Best of our wild blogs: 7 Aug 17

19-Aug-17 (Sat) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Butterfly of the Month - August 2017
Butterflies of Singapore

20 Aug // NatGeo Live: Celebrating the End of Food Waste
Green Drinks Singapore

Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) @ West Coast Park
Monday Morgue

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Young people ‘the best hope’ for nature conservation

LOUISA TANG Today Online 7 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE — Amid constant public pressure to build more homes and develop land in Singapore, some important things must be done to maintain green spaces and build sustainably, at a governmental and societal level.

These include youths getting involved in conservation discussions, parents taking their children to parks and teaching them about nature, and government agencies collaborating to ensure green policies are enacted, Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said yesterday.

“The key is to make sure that greenery and conservation are mainstream elements of land use planning in Singapore, and it has been the case since Day 1,” Mr Lee said at a talk marking the 10th anniversary of the Jane Goodall Institute Singapore (JGIS).

During a panel discussion, which also involved renowned primatologist Dr Goodall, Nature Society Singapore president Shawn Lum and JGIS vice-president Andie Ang, Mr Lee also emphasised the “critical” role of youths in going green and being “active participants in conservation”.

“We should let young adults have the chance to learn about biodiversity,” Mr Lee noted at the event held at Mediacorp’s MES Theatre. “When children are outdoors, there are tremendous opportunities for them to learn about native wildlife and extract valuable lessons.”

Dr Ang added that letting children go on nature trails and being comfortable with nature is also key to teaching them about animal conservation.

Nearly 5,000 native wildlife species exist in Singapore, and 10 per cent of land is set aside for nature reserves and green spaces such as parks.

With that in mind, the Government is “making a big push to build infrastructure not only efficiently and economically but also in a way that’s more green and sustainable”, Mr Lee said.

He further cited cases of wild animals encroaching into homes and public spaces close to green areas. In April, for example, a monkey bit a resident in the Segar Road area, which had been plagued by instances of monkey incursions.

The cluster of flats face Zhenghua Nature Park, which was recently expanded to provide a larger green space for residents and increase the green buffer for the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

“How can we co-exist with nature? ... Public pressure to develop will always be there. The next generation needs to understand how precious our biodiversity is,” Mr Lee added.

Dr Goodall, who founded the Roots and Shoots programme, which brings together youths as young as preschoolers to university students to work on environmental projects, said in her speech that young people give her “the most hope” for conservation efforts.

Roots and Shoots now has a presence in more than 100 countries.

“It’s the most exciting time for young people who want to learn about nature today. You can study things that were said not to exist in my day, and all the time finding out new things,” she said.

Yesterday’s discussion also touched on issues ranging from ecotourism to the use of plastic bags.

Mr Lee said policy changes on plastic bags are coercive and can be done, “but everyone has to go out and advocate this kind of lifestyle (of not using plastic bags)”.

Singapore's conservation efforts get thumbs up from top primate expert Jane Goodall
Jose Hong Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE - Singapore's conservation efforts received the stamp of approval from top primate expert Jane Goodall, who said these are steps in the right direction.

But despite the rising awareness of environmental issues in the country, more can be done to reduce the conflict between humans and animals, she added.

For instance, she said people must stop feeding the long-tailed macaques that are found in many parts of the island. Doing so introduces them to human food, and drives them to harass humans and enter their homes in search of food.

Dr Goodall said if people left them alone for two or three years, and no one was feeding them, young monkeys would stop associating humans with food.

She said: "They will not even think that it's important to go and raid a house, and they won't know the taste of human food."

That way, there would be no need to resort to culling, she added.

"It's good that there still are monkeys here, so we have to use our brains to find ways to live in harmony with them," she said. "But we can't live in harmony with animals if we're killing them. I mean, culling is murder."

She added that the monkeys "have their own emotions... they feel fear and pain", so there is a need to find other ways to deal with them.

For instance, she saw grizzly bears in an Alaskan national park that have never eaten human food. The bears ignored people, even if they strayed to within 5m of the bears.

Dr Goodall said something similar could happen in Singapore.

She also applauded innovative steps like the wildlife connector, Eco-Link@BKE.

Eco-Link@BKE links the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, allowing animals to cross over.

Dr Goodall is a British primatologist and a leading expert on chimpanzees. She is in town to mark the 10th anniversary of the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore), which is named after her. The institute aims to raise awareness of issues like conservation, animal welfare and the environment.

