Best of our wild blogs: 15 May 18

9 June (Sat): Want to learn how to be a nature guide? Come join the Chek Jawa Familiarisation Tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs!
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Sea bunnies of the Seagrass
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Read more!

Almost half of Australian big business moving to renewables

Climate Council says capacity of firms to generate solar power has doubled in less than two years
Ben Smee The Guardian 13 May 18;

Almost half of Australia’s large businesses are actively transitioning to cheaper renewable energy, including many going off the grid by building their own generators and battery storage, as power bills threaten their bottom line.

A new report by the Climate Council details the increased speed of a business-led transition to renewables as power bills have increased.

The average household and small-business energy bill is more than 80% higher than a decade ago. Gas prices have increased threefold in five years.

Many businesses – including 46% of large operations – have responded by seeking green alternatives. The Climate Council report, released on Tuesday, said the capacity of Australian businesses to generate their own solar power had doubled in less than two years.

Business owners report making their investment back through cost savings in less than five years.

The general manager of AustChilli at Bundaberg, Ian Gaffel, said the decision to invest in solar panels was a “no-brainer”.

AustChilli employs more than 100 people in the agriculture and food manufacturing process. The business initially built a 100kW solar system and about 18 months ago added an additional 200kW.

Solar now accounts for about a quarter of the business’s power usage.

“We looked for many years at the idea before jumping in a few years ago,” Gaffel said. “We’re a growing business so as we’ve grown the energy we’re using goes up.”

“My role is on the financial side and from the numbers it was a very easy decision.

“It takes away that unknown of ‘what’s the power bill going to do next’. For us to be able to get some stability … and generate energy that won’t be subject to those fluctuations. Anybody who has the ability to spend on capital investment, it’s a no-brainer.”

Gaffel said the cost savings gave the business more confidence and certainty when deciding to expand and hire more employees. The next step for the business will likely be battery storage, which will further decrease its reliance on the energy grid.

The story is being repeated across the country, particularly in the manufacturing industry, where increased power bills have squeezed profits.

The Melbourne-based Carlton & United Breweries is moving towards 100% renewable energy. The company is adding a rooftop solar installation and has signed an agreement with a solar farm near Mildura to provide most of the brewery’s power needs for the next 12 years.

Sun Metals, which runs an power-intensive zinc refinery near Townsville, is one of Queensland’s biggest energy consumers. To help justify a planned $300m expansion, the business is building a massive solar farm that will produce one third of its energy needs. The refinery will be the largest single-site consumer of renewables in the country.

Greg Bourne, who is a member of the Climate Council and an energy expert, said businesses who transitioned to renewable energy to cut costs and take control of their power bills were also “playing a crucial role in transitioning the nation away from ageing, polluting and unreliable fossil fuels”.

“This report shows that the rising cost of energy is the number one concern for Australian businesses over the next decade, so it’s no surprise that a variety of businesses … are all turning to affordable renewable energy and storage solutions,” he said.

“This is a worldwide transition, with businesses around the globe taking advantage of the investment opportunities associated with renewable energy, with 131 of the world’s largest companies on their way to being powered by 100% renewables.”

The Clean Energy Regulator said last week the government’s 2020 renewable energy target had effectively been met by projects that have been built, commissioned, or are under construction.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 14 May 18

Wild fun for kids during the June school holidays!
wild shores of singapore

Free tours at Coney Island in June
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa wallace) @ Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Monday Morgue

Read more!

'Forest Town' Tengah's first batch of HDB flats to be launched in November

Channel NewsAsia 13 May 18;

SINGAPORE: Around 1,500 HDB flats will be the first to be launched in November this year at Tengah, the first new town in more than 20 years.

Announcing this in a blog on Sunday (May 13), National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said this will be a "substantial offering" with a "good mix across different flat-types".

"Over the new few years, we will continue to have a steady stream of Tengah flats. When completed, Tengah Town will grow to about 700 hectares, roughly equivalent to Bishan in size," Mr Wong said.

He added that Tengah was conceptualised as a unique town in Singapore and as the country's first "Forest Town" with a green theme spread across the district.

"Tengah will be integrated with the surrounding greenery and rich biodiversity, and feature a car-free town centre. It will be a green, car-lite, and pedestrian-friendly town.

