Malaysia: Rogue male wild elephant caught

The Star 27 Dec 11;

KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) caught a rogue male wild elephant about 500m from the Jeli-Grik main road near the Batu Melintang camp in Jeli.

Its director Rahmat Topani said the elephant, believed to be between 10 and 15 years old and weighing 1.5 tonnes, was among 11 wild elephants caught by the department in Gua Musang, Kuala Krai and Jeli throughout the year.

He said acting on a report received from villagers of Kampung Jerek, Batu Melintang, a team of rangers from the Jeli office started tracking the elephant.

The team headed by Ismail Nordin spotted the elephant at about 9am yesterday and used sedatives to overpower the animal.

“The elephant is believed to have terrorised villagers in Kampung Dendong, Lawar, Belimbing and Kampung Pendok causing damage to their crops,” he said. — Bernama

15-year-old jumbo from rampaging herd caught
Sharifah Masinah Abdullah New Straits Times 27 Dec 11;
Wildlife Department mounts hunt after receiving reports

RANGERS from the state Wildlife Department captured an elephant on Sunday, believed to have been in a herd that destroyed crops in Batu Melintang, Jeli.

The bull elephant, named "Awang Jerek", was caught by rangers from the department's office in Jeli, led by Ismail Nordin, at 3.30pm.

State Wildlife Department director Rahmat Topani said the 15-year-old elephant, weighing about 1.5 tonnes, was the 11th captured by the department this year.

He said Awang Jerek was believed to have destroyed crops in areas such as Kampung Dendong, Kampung Lawar, Kampung Belimbing and Kampung Pendok over the past two years.

"We received reports from villagers that their banana and other fruit trees were destroyed by a herd of elephants.

"Following the reports, we mounted operations to track down the animals and managed to capture one of them."

He said Awang Jerek would be sent to the elephant conservation centre soon.

New home for jumbo
Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah New Straits Times 31 Dec 11;

THE Kelantan Wildlife Department has sent the 20-year-old bull elephant, which it captured in Batu Melintang here last Sunday, to a national park in Terengganu.

The elephant, named Awang Jerek, was sent to the national park on Thursday with the help of two tamed elephants -- Che Mek and Lokimala.

Department director Rahmat Topani said the three-hour operation, which started at 9am, involved 18 workers of the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.

"Like in the previous operations, we had to use Che Mek and Lokimala to escort Awang Jerek to ensure that the translocation process to Terengganu went smoothly," he said.

Rahmat said the department's rangers caught the rogue male elephant, weighing about 1.5 tonnes, about 500m from the Jeli-Grik main road near the Batu Melintang camp.

He said Awang Jerek, which was believed to have destroyed crops in Kampung Dendong, Kampung Lawar and Kampung Belimbing, was the eleventh elephant captured by the department this year.

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Phuket’s turtle nesting sites empty of eggs this year

Phuket Gazette 26 Dec 11;

PHUKET: Phuket’s marine wildlife experts have expressed concern that turtles are not laying eggs on many of the Andaman beaches historically used by the turtle population.

“The nesting season for sea turtles along the Andaman coast is usually from November to March. Their preferred nesting sites are Mai Khao Beach in Phuket, Tai Muang Beach in Phang Nga and some coastal areas in Satun province,” said Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, head of the Marine Endangered Species Unit at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC).

“Unfortunately, the turtles are not laying eggs on the usual beaches even though it is the nesting season,” he said.

The number of Leatherback, Olive Ridley and Green turtles are lower than before, a worried Mr Kongkiat explained.

“Climate is a major factor. It determines turtle population size as well as affecting the gender of the turtle’s offspring. The optimum temperature [for turtle nesting] is 29°C. If it’s too hot they won’t lay eggs,” he said.

An officer stationed at the Khao Lampi – Hat Thai Mueang National Park, in Phang Nga, also confirmed that no turtles had laid eggs on the beach this year.

National park officers are to monitor the situation closely, Mr Kongkiat explained.

“Encouragingly though, the turtles have continued to lay eggs on the beaches of the Similan islands, off the Phang Nga coast, all year round.

“Since January, about 100 nests have been counted, most of them made by Olive Ridley turtles,” Mr Kongkiat added.

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Oceans around Taiwan threatened by overfishing

The Taiwan Environmental Information Association said catches at coastal fisheries had dropped 42.69% since 2001, and 19.75% offshore
Lee I-chia Taipei Times 27 Dec 11;

Following three years of studies on the health of Taiwan’s coral reefs, the non-profit Taiwan Environmental Information Association yesterday said the ocean ecology surrounding Taiwan was threatened by overfishing and urged the three presidential candidates to enforce ocean protection policies.

The association said that from studies on the health of Taiwan’s coral reefs done by association volunteers beginning in 2009, it discovered that aside from the condition of coral reefs, a rapid exhaustion of fish in coral reef habitats was common.

Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network East Asia planning director and Penghu Symbiotic Algae Association chairperson Allen Chen (陳昭倫) said indicator fish species and invertebrate species that are edible, such as sweetlips, lobsters and sea urchins, are very scarce, a sign of exhaustion of marine resources caused by overfishing.

“Almost all the edible fish resources in these areas have been caught,” he said, adding that based on data provided by the Council of Agriculture’s Fishery Agency, the annual catch from coastal fisheries last year had dropped 42.69 percent in comparison with the catch in 2001, with a 19.75 percent drop in offshore fisheries.

He said that although the coral cover, the proportion of reef surface covered by live stony coral, over the seven surveyed sites varied, with Green Island (綠島) presenting the highest cover rate, the overall condition was considered “medium,” according to the Reef Check Worldwide organization’s standards.