Dr Goodall, speaking to reporters at Hotel Fort Canning on Monday (Aug 7), said she did not have a detailed understanding of Singapore's conservation efforts but she knew that the awareness of environmental issues in the country has grown since the institute was set up.

Flanked by the institute's president Tay Kae Fong and vice-president Andie Ang, Dr Goodall said educating young people was key to creating a love for nature, which would in turn help people understand what they should do when they encounter wild animals.

Dr Goodall, who is here on a three-day visit, met Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on Sunday (Aug6).

On Tuesday (Aug 8), her last day here, about 600 students and teachers are expected at take part in a conference that she will host.


Top primatologist tells her story to spur passion for nature conservation
Audrey Tan Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

Famous primate researcher Jane Goodall once brought home earthworms as a child and was caught trying to take them to her room.

The incident highlighted the love for nature she had even as a young girl. Today, at 83, the eminent conservationist travels all over the world hoping to share her passion.

Yesterday, Dr Goodall, who is in Singapore, spoke about the importance of nature conservation at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the local chapter of the environmental group she founded, the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore).

During her presentation, Dr Goodall shared the story of the earthworms. Surprisingly, her mother was not angry, she said.

Over the years, her mother, Vanne, and mentor Louis Leakey helped nurture her inquisitive spirit. It led to Dr Goodall going to Africa to study chimpanzees, and discovering that nature conservation is a cause worth fighting for.

That inquisitive spirit is something Dr Goodall and her organisation want to mould in people all over the world through its various programmes. For instance, the Singapore institute conducts bimonthly walks in places such as MacRitchie Reservoir Park and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to raise awareness about the primates in Singapore's forests.


There are no chimpanzees here, but the Republic has two native species of monkeys - the cheeky long-tailed macaque, and the elusive, critically endangered Raffles' banded langur.

Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, in his speech yesterday, said nature conservation does not come without challenges in tiny Singapore.

In this space, the Republic has to incorporate infrastructure that is required and consider people who may not be comfortable with wildlife, said Mr Lee. But the key to nurturing a "biophilic city" - a city rich in biodiversity, in which its inhabitants can coexist - is education.

The National Parks Board and nature groups such as the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) conduct outreach activities such as free walks to help people learn more about the life thriving in Singapore's nature areas, said Mr Lee.

"Singapore is a city in a garden, and this is something we should be proud of and treasure. To succeed, our conservation approach needs to be different from bigger countries - proactively biophilic, community- based and grounded in science."

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Student on why Jane Goodall inspires him str.sg/janeg


Jane Goodall promotes nature conservation in Singapore
Celebrated primate researcher aims to nurture an inquisitive spirit in others

Audrey Tan, The Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

Famous primate researcher Jane Goodall once brought home earthworms as a child and was caught trying to take them to her room.

The incident highlighted the love for nature she had even as a young girl.

Today, at 83, the eminent conservationist travels all over the world hoping to share her passion.

Yesterday, Dr Goodall, who is in Singapore, spoke about the importance of nature conservation at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the local chapter of the environmental group she founded, the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore).

During her presentation, Dr Goodall shared the story of the earthworms.

Surprisingly, her mother was not angry, she said.

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May 28, 2017
Over the years, her mother, Vanne, and mentor Louis Leakey helped nurture her inquisitive spirit.

It led to Dr Goodall going to Africa to study chimpanzees and discovering that nature conservation is a cause worth fighting for.

That inquisitive spirit is something Dr Goodall and her organisation want to mould in people all over the world through its various programmes.

For instance, the Singapore institute conducts bimonthly walks in places such as MacRitchie Reservoir Park and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to raise awareness about the primates in Singapore's forests.

There are no chimpanzees here, but the Republic has two native species of monkeys - the cheeky long-tailed macaque, and the elusive, critically endangered Raffles' banded langur.

Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, in his speech yesterday, said nature conservation does not come without challenges in tiny Singapore.

In this space, the Republic has to incorporate infrastructure that is required and consider people who may not be comfortable with wildlife, said Mr Lee.

But the key to nurturing a "biophilic city" - a city rich in biodiversity, in which its inhabitants can coexist - is education.

The National Parks Board and nature groups such as the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) conduct outreach activities such as free walks to help people learn more about the life thriving in Singapore's nature areas, said Mr Lee.