"With the recent announcement of the 24km Jurong Region Line (JRL), residents in Tengah can also look forward to excellent connectivity, with four JRL stations connecting the town to Jurong Innovation District, Jurong Lake District and beyond. Within Tengah, we are also looking to enhance last-mile connectivity through autonomous vehicles," the Minister added.

Source: CNA/mn

Read more!

Malaysia: Ordeal over for chained elephant

Muhammad Apendy Issahak New Straits Times 13 May 18;

GERIK: A wild elephant that was caught near the Titiwangsa Rest and Relax (R&R) area and chained by the side of the Timur Barat Highway has been relocated by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) today.

After having been chained for seven days much to the dismay of social media users, Perhilitan's operation to relocate the elephant was aided by the National Elephant Conservation Centre, the police as well as the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela).

It is understood that the elephant had been spotted roaming near the R&R before it was captured and chained.

Perak Perhilitan deputy director Wan Shaharuddin Wan Nordin said the operation began at 9am with the help of two other elephants, Rambai and Abot, which were brought in by the conservation centre.

Police helped to cordon off the area and close the roads in order to ensure public safety, Wan Shaharuddin said.

The elephant, estimated to be about 20 years old, was moved by a lorry to its natural habitat.

Meanwhile, Gerik district police chied Supt Ismail Che Isa when contacted said his men from Bersia police station were sent to help with the relocation process.

"I understand the elephant was moved to the Sungai Deka forest in Terengganu," he said, informing that the operation was a success and the elephant was not harmed in the process.

Pictures and video of the elephant chained by the highway has since gone viral with many expressing their anger over the animal's limited movement due to the chains.


Elephant that wandered to highway rest area successfully relocated
victoria brown The Star 13 May 18;

PETALING JAYA: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has successfully relocated a wild elephant that had wandered to a Titiwangsa highway rest stop.

Videos of the elephant, which was named Yeop Viral, went viral on social media after it was caught on camera destroying fences near the rest stop.

Perhilitan said that the operation to relocate the 3.5-tonne elephant to the Sungai Deka Elephant Sanctuary Hulu Terengganu a success.

"Hopefully Yeop Viral is safe and comfortable in its new location! Bon Voyage Yeop," said Perhilitan in a Facebook posting.

However, the slope where the elephant was captured forced the team to temporarily hold it in the area so that the team can sort out the logistics in moving the elephant.

Perhilitan said that a veterinary officer was stationed with the elephant to monitor its health and diet, in accordance to its standard operating procedure.

The elephant was also regularly checked to ensure that it was not injured by its chains.

Perhilitan utilised elephants named Abot and Rambai to help lead Yeop out of the area and onto the transport vehicle, where he was restrained.

In general, the rise of human conflicts with wild elephants is large due to humans encroaching into elephant's traditional habitats.

Experts say that elephants would follow their instincts and go through their usual routes, even if they have been developed by humans.

Studies have found human-elephant conflicts arising from animals raiding crops, injuries/deaths to humans caused by elephants, and humans killing elephants as they are seen as a nuisance.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 12-13 May 18

What's happening at Pesta Ubin?
Pesta Ubin 2018

Sexual Dimorphism - Part 2
Butterflies of Singapore

Read more!

Deep-sea 'aliens' no one knew existed, unearthed in Singapore-Indonesia expedition

At least 12 species of crabs, prawns and lobsters collected from the deep seas in West Java are new to science. Another 40 are new records for Indonesia. Here are some of these strange and fascinating finds.
Ray Yeh Channel NewsAsia 13 May 18;

SINGAPORE: The expedition lasted two weeks. But it will take two years for the scientists to complete their studies of more than 12,000 specimens - some bizarre and new to science - hauled up from the bottom of the Sunda Strait and Indian Ocean.

These Indonesian waters off West Java had been largely unexplored by marine biologists until now. That changed in March, when a combined team from Singapore and Indonesia set out to sea.

“People have collected data off west of Sumatra, eastern parts of Indonesia and southeastern part of Java,” said Professor Peter Ng, head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

“But for whatever reasons, the Sunda Strait in southwestern and southern Java were poorly collected. We had almost no information about the deep-sea animals living there.

So we thought, here’s a nice chance to fill the gap. We cannot conserve what we do not know.

