wildsingapore news: global-biodiversity

Showing posts with label global-biodiversity. Show all posts

Showing posts with label global-biodiversity. Show all posts

Malaysia: Suitable area in Sabah sought to rehabilitate wild animals

The Star 12 Aug 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is identifying a suitable area in the state to rehabilitate wild animals in a bid for better wildlife conservation.

Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said he has instructed state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew to identify areas that would be suitable for such conservation purposes, including to breed near-extinct Sumatran rhinos and pygmy elephants.

Thanking the Indonesian government for their pledge to help save the Sumatran rhinos by agreeing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this purpose, he said it was the only move available to save the species from extinction.

For the state government’s part, he said they want to emulate Africa, where some 1, 000 acres of land has been set aside for elephants to roam freely.

Indonesia: Six Javanese porcupines released into Lake Buyan Natural Park

Antara 29 Jul 19;

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - Six Javanese porcupines (Hystrix javanica) belonging to Bali Zoo in Gianyar District were released into the Lake Buyan-Lake Tamblingan Natural Park in Buleleng District, Bali.

During a series of events to commemorate Nature Conservation National Day on Sunday (July 28), a male and five female porcupines, aged between one and two years and weighing between five and six kilograms, were released into the Lake Buyan-Lake Tamblingan Natural Park in collaboration with Bali's Natural Resource Conservation Center.

"We hope that the released porcupine would breed well," Bali Zoo's spokesperson, Emma Kristina Chandra, remarked here, Monday.

IUCN red list reveals wildlife destruction from treetop to ocean floor

Latest list shows extinction now threatens a third of all assessed species, from monkeys to rhino rays
Damian Carrington The Guardian 18 Jul 19;

From the tops of trees to the depths of the oceans, humanity’s destruction of wildlife is continuing to drive many species towards extinction, with the latest “red list” showing that a third of all species assessed are under threat.

The razing of habitats and hunting for bushmeat has now driven seven primates into decline, while overfishing has pushed two families of extraordinary rays to the brink. Pollution, dams and over-abstraction of freshwater are responsible for serious declines in river wildlife from Mexico to Japan, while illegal logging is ravaging Madagascar’s rosewoods, and disease is decimating the American elm.

The red list, produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is the most authoritative assessment of the status of species. The list published on Thursday adds almost 9,000 new species, bringing the total to 105,732, though this is a fraction of the millions of species thought to live on Earth. Not a single species was recorded as having improved in status.

Singapore opens first seed bank to protect regional plant diversity against climate change

Junn Loh Channel NewsAsia 13 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s first seed bank was officially launched on Saturday (Jul 13), as part of efforts to protect local and regional plant diversity against threats like climate change and habitat loss.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank, set up by the National Parks Board (NParks) in House 4 – the largest of the five colonial-style houses within the former Raffles College at Cluny Road – has a storage capacity of up to 25,000 plant species.

This is about half the number of seed plant species in the region and more than double of that currently found in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which has around 10,000 species.

Indonesia to welcome back endemic snake-necked turtles

The Jakarta Post 30 Jun 19;

The “repatriation” is to be conducted through a reintroduction program run by the Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) and Wildlife Reserve Singapore.

The turtles, which are to be shipped to Indonesia in the next couple of months, have been bred by organizations in a number of countries, including the United States and Austria. Some 26 individuals bred in the US and Austria are now being kept in the Singapore Zoo. However, how many of those are to be sent to their natural habitat in their ancestral home is still under negotiation, Timbul Batubara, the head of the East Nusa Tenggara Resource Conservation Center (BBKSDA), said on Saturday.

The species, called the Roti Island snake-necked turtle, is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list and is categorized as critically endangered. Roti Island is another name for Rote Island.

Malaysia: Sabah identified as potential site for pangolin research, conservation efforts

stephanie lee The Star 23 Jun 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has been identified as a potential site for pangolin research and conservation efforts and a research site will be set up in Tawau district soon.

To accomplish this, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Sabah Pangolin Sanctuary and Research Institute (Sapsari) will be signed on Monday (June 24).

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the MoU will be signed between the state government and Peter Chan, the founder and chief executive officer of US-based Sapsari Arizona.

Liew said the much-anticipated Sapsari is going to be a reality for the conservation of the critically-endangered Sunda pangolin.

Two-hour ‘dose’ of nature significantly boosts health – study

Researchers say simply sitting and enjoying the peace has mental and physical benefits
Damian Carrington The Guardian 13 Jun 19;

A two-hour “dose” of nature a week significantly boosts health and wellbeing, research suggests, even if you simply sit and enjoy the peace.

The physical and mental health benefits of time spent in parks, woods or the beach are well known, but the new research is the first major study into how long is needed to produce the effect. If confirmed by future research, two hours in nature could join five a day of fruit and veg and 150 minutes of exercise a week as official health advice.