The association said an agreement was reached at an international conference in 2003, held by the International Union Conservation of Nature, promising to set aside 12 percent of oceans worldwide as marine reserves, but currently less than 6 percent of Taiwan’s ocean area is protected by regulations.

Taiwan Environmental Information Association secretary-general Chen Juei-pin (陳瑞賓) urged the government and the three presidential candidates to set up marine reserves to ensure the sustainable development of the ocean, improve ocean protection and to push for tougher regulations.

He also said the association had sent a letter to all three presidential candidates on Wednesday urging them to recognize the importance of ocean protection, but that so far there have not been any replies.

“We can wait for their replies, but marine life cannot wait anymore. So we hope the government can give us answers as soon as possible,” he said, adding that the association would continue to monitor whether ocean protection policies are being enforced after the Jan. 14 elections.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 26 Dec 11

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [19 - 25 Dec 2011]
from Green Business Times

Terumbu Semakau with scary anemone and scarce seagrasses
from wild shores of singapore and Singapore Nature

Seagrasses disappearing at Terumbu Semakau?
from teamseagrass

suicidal bugs v champion beeeater @ Pasir Ris Mangroves
from sgbeachbum

Rare spreads
from The annotated budak

Chek Jawa Walk, 11 November 2011
from Pulau Ubin Tour with Justin

Wild Pigs fieldwork! (:
from Through The Backyards

Common Sea Star
from Monday Morgue

Read more!

Singapore: New airport terminal set to be built within this decade

Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 25 Dec 11;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's current Budget Terminal may be shifted to make way for a fourth terminal that analysts say is likely to take place closer to the end of the decade.

That is because once the ASEAN Open Skies agreement is in place by 2015, passenger traffic will likely grow by at least five per cent each year.

Analysts Channel NewsAsia spoke with said with the growth of passenger volume, comes the need for expansion.

Changi Airport's existing three terminals can accommodate about 70 million passengers annually, and passenger traffic this year is likely to exceed last year's 42 million.

Shukor Yusof, and aviation analyst with Standard & Poor's, said: "We still have some capacity with Terminal 3 still not being maximised yet, there's still a lot of room there.

"But beyond that, obviously there is going to be a need to expand the airport with the new terminal, given the increase in low cost travel, even in the expansion of new discount carriers in the region."

Given the economic uncertainties, the remaining capacity is likely to be taken up once the ASEAN Open Skies agreement kicks in, in 2015. The agreement will fully liberalise air travel between the grouping's 10-member states.

Mr Yusof said: "It will vary obviously because we are going into a very difficult period for the next, two, three years at least, because of the problems in Europe, in North America. But that being the case, there is still tremendous growth in this part of the world, and that's going to be increased in our opinion when 2015 Open Skies kicks into place, depending on how quickly countries in the region, in ASEAN react to that.

"The potential for that is huge, it could be anywhere between five to 10 per cent (growth) for some countries or even more than that, depending on how they exploit the possibilities of that happening.

"I think they will have to agree to whether they want to construct a new terminal when open skies kicks in in 2015, and then they will have an idea of how the traffic flow will be, and how the rest of the ASEAN developing as well, that will give them a sense of indication as well, how the market is going to be like.

"Certainly, I think there is no doubt that there will be a need for Terminal 4, beyond this decade. But if they do decide, then the construction will probably begin towards the later part of this decade, which is after 2015."

Gary Ho, senior lecturer of Aviation Management & Services at Temasek Polytechnic, said: "The philosophy at Changi is always build ahead of demand, so if you look at Terminal 3, that's how they built it. Our airport has always been sized, way before the need arises."

In March 2008, the Transport Ministry confirmed that Singapore will have a Terminal 4 at Changi Airport. This was mentioned in Parliament, just two months after the opening of Terminal 3 in January. Since then, authorities have been working on the master plan but little has been revealed about the details.

There have been talks that Terminal 4 is likely to be located on reclaimed land, along Changi Coast Road, near to runway three. But sources tell Channel NewsAsia that the area where the current Budget Terminal is located is another potential site.

Mr Yusof said: "It would be possible for them to do that, but then again, they would have to relocate the low cost terminal somewhere, so they would have to weigh that in their decision. I think anywhere within the boundaries of Changi within the proximity of the three terminals, would be an excellent choice because of the connectivity."

Mr Ho added: "If you look at the location of the current budget terminal, it is very small, you know you are constrained by the SATS Building, the Inflight Catering Centre, and you are also constrained by the golf course, and also some of the ancillary services. If you are going to build Terminal 4 there, you are actually building a terminal that is very constrained."

It is understood that if the Budget Terminal makes way for Terminal 4, all budget carriers will then operate out of Terminals 1 and 2.

-CNA/ac

Budget Terminal to make way for Terminal 4?
by Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Today Online 26 Dec 11;

SINGAPORE - The current Budget Terminal may be shifted to make way for a fourth terminal that analysts say is likely to be built closer to the end of the decade, say analysts, as traffic volume grows.

Once the ASEAN Open Skies agreement is in place by 2015, passenger traffic will likely grow by at least 5 per cent each year, creating the need for expansion.

Changi Airport's existing three terminals can accommodate about 70 million passengers annually, and passenger traffic this year is likely to exceed last year's 42 million.

Mr Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst with Standard & Poor's, said: "We still have some capacity with Terminal 3 still not being maximised yet, there's still a lot of room there.

"But beyond that, obviously there is going to be a need to expand the airport with the new terminal, given the increase in low cost travel, even in the expansion of new discount carriers in the region."

This is so, even with economic uncertainty and crisis in Europe and North America. "I think there is no doubt that there will be a need for Terminal 4, beyond this decade. But if they do decide, then construction will probably begin towards the later part of this decade, which is after 2015," said Mr Shukor.