Prof Ng, a well-known crab expert, led the 14-day South Java Deep Sea Biodiversity Expedition (SJADES 2018) with Professor Dwi Listyo Rahayu, a world authority on hermit crabs from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

The research vessel with 31 scientists and support staff sailed from Jakarta towards Cilacap in southern Java and back, covering a total distance of 2,200km.

Using trawls, dredges, box corers and multicorers, the NUS-LIPI team collected marine animal samples at depths averaging 800m - the deepest was at 2,100m.

The result exceeded Prof Ng's expectations: Over a dozen new species of hermit crabs, prawns, lobsters and crabs were found, and more than 40 species of various kinds are new records for Indonesia.

Here are some of them, in photos.

DECORATOR CRABS (New to science)

Three new species of bizarre-looking spider crabs were found – all in the deep waters of southwestern Java.

They were immediately recognised as unique species by Prof Ng and Dr Bertrand Richer de Forges from France, both of whom have been studying this group of crustaceans for over three decades.

This yet-to-be-named crab was found camouflaged with detritus, small zoanthid anemones and mud. It has a distinctive plate that resembles oversized ears adjacent to its red eyes.

A orange species with many strong spines. Only one specimen of this rare species was obtained.

A decorator crab with a more elongated form. Several specimens were found clinging to stalked sea lilies, a living fossil. Scientists are still not sure if this is their only habitat, but they do believe these crabs have a preference for these sea lilies.

Why do these crabs decorate themselves when there is no light in the depths of the ocean?

That is because “a whole bunch of animals are using sound”, said Prof Ng. “They hit you with sonar. Which means that even if they can’t see you, you don’t want to look like a crab, you want to look like a blob of sponges.

Even in the deep, it pays that you try to pretend to be something you’re not.

HERMIT CRABS (New to science or new for Indonesia)

Hermit crabs live solitary lives protected by shells. They are a major component of the deep-sea fauna and appear in almost every catch.

These animals come in a surprising diversity of form, shape and sizes. During the expedition, Prof Dwi found over 40 hermit crab species, many of which look nothing like the typical hermit crabs found in shallow waters and on land.

Some are very skinny because they live in hollow twigs. Some resemble small lobsters – they burrow into wood. Others live inside swollen sea anemones.

Hermit crabs are mostly found in the shallow waters. There are few species in deeper waters, so the discovery of this new species is noteworthy.

The bright green eyes and distinctly patterned granulated pincers are distinctive for this new species. Professor Dwi immediately recognised it as something she has never seen before.

This slender twig-dwelling hermit crab with a straight body has adapted its body to live inside the narrow cavities of hollow twigs and sticks.

GIANT SEA COCKROACHES (New to science)

The expedition found a new species of Bathynomus, which is 30cm in length.

Also called giant sea cockroaches, they are important deep-sea scavengers. They feed on dead animals that sink to the ocean bottom, and are an integral part of the ecosystem there.

However, Bathynomus had not been officially recorded in Indonesia before.

There are 18 species globally, 15 of which reside in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Among these, the most famous are eight species which experts have called “supergiants” because they reach sizes of 50cm in length.

The two chief scientists were excited, and their check of the literature indicated that the “supergiant” species collected was quite different from known species - they may well be new.

SHRIMPS & LOBSTERS (New to science)

Also on the expedition was Professor Chan Tin-Yam from the National Taiwan Ocean University, a world expert in deep-water shrimps and lobsters who, with his team, discovered five new species.

A new shrimp species with shiny eyes. These bottom-dwelling shrimps possess unique mechanisms to lock their abdomens to protect against predators.

This was among the 20 species of squat lobsters found by scientists on the expedition. This species has a distinctive zebra pattern on its body.

GOBY FISH (New to science?)

Gobies are mostly found in shallow intertidal waters, but some can be found in much deeper waters of almost 200m, like the specimen in the photograph, which was collected from the Sunda Strait.

This strange goby is flat-headed, and has very enlarged otoliths (ear stones for balance) behind the eyes. There are currently three known species in the world, and scientists are examining whether this specimen is one of them - or new to science.

OTHER INTERESTING FINDS

This 6cm deep-sea tube-dwelling worm pastes sediment grains with their tentacles to the pre-existing conical tube as they grow, forming a structure which resembles an ice-cream cone.