He said: "Singapore is a city in a garden and this is something we should be proud of and treasure. To succeed, our conservation approach needs to be different from bigger countries - proactively biophilic, community-based and grounded in science."


Primatologist Jane Goodall delivers talk at Mediacorp
Elizabeth Neo Channel NewsAsia 7 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE: Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall on Sunday (Aug 6) gave a public lecture at Mediacorp’s MES Theatre, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the local arm of her environmental group the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore).

Her talk was titled One Nature, Together – a play on this year's National Day Parade theme, One Nation Together.

During her address, Dr Goodall, who is also UN Messenger of Peace, recounted how she became the world-renowned conservationist she is today, citing important influences like her mother and later her mentor, Kenyan archaeologist Louis Leakey. She also shared her experience studying chimpanzees in Africa for many years.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for National Development and Home Affairs Desmond Lee was present at the event, where he delivered the opening remarks.

In his speech, he said Singapore is home to many native plants and wildlife as well as some 400 bird species and more than 250 different species of hard corals, that is almost one-third of all the species found in the world.

As such, it is more than just a city in a garden and Singaporeans must play their part to be custodians of wildlife and nature, “NParks, together with its movement of green volunteers, has enhanced our greenery and put in strategies to protect our wildlife.”

“But it is not enough to just have green infrastructure and proper planning in place. It requires the coordinated effort and involvement of all stakeholders. Government agencies, environmental conservation groups, and most importantly, all of us in the community,” he added.

At the event, Mr Lee also announced a third location for the bi-monthly Monkey Walk organised by the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore). It will be held in Lower Peirce Reservoir, in addition to those in MacRitchie Reservoir Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

The walks are to help the public better understand the long-tailed Macaques, which are native to Singapore.

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Haze, Indonesia: BNPB predicts forest fires to increase

Antara 7 Aug 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesias National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) predicted that forest and land fires would continue to increase ahead of the peak of current dry season ehich is expected to fall in September.

"The potential will continue to increase. The peak of the dry season is predicted to fall in September and so the potential for forest and land fires to happen will increase," the agencys spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said in a press statement received here on Sunday (August 5).

So far five provinces out of 34 have already declared an emergency status namely Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.

In West Kalimantan five districts have declared emergency status namely Kubu Raya, Ketapang, Sekadau, Melawi and Bengkayang.

Sutopo said hotspots that indicate forest and land fires have so far been found in private companies plantations, peoples kands and in National Parks.

"Based on locations of hotspots in 2015, 2016 and 2017 it shows that fires have been found to repeat in several locations evey year such as at Tesso Nelo National Park, Ogan Komering Ilir, Riau-Jambi border area and others," he said.

He said nationally a total of 282 hotspots have been detected with the most found in West Kalimantan (150), followed by South Sumatra (23), South Sulawesi (18) and Riau (16).

He said there had been an increase in the number of fires in Igan Komering Ikir in South Sumatra since Saturday.

He said efforts and patrols have been intensified to prevent more fires in Jambi and South Sumatra and request for more helicopters to conduct water bombing has bern made.

Efforts to fight the fires have often been hurdled by limited accessibility to the fire locations, the width of the area affected by fires, limited water supply and firefighters, dry weather, limited means and budget, he said.

(Reported by Aditya Ramadhan/Uu.H-YH)


282 hot spots detected across Indonesia
Francis Chan Straits Times 7 Aug 17;

JAKARTA - Indonesian satellites on Sunday (Aug 6) morning picked up 282 hot spots - believed to be the highest number across the country this year - as the dry season continues.

The worst hit province was West Kalimantan, where more than half of the hot spots were detected, said National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman, Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as he released the figures yesterday (Aug 6) evening.

Five districts in the province - Kubu Raya, Ketapang, Sekadau, Melawi and Bengkayang - have declared a state of emergency to enable local authorities to access central government support, including military assistance, to put out the fires.

Dr Sutopo also expressed concern that although 150 hot spots were detected across West Kalimantan, the number of fires there may be higher.

"Land and forest fires in West Kalimantan continue despite our continued efforts to suppress them," he added.

He warned that the number of hot spots is probably higher as the satellites may not have passed over all the forest and land areas where fires could be burning.

Other areas in Indonesia were also hit by forest fires, albeit not as badly as in 2015 when the burning of forest and peatland in Kalimantan and Sumatra produced a transboundary haze, which blanketed the region and led to record air pollution levels for months.