Mr Gary Ho, senior lecturer of Aviation Management and Services at Temasek Polytechnic, said: "The philosophy at Changi is always, build ahead of demand, so if you look at Terminal 3, that's how they built it."

In March 2008, the Transport Ministry confirmed in Parliament that Singapore will have a Terminal 4 at Changi Airport. Since then, little has been revealed.

There have been talks that Terminal 4 is likely to be located on reclaimed land, along Changi Coast Road, near to Runway 3. But sources told Channel NewsAsia that the area where the current Budget Terminal is located is another potential site.

However, this would mean having to relocate the low-cost terminal, pointed out Mr Shukor.

Mr Ho also noted that the current site of the Budget Terminal is "very small" and constrained by the SATS Building, the Inflight Catering Centre, and the nearby golf course. "If you are going to build Terminal 4 there, you are actually building a terminal that is very constrained," he said.

It is understood that if the Budget Terminal makes way for Terminal 4, all budget carriers may then operate out of Terminals 1 and 2.

Read more!

Phuket Pit Viper confirmed

Phuket Gazette 25 Dec 11;

PHUKET: In an unexpected Christmas Day development, Thai and Belgian researchers have confirmed the discovery in Phuket of a previously unknown species of Pope’s pit viper, and will unveil the serpent next week at the Korat Zoo.

Commonly known as the ‘Phuket pit viper’, the new species Trimeresurus (Popeia) phuketensis was discovered in the Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife Sanctuary on October 5, 2009, according to Kirati Kunya, a member of the research team.

The snake was given the Thai name ngoo khiew hang mai Phuket, which translates, somewhat colorfully, as the "Phuket white-tailed green snake".

The researchers studied and examined specimens for two years to ensure the snake represented a new species, Mr Kirati said.

The discovery and research later was printed in the 30th issue of the Russian Journal of Herpetology in November, and the discovery finally announced to the public a few days before specimens will go on display at the Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) Zoo.

The new species was described and named for its habitat, in the Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife Sanctuary in Phuket. The last large expanse of virgin rain forest on the island, the area is also home to a type of fern found nowhere else in the world.

Other members of the the research team included: Montri Sumontha, a senior researcher at Ranong Fisheries Department Office; Thawat Nittikul, head of the Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife Sanctuary; Suwit Pannadee, director of the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, and Belgian biologist Olivier SG Pauwels, who has co-described over 40 species of insects and reptiles.

The researchers said the Phuket pit viper is likely to have originated in the Andaman island region. Tree-dwelling, it plucks its main prey of rodents and small lizards from the rainforest floor. Adults reach about a foot in length.

Females give birth to eight to ten live young after a three-month gestation period.
Described as “somewhat fierce”, the snake uses its signature white tail as a decoy to attract its prey.

“This discovery shows that the area still has a great deal of biodiversity that needs to be conserved, not just for its own sake but for the sake of humanity too,” said Mr Kirati.

Read more!

Malaysia: Hope for survival of rhinos

New Straits Times 25 Dec 11;

KOTA KINABALU: The capture of a female rhinoceros has raised hopes for the survival of the species.

The rhinoceros was caught at a trap fixed within the 120,000ha Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu earlier this week.

Named Puntung, it will now be paired with male rhino Kertam or Tam, which has been kept captive also within the reserve since 2008. Their "home" will be a 20ha enclosure within the reserve.

The male Sumatran rhino, described as a national treasure, has been kept under the care of the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary programme, which involves the state Wildlife Department and non-governmental organisation, Borneo Rhino Alliance.

Experts had estimated that only 30 or so rhinos were left in the jungles of Sabah and most are not able to reproduce because of their fragmented habitats.

Since 1996, the Sumatran Rhino has been listed as critically endangered, which is one step away from extinction in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

Christmas miracle – healthy female rhino found in Tabin
Borneo Post 25 Dec 11;

LAHAD DATU: There was Christmas joy in the jungle yesterday as a healthy young female Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) was safely translocated within the Tabin Wildlife Reserve (TWR).

The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA) and the SWD’s special Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) captured the rhino, named Puntung, in a joint operation.

“This is a fantastic gift for our uphill battle in ensuring the survival of this truly unique species and wonderful timing with Christmas, a time to give thanks for our blessings,” said an elated Dr Laurentius Ambu, the director of SWD.

Capturing and translocating Puntung was done after months of observation and careful logistical planning to ensure her safety by the dedicated field staff of SWD, BORA and WRU.

“We have monitored her since 2007, and there is no sign that any other rhino has entered into her range in the past five years. This is a stark indication that so few rhinos remain that they are simply not meeting for reproduction,” elaborated Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne, executive director of BORA.

Puntung had been specifically targeted since early 2010 as the mate for a middle-aged, lone male rhino named Tam, who was rescued from an oil palm plantation in August 2008 and cared for since then in the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary (BRS).

“We know all too well that Sumatran rhinoceros is on the brink of extinction with only definite signs of breeding in the wild over the past decade in Sabah and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. However, this rate is still far too low to ensure its survival which is why we have initiated this captive breeding programme,” said Payne.

A key component of the State Action Plan to ensure the continued existence of the Sumatran rhino in Sabah includes captive breeding of the rhinos within a large enclosed area covering 20 hectares of natural forest located within TWR. This area is now known as the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary (BRS) and is managed by the State Government.

The BRS Programme is also in touch with a similar programme underway in Sumatra, Indonesia. While all possible efforts are being made to ensure that natural breeding is prioritised, advanced reproductive technologies, some yet to be developed, will be needed to boost the number of Sumatran rhinos being born as well.