The finding is based on interviews with 20,000 people in England about their activity in the previous week. Of those who spent little or no time in nature, a quarter reported poor health and almost half said they were not satisfied with their life, a standard measure of wellbeing. In contrast, just one-seventh of those who spent at least two hours in nature said their health was poor, while a third were not satisfied with their life.

‘Frightening’ number of plant extinctions found in global survey

Study shows 571 species wiped out, and scientists say figure is likely to be big underestimate
Damian Carrington The Guardian 10 Jun 19;

Human destruction of the living world is causing a “frightening” number of plant extinctions, according to scientists who have completed the first global analysis of the issue.

They found 571 species had definitely been wiped out since 1750 but with knowledge of many plant species still very limited the true number is likely to be much higher. The researchers said the plant extinction rate was 500 times greater now than before the industrial revolution, and this was also likely to be an underestimate.

“Plants underpin all life on Earth,” said Dr Eimear Nic Lughadha, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who was part of the team. “They provide the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat, as well as making up the backbone of the world’s ecosystems – so plant extinction is bad news for all species.”

Malaysia: Environment and wildlife protection key to Sabah's economic growth

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 31 May 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah can sustain its positive tourism sector performance and growth by continuously protecting of its environment and wildlife, said economist Dr Rafiq Idris.

The Universiti Malaysia Sabah Business, Economics and Accountancy faculty senior lecturer said Sabah’s natural environment had contributed towards its big tourist numbers.

“People continuously visit Sabah because of its ‘nature’. The beautiful beaches, islands, mountain, waterfalls, jungles and wildlife among others are among the main reasons tourists come.

“Good environment and wildlife protection would attract tourists from around the globe to visit Sabah which has potential to further contribute to the state’s tourism sector significantly," he said in a statement.

Sumatran rhinoceros: Indonesia can help save species

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 29 May 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Hopes for the survival of the Sumatran rhinoceros lie in the cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia for a breeding programme.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the Sabah government still had one remaining female Sumatran rhinoceros, Iman, which is being kept at Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin here.

Liew, who is also state tourism, culture and environment minister, said the 25-year-old rhino was found to have massive uterine fibroids when it was captured in 2014.

“Despite the tumours in its uterus, Iman is still producing eggs which can be harvested.

Tam, Malaysia's only male Sumatran rhino dies

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 27 May 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia's last remaining male Sumatran rhinoceros, affectionately called Tam, has died today.

Tam died at about noon at Borneo Rhino Sanctuary in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Lahad Datu.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the exact cause of death would be known after the autopsy.

"Invariably, everything that could have possibly been done, was done, and executed with great love and dedication.

Humans causing shrinking of nature as larger animals die off

Average size of wild animals predicted to fall by a quarter in 100 years through extinctions
Damian Carrington The Guardian 23 May 19;

Humanity’s ongoing destruction of wildlife will lead to a shrinking of nature, with the average body size of animals falling by a quarter, a study predicts.

The researchers estimate that more than 1,000 larger species of mammals and birds will go extinct in the next century, from rhinos to eagles. They say this could lead to the collapse of ecosystems that humans rely on for food and clean water.

Humans have wiped out most large creatures from all inhabited continents apart from Africa over the last 125,000 years. This annihilation will accelerate rapidly in the coming years, according to the research.

The future extinctions can be avoided if radical action is taken to protect wildlife and restore habitats, and the scientists say the new work can help focus efforts on key species.

Vietnam: Dolphin species thought extinct in Vietnam caught in Mekong Delta

Phan Anh, Hoang Nam, Cuu Long Vietnam Express 17 May 19;

Phan Van Thai, 49, and his wife were fishing on the Co Chien River in Cho Lach District when they heard a loud splashing sound. On further inspection, they discovered a creature they could not identify trapped in their net.

"I’ve been fishing for the last 20 years, but I have never seen any fish as big and strange as this one," Thai said. The creature was approximately 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) long and weighed 150 kilograms (330 pounds).

The animal was dead, and Thai stored it in ice and waited for authorities to identify it. It was later identified as an Irrawaddy dolphin, a species of dolphin previously thought to have disappeared from Vietnam's Mekong River, Vu Long, director of the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species, told the media.

Indonesia: East Nusa Tenggara to conduct research on Komodo dragons

The Jakarta Post 15 May 19;

As Komodo Island will be closed to the public as of January 2020, the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration in cooperation with Nusa Cendana University (Undana) in Kupang will conduct research on the habitat of Komodo dragons in the Komodo National Park, West Manggarai.

"Our cooperation with Undana's research team will be an important part of the NTT administration's efforts to preserve the animals," the administration's secretary, Benediktus Polo Maing, said in Kupang on Wednesday as quoted by Antara.

Benediktus said his office had met with representatives of relevant agencies, including Undana's research team.