Aside from those in West Kalimantan, the hot spots were spread across other provinces such as South Sumatra (23 hot spots), South Sulawesi (18), Riau (16) and East Nusa Tenggara (12).

Dr Sutopo said the hot spots were spotted on private plantation land, community-owned land and in national parks, in hard-to-reach locations.

"The areas burned are generally areas that are difficult to access and away from settlements, that is why (the fires) are difficult to extinguish," he added.

As of Saturday, 18 helicopters have been deployed for fire-fighting operations in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. All five provinces are currently in a state of emergency.

Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said last Sunday that helicopters will deployed to put out fires over areas where there is limited road access.

"If land access is difficult or shut down for a long time, then we will use water-bombings," she said.

The dry season in Indonesia is forecast to end in September, at the earliest.

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Haze, Malaysia: Open burning in haze-hit Klang carried out by immigrants, poor landowners

LAILI ISMAIL New Straits Times 6 Aug 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: Open burning activities in Johan Setia, Klang which have contributed to haze in the area have been motivated by economic necessity, the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry (NRE) said today.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said an investigation by the Environment Department (DOE) and the Klang Municipal Council found that the haze in the peatland area was caused by the open burning of bushes and rubbish by immigrants who were employed by landowners in the area.

“The cause of opening burning in Johan Setia is economic. The people (there) break the law because they are trying to survive.

“(But) this has also affected the people around Klang, including Jalan Kebun, the Kesas Highway, Bandar Puteri, Bandar Putera and Kota Kemuning.

“It is unfortunate that irresponsible parties always burn during the dry season, and this further compounds the issue,” he said in a statement today.

Wan Junaidi said the LRT 3 project from Johan Setia to Bandar Utama, which is currently under construction, will hopefully spur development in the area and gradually put a stop to the open burning.

He said the DOE has taken many mitigating measures, including activating the Open Burning Prevention Action Plan, which saw daily patrols conducted in affected areas since February; and the issuance of show-cause letters to errant local councils responsible for domestic dumpsites.

“Between 2011 and 2017, 47 investigation papers were opened and 43 open burning cases were filed in court. Four more cases are currently being investigated.

“The total amount of compounds and penalties charged for the open burning cases in Johan Setia is RM78,400,” he said.

Wan Junaidi said the DOE has also set up the Pollution Monitoring Team which recruits local residents to help monitor and report open burning activities.

“The Department welcomes any information on open burning cases. Complaints on open burning are investigated immediately

“If no person is found at the site where the fires are burning, further investigation will be carried out to identify the landowner, in which case, enforcement action will be taken under Section 29A of the Environmental Quality Act 1974,” he added.


Sarawak has most forest and land fires in Malaysia
MEI MEI CHU The Star 6 Aug 17;

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak recorded over 860 Modis (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) fire alerts from Jan 1 to Aug 1, said fire-monitoring platform Global Forest Watch Fires (GFW Fires).

This places Sarawak as the state with the highest number of forest and land fires in Malaysia, ahead of Sabah (which recorded 241 Modis fire alerts), Pahang (54), Terengganu (37), and Selangor (26).

The Sarawak districts with the highest number of forest and land fires were Bahagian Miri (Long Lama), Belaga, Kapit and Bintulu.

GFW Fires’ real-time report also indicated that the number of fire alerts in Malaysia has gone down by 70% compared with 2016.

Charts showed that 4,673 Modis fire alerts were recorded between January and July 2016, while the corresponding months for 2017 recorded only 1,342 alerts.

Modis is a satellite-imagery instrument on board two Nasa scientific research satellites that are currently orbiting the Earth.

GFW Fires combines real-time satellite data from Nasa’s Active Fires system, high-resolution satellite imagery, detailed maps of land cover and concessions for key commodities such as palm oil and wood pulp, weather conditions and air quality data to track fire activity in the region.

It was recently reported that wildfires and open burning woes were returning to Miri and Kuala Baram, with concerns that farmers and plantation workers were taking advantage of the dry season to clear agricultural land by setting dry bushes on fire.

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Malaysia: Vietnamese fishermen destroying Johor’s marine ecosystem

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 7 Aug 17;

JOHOR BARU: Urgent action is needed to save the marine eco­system in eastern Johor waters from Vietnamese fishermen who are plundering the rich marine resources there, a conservationist said.

Johor Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) chairman Vincent Chow told The Star that these raiders targeted specific sea creatures such as sea cucumbers because of the huge demand in China.