“This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal. We need collaboration and support in our efforts to prevent the extinction of this unique species that was once found in abundance,” said Ambu.

Ambu also commended the Sime Darby Foundation and the WWF for providing funding support and the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Berlin) for technical assistance on rhino reproduction.

He also praised the commitment of all three teams as they are expected to be working throughout the holidays to ensure that Puntung’s safety and well-being as she adjusts to her new surroundings.

“The Wildlife Rescue Unit Rangers are also here in Tabin working tirelessly with BORA and SWD rangers in making sure that Puntung is well taken care of and remains in good health,” said Ambu.

He also thanked the Malaysian Oil Palm Council and the Shangri-La Rasa Ria for funding and supporting SWD’s WRU which acts as the rapid action force his department.

“The success of this undertaking today was a small part of the bigger group of government, non-government and institutes working together to ensure the survival of the Sumatran rhino. This cannot be done alone by one agency and we are thankful to have such support,” said Ambu.

Since 1996, the Sumatran rhino has been listed as being critically endangered, which is one step away from extinction in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.

Rare Malaysian Rhino Gets New Mate to Save Species
Sean Yoong Jakarta Globe 25 Dec 11;

Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian wildlife authorities said they have captured a female Borneo Sumatran rhino who will be paired with a new mate in a breeding program meant to save their species from extinction.

The plan is the cornerstone of efforts to preserve the bristly, snub-nosed animal, whose numbers have fallen to fewer than 40 in the jungles of Borneo island.

Officials have spent more than three years seeking a suitable mate for a middle-aged male rhino named “Tam,” who was rescued in Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state in 2008 while wandering in an oil palm plantation with an infected leg likely caused by a poacher trap.

The first rhino previously found for Tam was too old to reproduce.

The Sabah Wildlife Department said in a statement late Saturday that rangers this past week captured a young female rhino nicknamed “Puntung” whom they had been monitoring for years.

“This is a fantastic gift for our uphill battle in ensuring the survival of this truly unique species,” said the department’s director, Laurentius Ambu. “This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal.”

No other rhino had been observed near Puntung in years, underscoring that there were so few left in the wild that they had few opportunities to meet and reproduce, said Junaidi Payne, executive director of the Borneo Rhino Alliance, a nongovernment group that works with Sabah’s government on rhino protection.

The statement did not disclose Puntung’s exact age. Tam is known to be more than 20 years old.

The captive breeding program is being conducted in a forest reserve in Sabah.

Borneo Sumatran rhinos are a subspecies of the Sumatran rhino, which are the world’s smallest rhino species, standing little more than 120 centimeters at the shoulder.

The Borneo subspecies is found only in Malaysia’s corner of Borneo island. Their numbers have dwindled from about 200 a half-century ago as logging, plantations and other development encroached increasingly on their habitat, while poachers also hunt the animals for their horns and other body parts used in traditional medicines.

A similar breeding program for the Sumatran rhino in neighboring Indonesia suffered a setback last year when a pregnant rhino named Ratu miscarried.

Associated Press

Last chance to save rare rhinos
Roy Goh New Straits Times 27 Dec 11;
Sabah Wildlife Department to pair up Puntung, Kertam

PLAYING Cupid to two captive rhinoceros will be the main task of the state Wildlife Department in its mission to save the species from extinction.]

A female rhino named Puntung was caught last week and it will be paired with a male named Kertam that was kept in captivity at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu since 2008.

The state Wildlife Department and non-governmental organisation Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora) will coordinate the effort through the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary programme, but it will be far from easy.

In the last 27 years, of the 43 Sumatran rhinos captured in Malaysia and Indonesia, none bred.

It was also four years since the last evidence of a birth in the wild in Sabah, where the rhino population stands at about 30.

In the months to come, experts will be considering the option of natural breeding, or even assisted, through artificial insemination on Puntung, which will be kept in a 20ha enclosure within the 120,000ha reserve.

Wildlife director Dr Laurentius Ambu said this may well be the last chance to save the species.

"We need support in our efforts to prevent the extinction of this unique species that was once found in abundance."

Bora executive director Dr Junaidi Payne said Puntung was first detected by researchers in 2007 and became a target for capture last year.

Payne also revealed Puntung was monitored for five years but there were no signs of it reproducing in the wild.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Sime Darby Foundation, World Wildlife Fund and Berlin's Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research will also be assisting in the effort.

Puntung was caught in a fixed trap in the reserve last week and was airlifted on Christmas Day in an operation coordinated by the department's Wildlife Rescue Unit, headed by Dr Sen Nathan, to the enclosure where Kertam is kept.

Since 1996, the Sumatran Rhino had been listed as critically endangered, which is one step away from extinction in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

Rhino saved in dramatic rescue
Muguntan Vanar The Star 27 Dec 11;

KOTA KINABALU: A dramatic helicopter rescue of a young and rare female Sumatran rhinoceros on Christmas Day has boosted hopes for the survival of the species that is facing extinction.

Sabah wildlife department director Dr Laurentius Ambu described the helicopter airlift of the rhino as a world’s first in a tropical rainforest.

The rhino, aged between 10 and 12 years and named Puntung, was first caught on Dec 18 in a joint operation by the department and the Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora).

It was kept within a temporary enclosure at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve and placed in a crate on Christmas eve for relocation to the nearby Borneo Rhino Sanctuary, also within the reserve. However, rains and foggy conditions delayed the airlift.

“It was only on Christmas morning that the fog cleared temporarily and gave us a window to let the helicopter lower its cables to hook up the crate,” said Dr Ambu.

With an estimated 20 to 30 rhinos left in the wilds of Sabah, the capture and trans-location of Puntung gives conservationists another shot at breeding the species in captivity. It is hoped Puntung would mate with a lone captive male rhino, named Tam.