This deep sea scallop has some peculiar habits. Scientists believe it is carnivorous, feeding on very small animals.

In addition, it almost has a sea anemone attached to one of its valves – presumably for protection.

Nicknamed the Dumbo Octopus because of its resemblance to the beloved Disney character, this animal has a jelly-like feel and was dark purple when first observed in the trawl net.

It swims using the two large flaps on its head.

This peculiar squid measuring some 8cm has one eye much larger than the other.

It apparently swims with the larger eye looking downwards for food, whilst the smaller eye peers upwards presumably watching out for predators.

A brightly coloured shrimp that was caught alive. It regurgitates a bioluminescent cloud to confuse predators when disturbed - a habit shared with several other species of deep-sea prawns.

Nicknamed the chain-saw lobster, this is a rare deep-sea blind lobster with scary right claws lined with many sharp teeth.

Scientists, however, suspect that the claw is not a predatory device but acts to sieve bottom substrates for small animals to eat.

These lobsters are rarely collected because they dig deep burrows.

The deep-sea tripod fish has peculiar fins and filaments that help it balance and detect small prey swimming past. It has eyes that have no lenses, so it’s unable to focus on objects.

Last but not least, they are hermaphrodites. These odd features help it survive in perpetual darkness.

The aptly named Fang Tooth has wicked-looking long teeth. No escape for any prey that gets into this mouth.

Source: CNA/ry/yv
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/deep-sea-sunda-strait-new-species-singapore-indonesia-10227902

Read more!

Indonesia: Two decades for broken coral reefs to recover - Ministry

Ivany Atina Arbi The Jakarta Post 11 May 18;

The Environment and Forestry Ministry has announced that broken coral reefs covering 1,020 square meters near Pari Island of Thousand Island regency, which were damaged after cargo ship Ghanda Nusantara 15 rammed into them on Saturday night, will take over 20 years to recover.

Iksan, a ministry official who conducted a survey at the site of the incident, told The Jakarta Post recently that the majority of the damaged area consisted of hard coral — also known as stony coral — which takes a long time to grow.

“It takes 20 years or more for such kinds of coral reefs to recover to their normal condition, before the incident took place,” Iksan said, adding that the ministry would study the results over the next several days to determine total losses from the incident.

The ship’s owner, as regulated in Law. No 32/2009 on environmental management and protection, will have to pay for the losses, with the money being used for restoration of the coral reefs.

Article 2 of the law states that every person or institution proven to have damaged environment is obliged to pay a certain amount of compensation.

The Thousand Island Police said separately that the ship, owned by the Transportation Ministry, reportedly rammed into the coral reefs near the island at around 7:15 p.m. on Saturday.

The ship, intended to sail from Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan to Tidung Island of Thousand Islands regency, was stuck near Pari Island due to bad weather. It was swept away by strong waves and finally left stranded atop the pristine coral reefs.

“Six crew members aboard have been evacuated by Pari Island residents, with help from officials from the fire and rescue agency,” said Thousand Islands Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Viktor Siagian. The ship’s crew were then brought to the police to be questioned.

Local residents urged the government to quickly move the vessel from the site to avoid further damage to the coral reefs.

One of the local residents, Ahmad Taufik, 36, said the coral reefs played a significant role in boosting the island’s tourism. Pari Island is among the top tourist destinations in Thousand Islands regency, along with Tidung and Bidadari Islands.

Ahmad added that coral reef damage from ships occasionally occurred in the island’s waters. He, together with other residents concerned with marine protection, would replant the coral reefs using compensation from the owners of the ships that caused the environmental damage.

“At least one similar incident happens in the island’s waters every year, but the ships that caused the damage have never been as big as the [Ghanda Nusantara] ship,” Ahmad told the Post via phone. The Ghanda Nusantara has a weight of around 92 gross tons.

Environmental group Greenpeace urged the government to finish the valuation soon to figure out how much the ship’s owners had to pay.

It could be a great loss, said Greenpeace Southeast Asia oceans campaigner Arifsyah Nasution, reflecting on a similar incident that had occurred last year in Raja Ampat waters in Papua.

“Seeing the case at Raja Ampat, each square meter of damage had to be compensated with up to US$1,200,” he said.