Tackling global biodiversity challenge from the ground

Peter Edwards and Justine Saunders Straits Times 11 May 19;

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report published earlier this week documents a truly alarming picture of the accelerating loss of biological diversity around the world. It concludes that the state of the environment is critical - with 75 per cent of the world's land area significantly altered by humans, and approximately one million species at risk of extinction.

More importantly, it emphasises that this potential loss of species is worrying, not merely for conservation reasons, but because biological diversity is essential for human well-being.

In the past 25 years, we have gained a much fuller understanding of our dependence upon the "ecosystem services" that plants and animals provide. For example, healthy forests help to regulate water and cool the environment, and healthy oceans provide a sustainable supply of fish.

Without these ecosystem services, we jeopardise economic growth and put the lives of future generations at risk.

The problem of biodiversity loss, as presented in the report, is one of a "tragedy of the commons" playing out on a global scale. But despite the gravity of the situation, the report's authors insist it is not too late to act.

Malaysia: Call to protect and conserve endangered primate species in Johor

esther tan The Star 9 May 19;

JOHOR BARU: There are six types of primates in the wild in Johor, with two now on the endangered species list due to poaching, deforestation and human wildlife conflict.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) president Professor Dr Ahmad Ismail said the lack of awareness among the authorities and the public had also led to the decline in the numbers.

“While we are not sure of the exact numbers of the two endangered primates in the wild, we hope the authorities will do more to protect and conserve them,” he added.

Tharman calls for innovations in every sphere to reduce trade-off between growth and sustainability

Christie Chiu Straits Times 8 May 19;

SINGAPORE - While more and more young people are seized by the green movement, there is a need for countries and companies to act urgently on the grave risks to sustainability, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam said yesterday.

The window is closing fast before there is irreversible damage in living standards for future generations and loss of animal and natural life on the planet.

In his opening address at an international sustainability symposium yesterday, Mr Tharman urged countries and companies to invest in innovations that are more energy efficient and less destructive to the environment.

Urgent need for action in region to address global biodiversity crisis: Local experts

Vanessa Liu Straits Times 7 May 19;

SINGAPORE - Despite conservation efforts within the country, there is an urgent need to look towards the region when dealing with the global biodiversity crisis, local experts say.

They were responding to a United Nations report released on Monday (May 6) that painted a grim picture of the state of ecosystems worldwide.

Up to a million species on earth are well on their way to becoming extinct due to human activities, according to the report.

Assistant Professor Janice Lee of the Asian School of the Environment at Nanyang Technological University said: "Singapore has come a long way in terms of nature conservation and has been very active in local conservation efforts.

"This has led to the recovery of some species on our island such as the Oriental pied hornbill and the smooth-coated otters, which are inspiring success stories for the region."

However, Dr Lee stressed that Singapore needs to play an active role in safeguarding not only the country's ecosystems and biodiversity, but also the region's.

A million species risk extinction, are we one of them?

Marlowe HOOD, AFP Yahoo News 6 May 19;

Paris (AFP) - Humanity is rapidly destroying the natural world upon which our prosperity -- and ultimately our survival -- depends, according to a landmark UN assessment of the state of Nature released Monday.

Changes wrought by decades of pillaging and poisoning forests, oceans, soil and air threaten society "at least as much as climate change," said Robert Watson, who chaired the 132-nation meeting that validated a Summary for Policymakers forged by 450 experts.

One million animal and plant species face extinction, many within decades, they reported.

Alarmingly, the accelerating pace at which unique life-forms are disappearing -- already tens to hundreds of times faster than during the last ten million years -- could tip Earth into the first mass extinction since non-avian dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago.

In the short term, humans are not at risk, said Josef Settele, a professor at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany and co-chair of the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

"In the longer term, it is hard to say," he told AFP. "If humans do go extinct, Nature will find its way, it always does."

In degrading Nature humanity harms itself, UN report warns

Marlowe HOOD, AFP Yahoo News 26 Apr 19;

Paris (AFP) - Diplomats and scientists from 130 nations gather in Paris next week to vet and validate the first UN global assessment of the state of Nature in more than a decade, and the news is not good.

A quarter of 100,000 species already assessed are on a path to extinction, and the total number facing a forced exit from the world stage is closer to a million, according to an executive summary, obtained by AFP, of a 1,800-page scientific report three years in the making.

A score of 10-year targets adopted in 2010 under the UN's biodiversity treaty -- to expand protected areas, slow species and forest loss, and reduce pollution impact -- will almost all fail, the draft Summary for Policy Makers reports.

But the focus of the five-day meet is not just pangolins, pandas, polar bears and the multitude of less "charismatic" lifeforms that humanity is eating, crowding or poisoning into oblivion.

Rather, the spotlight is on the one species that has so ravaged Earth's natural systems as to imperil its own existence as well.

That, of course, would be us: homo sapiens.

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