Dr Ambu said the conservation programme here is in touch with a similar programme in Sumatra.

“This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal. We need collaboration and support in our efforts to prevent the extinction of this unique species that was once found in abundance,” he added.

Meanwhile, department chief veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan said they hoped to get Puntung to mate with Tam, a middle aged male rhino, which was rescued in 2008 and placed at the rhino sanctuary.

“Attempts to get Tam to mate with another rescued female rhino, named Gelegup, failed as she was old and infertile,” he said, adding that Puntung looked healthy enough for breeding.

“We captured Puntung because, after two years of observation, we found that there were no male rhinos in the vicinity and it was unlikely for it to find a mate within its natural surrounding,” Dr Sen said.

“From camera trap observations, Puntung also had old injuries on its front left limb, giving more reason for her capture.”

Bora executive director Dr Junaidi Payne said Puntung was doing reasonably well.

“It was trapped, kept in an enclosure for a while and then airlifted in a noisy helicopter. It suffered some minor abrasion and is being treated with antiseptics.

“She is allowing people to handle her now and is drinking and eating well,” Dr Junaidi added.

He said the helicopter used in the rhino rescue, operated by American company Erickson Air Crane that has an office in Miri, was brought in for the airlift at a cost of US$70,000 (about RM210,000).

Yayasan Sime Darby has provided large financial support for Bora’s efforts to save the rhinos while Malaysian Palm Oil Industries Council was also aiding the wildlife department’s rescue unit.

Since 1996, the Sumatran rhino has been listed as “critically endangered”, which is just a step away from being extinct in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.

Bold bid for rare rhino offspring
New Straits Times 28 Dec 11;

THE capture of a healthy female rhino last week was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

So elusive are the species that many experts will vouch that seeing one in the wild in their lifetime would be like a dream.

Soon after Puntung was airlifted out of the 120,000ha-Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah State Wildlife director Dr Laurentius Ambu called the capture a "Christmas miracle": that plus the fact there is a stud waiting in Lahad Datu, Kertam, which was caught in 2008.

This has triggered off international interest in helping the pair produce an offspring, naturally or artificially, to ensure the survival of the species.

The Borneo Rhino Alliance, Sime Darby Foundation, Worldwildlife Fund, Malaysian Palm Oil Council and Berlin's Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research have all stepped up to the plate to assist.

The odds are stacked against the effort though.

Dr Laurentius said: "Some adult rhinos have been known to be infertile. The sperm count on males were too low while on the females, their ovaries were covered by cyst formations."

Since 1984, 43 Sumatran rhinos have been caught in Malaysia and Indonesia but none have bred.

Only one pair has produced three offsprings via artificial insemination at the Cincinatti Zoo in the US.

Everyone remains hopeful. Early this year, the Sumatran Rhinoceros Global Management and Propagation Board was convened by top experts. It was decided that Sabah would be receptive to all reproductive options that science could provide.

Only 30 or so rhinos are left in the jungles of Sabah, making it the most endangered wildlife species in the country.

Since 1996, the Sumatran Rhino has been listed as Critically Endangered, one step away from extinction in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

"Giving up is not an option," Dr Laurentius said. He pointed out that two reproductive measures were now on top of their list.

Dr Laurentius also revealed they would be doing genetic resource banking via cryo-preservation of semen, oocytes, ovarian tissue and embryos.

"We will stick to the guideline. For now, active intervention seems best as this was how it was done by the Cincinatti Zoo."

This means that sperm will be collected from Kertam and inseminated into Puntung, They are both aged between 10 and 15 years old.

The matchmakers do not plan to allow the two to meet for now as they may not be compatible.

"We don't have the luxury of time," Dr Laurentius said.

The gestation period for rhinos is about 19 to 20 months and each female can get pregnant four to five times at most.

The department's Wildlife Rescue Unit and BORA have been tasked with looking after Puntung, which appears to be adjusting well to her new surroundings in an enclosure near where Kertam is kept in Tabin.

State department chief veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan said Puntung was feeding well and that she was allowing people to get closer.

Puntung was captured in a fixed trap on Dec 18.

Dr Sen said Puntung was first detected five years ago and had been closely monitored by rangers via remote cameras placed in the forest.

Rhinos are shy solitary animals that stay within its own zone and this helps conservationists keep track of its route and routine, he explained.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 25 Dec 11

Special anemone at Labrador
from wild shores of singapore

crab's eyeview of waves @ Labrador Dec2011
from sgbeachbum

Read more!

Managing flash floods is PUB's priority: CEO

Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 11;

SINGAPORE: PUB's new chief executive is no stranger to water security.

As navy chief, Chew Men Leong played a pivotal role as guardian of Singapore's coastal waters. Now, as PUB chief executive, he is now in charge of the country's precious resource - water.

He said: "One of the important focus here in PUB is how to strike a balance between maintaining our complex system at a high level of operational effectiveness and efficiency, while keeping an eye on the long term future.

"In this aspect, I have, in some sense, a good level of experience in the navy that also deals with the same kind of balancing."

44-year-old Mr Chew joined PUB as its designated head in July, calling it "a rather exciting time."

He said: "We just handed over the infrastructure back to Malaysia, under the 1961 water agreement. And that in itself is quite an important event because it shows that as we handed over the infrastructure, the impact to our water supply is minimal. And that shows that we have been able to ensure water sustainability going forward."

With the trail of damage in the Orchard Road floods of 2010 still fresh in the minds of Singaporeans, Mr Chew knows he is taking on a hot seat.

He recalled being "a little bit surprised" when he first heard news of the floods.