On March 4, British cruise ship Caledonian Sky ran aground in Raja Ampat waters, West Papua, destroying nearly 13,000 sqm of coral reef.

Read more!

Indonesia: Melon-headed whale stranded in Kupang

Antara 13 May 18;

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - A melon-headed whale was found stranded on the Oesapa coast of Oesapa Sub-district, Kelapa Lima Sub-district, Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Some fishermen and Coastal and Marine Resources Agency (BPDSL) officers on the coast of Oesapa tried to guide the whale back to the sea on Saturday (May 12) afternoon.

"This whale had been stranded since 11:30 a.m. local time. We tried to push it back to the sea, but it kept returning to the coast," an officer, Marlen Mesak Nale, stated.

Nale noted that the whale was first found by a local fisherman who was on the beach.

The fisherman then sought help from other fishermen to push the whale back into the sea. The effort, which lasted for about four hours, was in vain as the whale did not want to go back to the sea.

Even until 04:00 p.m. local time, the whale was still on the coast. Visitors crowded on the beach to watch the whale.

The body of the mammal had an incision. The whale, which had a spear near its tail, had allegedly been injured by irresponsible whale hunters.

Meanwhile, Staff of Coastal and Marine Resources Center (BSDPL) of East Java-Bali-West Nusa Tenggara-East Nusa Tenggara, Yuniarti, remarked that the whale had allegedly been separated from its flock.

"It was difficult to return it to the sea. It might have been terrified by the crowd, with some even climbing on top of it, making it difficult for it to swim," she explained.

Reported by Kornelis Kaha
(T.KR-TQA/INE)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto

Read more!

Vietnam: Red-shanked doucs protected by locals in Quang Nam forest

VietNamNet Bridge 11 May 18;

In 2017, the news about the discovery of red-shanked doucs in Hon Do of Nui Thanh district in Quang Nam province stirred the scientific community. The provincial authorities immediately joined forces with Nuoc Viet Xanh Biodiversity Conservation Center to conduct a tally.

They found two groups of red shanked doucs with a total of 16-20. However, the precious primates, which are seen only in Vietnam, now live in an isolated natural forest covering an area of 5 hectares.

This prompted some scientists to think of moving herds to ensure habitat and food for the langurs.

Surprisingly, the idea faced strong opposition from both local authorities and people.

“The scientists have recently heard about the doucs, but we have been familiar with them for many years. We consider them as children,” said Danh, a local man who works as a volunteer in the team of douc protectors.

“They are our treasure. They are even more valuable than gold,” he said.

Pham Minh Huan, a forest ranger in Nui Thanh district, reassured reporters that they would be able to see the doucs.

“They always ‘sun bathe’ on trees every morning. They leave at 8 am to avoid the sunlight and return in the afternoon,” he explained.

Huan introduced every member of the team of douc protectors to reporters. They earn their living with different jobs, from fowl farming to honey bee collectors, but they all want to protect the doucs like their children.

“We go to the forest regularly to see if there is any trap or illegal poacher, and to be sure that the doucs are safe,” Danh, a member of the team, said.

The reporters had the chance to see the doucs and take pictures of them.

The reporters got up very early at dawn and depart from the Hon Do forest rangers’ station.

“Look over there,” Danh said, pointing his hands to some trees. The doucs appeared at dawn. Some of them sat still on the trees, while others passed from one branch to another.

Danh said the doucs there like eating sprouts. They eat leaves more than fruits and move on trees faster than on the ground.

“They are so nice. They are vegetarians,” he said.

There are still no official statistics about the number of doucs in Hon Do. Some people say there are three groups of 70.

Tran Huu Vy, director of Nuoc Viet Xanh Biodiversity Conservation Center, affirmed that the locals are capable of protecting doucs in Nui Thanh.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 11 May 18

Haze, It’s Complicated: Documentary Screening & Director Q&A
Green Drinks Singapore

9-10 Jun (Sat, Sun): Family Nature Camp
Pesta Ubin 2018

19 May (Sat): Siloso Coastal Forest Tour with Nature Society (Singapore)
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

International Coastal Cleanup Singapore 2018 – Registration for Organisers is open!
News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

Surprising snails of Singapore's seagrass meadows
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 10 May 18

Return of the King
Singapore Bird Group

Climate Action Grant for NGOs and Interest Groups
Climate Action SG

Read more!