“The marine life in eastern Johor waters stretching from Mersing to Desaru is diverse and rich,” he said.

“Besides sea cucumbers, turtles and even sharks can be found there and these animals depend on each other as part of the food chain. If one link is gone, it will jeopardise the whole ecosystem.”

Chow also said the pukat harimau trawler net favoured by the Viet-namese was banned in Malaysia for environmental reasons.

“These nets are lowered to the seabed and dragged by fishing boats to catch everything in their path.

“The net will destroy everything on the sea floor, including coral reefs, while scooping up all the fish and other marine life,” he added.

Chow urged the Government and the relevant authorities to look into the matter urgently.

He said the encroachers would resort to anything just to stay one step ahead of local enforcement authorities, including using faster boats.

“We may have the better law but if we do not enforce it, how will we be able to save our seas?” he added.

The Star reported on Friday that Vietnamese fishermen were frequently encroaching into Malaysian waters in search of a valuable catch in the form of sea cucumber.

The growing issue of encroachment is causing serious problems for local fishermen, who are intimidated by the bigger vessels. Their livelihoods are badly affected.

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Malaysia: Champ the green turtle returns to sea after 3-months in rehab

AVILA GERALDINE New Straits Times 6 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: A sub-adult green turtle with single fore flipper has been successfully released back into the sea recently, after undergoing rehabilitation treatment for three months.

The endangered turtle, nicknamed Champ, is the third rescued turtle to be fitted with a satellite prior to being released on July 29.

The satellite tagging was done under the collaboration between Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Marine Research Foundation, and Scuba Junkie.

Champ was rescued on May 7 near Pom Pom Island Resort off Semporna and was placed at the Scuba Junkie’s Mabul Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

SWD’s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) acting manager Dr Diana Ramirez said the animal was found stuck in a fishing line, which has entangled its left flipper.

“The entangled line had caused complete loss of the flipper. We sent a team to the island to perform emergency amputation of the protruding bone and provide supportive treatment before it gets further infected.

“Our veterinarians also trained the staff on the island to do daily cleaning of the wound following the surgery," she said, adding that the department supervised its progress.

At the rehabilitation centre, Ramirez said Champ was placed in a bigger tank to observe his ability to adapt in deeper waters and strong current.

After 12 weeks of rehabilitation treatment, veterinarians decided it was ready for release despite having only a single front flipper.

“We were gradually testing Champ's movement and swimming skills until we saw it was completely comfortable in deeper waters. So, after observations and discussion with experts, we believe Champ will survive.

“Champ’s situation is the first amputation case and it is not common. However, this is not the first time we have issues with (fishing) nets,” stressed Ramirez.

Human fishing gear, she said represents the single greatest threat to sea turtle worldwide.

A marine biologist at the Mabul Turtle Rehabilitation Centre Cat Cassidy added turtles are particularly affected as they need to surface for breathing.

“Entanglement can prevent them from doing so and this will eventually lead to drowning,” she said.

In May, two green turtles were rescued in a weak state and were tended by the WRU personnel. The turtles were put under close observation at the rehabilitation centre before they were tagged and released on June 24.

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Malaysia: Government's commitment for Sabah-wide palm oil certification could halt declining Orang Utan

Bernama New Straits Times 6 Aug 17;

SANDAKAN: Sabah’s commitment to jurisdictional certification of its palm oil could be the answer for landscape level conservation of high conservation value (HCV) forests outside of protected areas in the Kinabatangan region.

A certified palm oil up to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standard offers a solution, as the standard prohibits new planting of oil palm in such areas.

“If these are strengthened, scaled up and embedded within broader legal and institutional frameworks, they could shift the trajectory of the oil palm in Borneo towards more responsible forms of production,” said Ridge to Reef co-director Holly Jonas.

Jonas had taken part in the case study entitled, “Addressing the Impact of Large-Scale Oil Palm Plantations on Orang utan Conservation in Borneo: A Spatial, Legal and Political Economy Analysis,” which said the window of opportunity to protect several key orangutan populations in their natural habitat would close in the near future if the business as usual scenario continues.

At present oil palm covers over 80 per cent of the Lower Kinabatangan besides dominating the orangutan’s preferred habitat of tropical lowland and peatland rainforests.

It was also recently reported that the orangutan population in the Lower Kinabatangan has dropped by 30 per cent since 2001. -- BERNAMA

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