He said: "Since I came into PUB, I have a better understanding of what we have done previously. The amount of effort that PUB has actually taken to help alleviate floods and make Singapore generally flood-free... I think it's important to understand that we have been relatively successful.

"But maybe we have also become victims of own success. Because we have been so successful, alleviating floods, that we have not seen a flood situation for a long time. So when it came, it did catch Singaporeans by surprise.

"But more important, we are learning the lessons from this particular episode, applying it, and seeing how we can improve upon it, working with all our stakeholders."

Mr Chew said the key to managing such a situation is getting information out as quickly as possible. And in the longer term, the country's drainage system has to be beefed up to deal with changing weather patterns.

He said: "Right now, we want to focus on improving our current infrastructure. And I think that is something that will take three to five years. At least, basically to cope with the increased rainfall intensity. But we will keep eye out in the future... The next two to three decades, to look at the scenarios we could possibly face.

"One of the measures we have started taking is to raise the reclamation levels by one metre. That actually is a measure in anticipation of potential changes that could come from adjustments in our climate."

Mr Chew has also set his sights on ensuring that Singapore continues to build self-sufficiency in water. This means growing the country's national taps - raising NEWater and desalination production to 50 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, and increasing Singapore's catchment area to cover 90 per cent by 2060.

-CNA/ac

This December the wettest in 4 years: NEA
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 11;

SINGAPORE : The National Environment Agency (NEA) has said this December is the wettest in four years.

The total rainfall recorded for December 2011, as at 4pm on December 23, is 274.4 millimetres.

That is higher than the total rainfall recorded in December in the previous three years - 181.4 millimetres in 2010, 189.8 millimetres in 2009 and 244.2 millimetres in 2008.

NEA said the long-term average rainfall for December is 287.4 millimetres.

The highest total monthly rainfall recorded in December was 765.9 millimetres in 2006.

The highest one-day rainfall recorded in December was 512.4 millimetres in 1978.

As at 5.30 pm on Friday, the highest total rainfall recorded was 155.6 millimetres at Orchard Road.

From 2.20pm to 5.20pm, a total of 152.8 millimetres of rain fell.

The rain was heaviest between 4pm and 5pm, where 66.2 millimetres was recorded at Orchard Road.

The latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, are available through the NEA website; NEA's iPhone App (myEnv); NEA's mobile weather service at Weather@SG (weather.nea.gov.sg); Twitter via @NEAsg; the weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788; and radio broadcasts.

- CNA/ms

Retailers bracing for wet Christmas after Friday's flash floods
Nurul Syuhaida Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 11;

SINGAPORE: Singapore retailers are bracing for a wet Christmas. This comes after flash floods hit several parts of the country's shopping belt, Orchard Road on Friday.

The National Environment Agency had warned of wet weather from December 24 to 26 due to a monsoon surge in the region.

On Friday, Liat Towers was affected by floodwaters due to prolonged heavy rain, though not as seriously as in 2010 as floodgates had mitigated the impact somewhat.

Channel NewsAsia has learnt that floodgates were not the problem for this building.

Jwee Quek, product manager of Parafoil, the company which worked on the floodgates, said: "The floodgates that we installed at Liat Towers here is to prevent water settling at the walkway from going into Liat Towers. At about 3pm yesterday, the floodgates were already activated.

"It is a problem with the drain beside the building, where water in the drain could not get out to Stamford Canal. So it actually overflowed into the basement."

Seng Woon Fa, marketing & branding manager at Wendy's, said: "We are quite disappointed because it had happened many times. I think this could be the second worst. We hope that the building management as well as the authorities can work out the real issue."

National water agency PUB said the ponding at Liat Towers was caused largely by the prolonged heavy rain which fell directly into the building's outdoor area. It added that area is designed as a sunken plaza and the primary means to drain water away there is through pumping.

PUB said its officers will work with the building management to review and improve its internal drainage system.

In the interim, some outlets have installed secondary flood barriers provided by the building management at their entrances. But retailers said it takes some time to set up these barriers and they will not be of much help if a flash flood occurs.

Over at Lucky Plaza, there were also similar scenes of cleaning up.

Flash flood are nothing new to retailers there and they have again called on their building management to be more responsive to the problem.

"The sandbags were not here. It's only today that the management sent some people to put the sandbags... It was quite chaotic. We had no time to think of what to do and the only way was to sweep water away from our shop," said one of the retailers.

PUB has advised the public to exercise caution as flash floods may occur in the event of heavy storms.

The public can also call the PUB's 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-2846600 or go to PUB's Facebook Page or PUB's iPhone app, iPUBOne, to report flash floods or to check on the flood situation.

The public can also get updates on water level information in key canals/drains at PUB's Facebook Page, via Twitter at twitter.com/PUBSingapore, or through PUB's website.

For the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, members of the public can call the National Environment Agency's (NEA) weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, visit the NEA website or use the mobile weather service, Weather@SG.

SMS alert services on heavy rain warning and water level information are also open to public subscription at pub.gov.sg.

-CNA/ac


Floods again? Shops seek answers
Orchard Rd deluge hits some retailers' takings although damage 'minimal' this time
Huang Lijie Straits Times 25 Dec 11;

The morning after flash floods hit Orchard Road, affected retailers were still turning customers away while workers were busy mopping up the mess.

At Liat Towers, where flood waters flowed into Hermes on Friday evening, the luxury retailer remains shuttered, until further notice.

Its neighbours, Wendy's fast- food chain and coffee chain Starbucks took yesterday morning to clean up before welcoming customers at around noon, while fashion store Massimo Dutti was open by 10am.

