mid-year.
“This is just the beginning,” he said, referring to the recent forest fire at Batu Caves. “The dry spell has not reached its peak yet.”
Wan Mohd Nor gave his assurance that the department was on alert and ready to face any fires in the coming months.
However, he said most fires were not started naturally but were man-made.
“In such weather, we advise the public to stop open burning and simply discarding cigarette butts. These will help prevent fires.”
Batu Caves fire still burning
M KUMAR The Star 27 Feb 16;
KUALA LUMPUR: Firefighters are continuing to put out a bush fire which has been burning on a hillslope since Friday at Batu Caves.
The blaze has, however, reduced to small pockets of fires on the hill.
Selangor Fire and Rescue assistant operations director Mohd Sani Harul said the dry weather has not helped the situation.
"However, the situation is under control," Mohd Sani said.
Residents of Taman Industri Bolton woke up to thick smoke from the fires on Friday.
The fire has been burning from about 60 metres above ground of the hillside.
Forest fire breaks out near Batu Caves
The Star 27 Feb 16;
KUALA LUMPUR: A forest fire set the hillside of Bukit Batu Caves ablaze, covering the area in smoke.
The fire was spotted by Taman Industri Bolton residents at around 10.30am yesterday.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Mohd Sani Harul said the department received a distress call some 12 minutes later.
“The first fire engine arrived at the scene about seven minutes later,” he said yesterday.
“The fire was about 60m above the ground. So we also sent a water tanker.”
It is believed that the fire might have been sparked due to the recent dry and hot weather.
A check with the department later showed that the fire was under control with no report of injuries or casualties.
Apriadi Gunawan and Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post 28 Feb 16;
Sumatran elephant populations have been continuing to decrease mainly due to illegal hunting, which uses various methods to kill the protected giant mammal, from poisoning to electrocution.
“Recently, we found many elephants dead from poisoning and electrocution. The illegal hunters consider those ways not too risky,” Doni Gunaryadi of the Indonesia Elephant Conservation Forum (FKGI) told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Doni said almost every month an elephant was found dead in Sumatra due to illegal hunting that takes place in eight of the island’s nine provinces.
He said that today there was no elephant hunting in West Sumatra because there had been no elephants in the province since 2007 when their habitat in Kota Panjang was used for the construction of a hydro power plant.
According to the FKGI’s data, the elephant population across Sumatra is estimated to have reached 2,400 in 2007, but had decreased to 1,700 elephants in 2014.
Doni said there had been an increase in illegal hunting recently due to high prices being paid for the animal’s tusks.
For a super quality tusk, he said, the price could reach tens of millions of rupiah per kilogram while the price of a small tusk could reach millions of rupiah per kilogram.
He said tusks of Sumatran elephants were sold in and outside of Sumatra, reaching Bali and East Nusa Tenggara where foreign buyers were waiting. “The buyers are mostly foreigners. They love Sumatran elephant tusks because they’re beautifully shaped and strong,” he said.
Besides illegal hunting, Doni said, the decreasing population of the elephants was also caused by the expansion of plantations, including massive palm-oil plantations.
He said the elephants that lost their habitats entered residential areas to seek food and were getting into trouble with villagers.
“Conflicts between elephants and residents are happening, especially in Riau, Jambi and Aceh. In those three regions, the mortality rate of elephants is dozens every year,” he said.
FKGI chairman Krismanko Padang said police were currently detaining two illegal hunters for killing two elephants in Tebo regency in Jambi recently. Police are also searching for the hunters’ accomplices.
Krismanko said the hunters, who were arrested in Riau, would be charged under the Conservation Law for crimes that carried a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a fine of Rp 100 million (US$7,100).
On Jan. 21 the Pangkalan Kerinci District Court in Riau sentenced four men to two-and-a-half years in prison each for hunting and killing elephants in Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Pelalawan regency. The court also fined them Rp 20 million each.
Way Kambas National Park home to 247 elephants
Antara 29 Feb 16;
E Lampung, Lampung (ANTARA News) - The Wildlife Conservation Societies Indonesia (WCSI) has estimated that there are 247 elephants in the Way Kambas National Park (TNWK) in Lampung Province.
The number might be lower following the findings of two dead elephants lately due to poaching activities, Sugiyo of the WCSI stated here, Sunday.
The elephants were killed by poachers for their ivory and teeth.
Based on surveys conducted by the NGO, the population of elephants in the park was 220 in 2002 and 247 in 2010.
A DNA test in 2015 revealed that the number of female elephants in the park was six times higher than male elephants.
"It is possible that the population may or may not have decreased since we have not conducted a new survey," he said.
TNWKs spokesman Sukatmoko stated that the park managements estimation of the elephant population was similar to that of the WCSI.
"We also conducted surveys. It was recorded that the elephant population was 250 in 2010 and 225 in 2002," he noted.
A new survey is needed to find the exact population of elephants in the TNWK.(*)
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