Best of our wild blogs: 5 Nov 18

Open for registration – Love MacRitchie Walk with NUS Toddycats! on 11 Nov 2018 (Sun)
Love our MacRitchie Forest

24 Nov (Sat): NSS Kids’ Fun with Marine Life at Sentosa’s Natural Shore
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

A meat-eater’s month long affair with vegetables
EnVoice

Kima? Taklobo? Bénitier?
Mei Lin NEO

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Unpiloted drones could be used for maintenance checks on Southern Islands

The Singapore Land Authority is looking to use drones to perform scheduled inspections on offshore islands under its care – remotely and without a pilot. In March, SLA conducted trials on Pulau Seringat and Kusu Island – an area of some 42 hectares among the Southern Islands region – to explore the possible uses of drones for operational purposes.
Gwyneth Teo Channel NewsAsia 4 Nov 18;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Land Authority is looking to use drones to perform scheduled inspections on offshore islands under its care – remotely and without a pilot.

In March, SLA conducted trials on Pulau Seringat and Kusu Island – an area of some 42 hectares among the Southern Islands region – to explore the possible uses of drones for operational purposes.

Conducted with robotics experts HUS Unmanned Systems, the drone flew according to pre-planned waypoints and pre-defined flight schedules instead of being manually piloted.

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Malaysia: Two rivers dry up in Johor, allegedly from sand-mining

Part of Sungai Linggiu and Sungai Sayong allegedly used for sand-mining.
Malay Mail Today Online 4 Nov 18;

KULAI (Malaysia) — Several Orang Asli villagers in Tenggara in the south-eastern part of Johor are pleading with the authorities to investigate two shrinking rivers near their homes, which they insist is due to unregulated sand-mining activities.

Fisherman Azman Inam from Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang said he and others from his village who depend on Sungai Linggiu and Sungai Sayong have been struggling to earn a living as the rivers dry up.

He added that villagers had earlier sought to bring the authorities’ attention to the problem.

“However, there is no concrete solution for us and the continued sand-mining activities have impacted our lives,” he told Malay Mail.

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Malaysia: Big returns reason why enforcement officers become masterminds in smuggling wildlife

MOHD JAMILUL ANBIA MD DENIN New Straits Times 4 Nov 18;

KUALA LUMPUR: Extraordinary profit is why some enforcement and government officers become masterminds in smuggling and the illicit trade of protected wildlife.

A source said these people were found to be colluding with poachers and have connections with international syndicates.

This was proven when several police officers as well as former officers of the Royal Customs Department were arrested in operations conducted by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) over the last few months.

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