All three stores were at least ankle-deep in water on Friday when heavy rain overwhelmed these basement shops, despite flood barriers being activated in front of the building and the individual shops. The barriers were installed after Orchard Road was hit by its worst flood in June last year.

Wendy's threw out food in keeping with food hygiene practices while workers replaced soaked carpet pieces at Starbucks.

A spokesman for Starbucks said the damage this time was 'minimal' compared to last June's, and the outlet was reopened after it was cleaned, sanitised and assessed by a National Environment Agency officer.

Shops said their takings on the crucial last two days before Christmas were hit. Wendy's was estimated to have lost about 60 per cent in sales due to its temporary closure during the Friday dinner rush.

At Lucky Plaza, sandbags placed near the basement entrance did not stop shops in the basement from being flooded to about ankle-high.

While few shops had their goods damaged this time - store assistants were quick to move goods to higher ground - they suffered a loss in business of between 20 and 60 per cent.

Mr John Lim, manager of a jewellery shop at Lucky Plaza and in his mid-30s, said: 'This is not the first time the flood has happened and we have given feedback to the building management every time, but with limited success.'

The management committee of Lucky Plaza could not be reached but The Sunday Times understands that it is in the process of getting a contractor to implement flood prevention measures.

Retailers are upset that the slew of flood prevention measures introduced since last year's flash floods failed to stave off a repeat of the incident.

Mr Seng Woon Fa, 37, marketing and branding manager of Wendy's, said: 'We are quite disappointed because it has happened so many times. We hope that the building management and the authorities can work out the real issues.'

He added that the cause of the floods at Liat Towers may not be due to the inadequacy of the barricades but other drainage issues.

Liat Tower's estate management declined to comment.

National water agency PUB said it is working with the affected buildings' managers to find out how to help them to install more flood protection measures.

It raised a stretch of low-lying road between Orange Grove Road and Cairnhill Road in June, which it says has helped to prevent rainwater from overflowing from the canal onto the road and increased the canal's capacity. It attributed Friday's floods to prolonged heavy rain that fell directly into Liat Towers' open basement area.

Mr Steven Goh, executive director of the Orchard Road Business Association, said an expert panel formed by the Government should 'give an answer' on why the flood happened even though measures had been put in place.

He said an SMS flood alert by the authorities around 5pm on Friday indicated that the water level in the Stamford Canal near Orchard Tower had risen above 90 per cent, which was 'a dangerous level', even if PUB maintains that the canal did not overflow.

A panel of 12 local and international experts was set up in June to look into the floods. It is expected to convene next month to finalise its report, which will be submitted to the ministry.

Shoppers in Orchard Road were undeterred by the possibility of floods occurring again due to the wet weather forecast.

Ms Sylvia Tee, 27, a sales administrator who visited the Massimo Dutti store at Liat Towers yesterday afternoon, said: 'I had to take the chance because I still have last-minute Christmas shopping to do and Orchard Road has more variety of shops.'

Additional reporting by Feng Zengkun

PUB on track to completing flood sensor network
Evelyn Choo Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 11;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB is on track to completing its network of flood sensors in Singapore's drainage system. This year alone, it added 57 more sensors in flood-prone areas - bringing the total number to 150.

Along with newly-installed CCTV cameras, this will allow the agency to handle and monitor flood situations more effectively.

Subscribers to PUB's Water Level Alert Service will receive a message when the water level at certain canals hit 50 per cent. Alerts are also sent when levels progressively reach 75 per cent, 90 per cent and eventually, 100 per cent.

The alert service, which started out as a pilot project for the agency's own use, is now an effective communication tool for many who live or work near canals and waterways.

The free service started in July this year and has garnered more than 2,000 subscribers to date.

Contractors were given the challenging task of installing the water level sensors within three months.

Wilson Tan, sales manager at Linkwise Technology, the company contracted by PUB to install the water level sensor monitoring system, said: "First, it's the short time frame. Secondly it's the weather, because it's very much a weather-dependent system. So we need to set up more teams to do the installation concurrently."

The network of sensors were installed as part of enhanced measures to prevent floods in Singapore. This came about after the country experienced one of its worst flooding in 2010, which left parts of Singapore's shopping belt Orchard Road under water.

In 2010, one area in Commonwealth was badly affected by flash floods, with water levels rising up to the kerb. That is why PUB installed a CCTV camera system last month to monitor the situation in real time and more closely from its headquarters.

Choy Wai Kwong, assistant director of the Catchment & Waterways Department at PUB, said: "Once we get the images from the CCTV... we can redeploy our staff from other sites to this site. And once we get confirmation that there is ponding or flooding there, we can inform the public of a situation in this area."

Following a trial which saw six cameras installed along Bukit Timah in central Singapore in January 2011, PUB has since expanded the initiative and is installing 55 CCTVs in other flood-prone areas.

They are being tested and will be fully commissioned by the end of December 2011.

-CNA/ac

Read more!

Taking steps to root out falling trees

NParks says it ensures potentially dangerous trees are removed, makes regular checks
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 25 Dec 11;

With the monsoon season well under way, the authorities are taking steps to make sure falling trees do not harm pedestrians or cars.

Last month, a large tree fell across Clementi Road during a thunderstorm, blocking two lanes of traffic.

A reader who wrote to the press felt the mishap might have been due to housing estate improvements that removed part of the tree's roots.

When asked by The Sunday Times, town councils including the Holland-Bukit Panjang and Ang Mo Kio councils declined to comment on specific measures to ensure that trees are unaffected by estate improvement work, but said their officers trim branches of trees to increase their stability.

Thunderstorms, they added, can snap branches and cause trees to fall, no matter how well they are maintained.

The National Parks Board (NParks), which manages roadside trees, said it takes steps to ensure that potentially dangerous trees are removed.

Plans for roadworks and other projects have to be approved by the agency, it said.

If the work cuts into the major roots of trees, the contractor has to either alter the plans or remove the trees. It then has to pay for the same number of trees to be planted elsewhere to maintain the country's greenery.

NParks said it conducts regular checks to make sure roadside trees will not fall during heavy rain.

Its officers remove dead and diseased branches, and trim overgrown crowns to prevent falling deadwood from harming pedestrians and cars.

In extreme cases, where the tree has cavities or decay that may cause it to topple, the entire tree is removed. These weak spots may be caused by disease or lightning strikes. The trees are replaced with hardy species that thrive in urban areas, and are tailored to the land conditions.

In estates with narrow tree planting strips, for example, medium- sized trees such as the Pouteria obovata and Xanthostemon chrysanthus are used.

Along major roads, trees are also given a 2m-wide space for their roots to spread.

According to the latest NParks figures, the number of tree falls has declined from 3,100 in 2000 to about 1,000 in 2009.

Read more!

Fish farms that stack up nicely

Land-based plan allows farmers to save space, control water quality
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 25 Dec 11;

Call them building blocks for fish.

Researchers and students have come up with a stackable fish farm that is among the first such in the world. The method uses 1 sq m, connected cubes filled with water to rear fish on land, which saves space and allows farmers to control the water quality.

The cubes can be stacked up to four levels; the experimental farm in Choa Chu Kang, about the size of a football field, now produces up to eight tonnes of fish a year, but this can be ramped up to 36 tonnes.

Fish farmer Lee Van Voon, 45, who is partnering Singapore Polytechnic in the project, said his sea farm off Pulau Ubin is half the size but produces only one tonne of fish each year. Fish farmers said farms range in productivity but this is 'on the low side'.

Since the land farm started operations in October, it has also slashed fish death rates from the usual 60 per cent in sea farms to less than 30 per cent.

Fish sellers said there is no difference in taste between the land-reared and sea-caught fish.

Other countries, notably Sri Lanka and Canada, have experimented with land-based fish farms, but these are typically large, sprawling farms.

Land farms in Singapore are likely to have a higher cost as farmers will have to pay monthly rent on land leased from the Government, whereas sea farms are subjected to only an annual licence fee.

Mr Lee, for example, is paying $3,000 a month for a plot of land the size of three football fields in Choa Chu Kang. A sea farm the same size would cost just slightly more than $2,500 a year. The infrastructure for both types of farms costs about the same.

But Mr Lee said the land farm would be more profitable in the long run because of the much higher production rate, and this can be increased with stronger cubes that can be stacked higher.

The new method also allows farmers to beat nature's whims. 'During storms, rainwater can wash mud into the sea farms. Plankton can also suddenly bloom and poison the fish,' he said.

Farmers told The Sunday Times it is common for half of their fish to die within a week of purchase. Ms Maureen Ng, in her 60s, who owns a fish farm off Punggol, said: 'If we have 50 per cent still alive by the time they are ready to be sold, we are happy.'

The new system uses bio-materials such as stones, algae and sunlight to regulate nutrients in the water. The tanks are linked through water pipes, but individual tanks can be isolated in case of bacteria outbreaks.

Project leader Desmond Lim, 50, a senior research engineer at the Singapore Polytechnic's Centre for Applications in Environmental Technology, said no chemicals are used and the water can be recycled for up to six months. Waste from the fish is consumed by enzymes in the water. 'After each batch of fish, we also change the water for food security, in case there were viruses in the old batch,' he said.

But there are limitations. The cubes' 1m dimensions mean they cannot be used to rear larger fish such as the popular edible cobia.

Making the tanks larger would result in water pressure that may cause danger to the walls, Mr Lee said.

The system also cannot support cold-water fish such as salmon and trout because chilling the water to the required temperature would be too expensive.

The farm rears tilapia and marbled goby fishes, popular edible species in Singapore. It sold its first batch of fish earlier this month.

Mr Timothy Ng, president of the Fish Farmers Association of Singapore, said the method could encourage more sea-based fish farmers to switch to land farms, provided they rear suitable fish and it is more profitable.

The Singapore Polytechnic team was awarded $10,000 by the school to develop the idea.

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Malaysia: Tiger spotted on road in Perak forest complex

Rashvinjeet S. Bedi The Star 25 Dec 11;

PETALING JAYA: A tiger crossing may exist in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex in Perak, said Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) .

Its conservation officer Lim Wee Siong, who is based in Grik, said he and some colleagues working on an elephant project were driving on the East-West Highway at 4am on Wednesday when they saw the tiger.

“We were the only vehicle on the highway at that moment. The tiger did not go very far away,” he added.

Using a search-light, the group managed to spot the tiger hiding behind some grass. They then took video footage and pictures of the animal.

“It happened really fast. It was the first time I saw a tiger on the road. Elephant crossings happen daily, but a tiger crossing is very rare,” he said.

MNS head of conservation Yeap Chin Aik said the Belum-Temengor area was one of the most important sites for tiger, elephant and tapir conservation.

He said tigers and elephants needed a large area to find resources.

“It probably wasn’t the first time the tiger crossed the road. But we want to know why it did so,” he said.

There are an estimated 500 wild tigers left in the peninsula.

The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex forms the last and largest remaining continuous block of natural forest in the peninsula, with a total area of about 300,000ha – almost four times the size of Singapore.

When the Royal Belum State Park, which has an area of 117,500ha was gazetted in May 2007, Belum-Temengor remained vulnerable to a host of threats, particularly logging and poaching.

“Globally, tigers are in trouble. They need their habitat to survive. They should be accorded better protection,” said Yeap.

Read more!