Best of our wild blogs: 26 Dec 10

First Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip for 2011
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Top Memorable Events
from Psychedelic Nature

Life History of the King Crow
from Butterflies of Singapore

decorator-velcro crab @ Big Sister's Island 24Dec2010
from sgbeachbum

The same old line
from The annotated budak

Why DIDN'T the chicken cross the road?
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

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Environment review of 2010

The year started badly after the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and got worse with the ‘climategate’ scandal and the largest oil spill in US history. But it was a good year for tigers and wildlife.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 21 Dec 10;

• The Copenhagen fall-out: The failure of world leaders to agree a deal on climate change during a fraught United Nations meeting in Copenhagen at the end of 2009 left the environmental movement in a state of confusion. Much of 2010 was spent reassessing better ways to limit carbon emissions if it is not going to be through a global agreement. Non-governmental agencies started targeting businesses and individuals to reduce emissions instead, irrespective of what government is doing.

• Climategate: Emails stolen from the University of East Anglia (UEA) led to accusations scientists had exaggerated the evidence for global warming. Professor Phil Jones, head of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), claimed to have done nothing wrong. But it took three reviews for him to clear his name of any scientific wrong doing. However UEA was criticised for failing to share information correctly.

• Deepwater Horizon: The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was described as one of the worst environmental disasters in history. Eleven workers were killed after an explosion sank the rig in late April and for three months gallons of oil poured in the ocean. BP, the British company in charge of the rig and its chief executive Tony Hayward, became figures of hate in the US. The company has been forced to pay out billions in compensation and no one knows what the lasting damage will be on the ecology of the area.

• The Greenest Government ever? In May the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition was sworn in promising to be the ‘greenest government ever’. However one of the first moves was to cut the budget for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) by a massive 30 per cent. Various quangoes were lost and funding for flooding and wildlife was slashed.

• Year of the Tiger: The world's first tiger summit ended with a pledge for £200 million and the goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. A meeting of the UN on biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan managed to be more successful than climate change talks. Governments agreed to at least halve the loss of natural habitats for wildlife by 2020. The Convention on Biological Diversity also agreed to expand nature reserves to 17 per cent of the world's land area by 2020, up from less than 10 per cent today

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Why biodiversity loss and climate change are equal threats

Our biggest ally will be lost if we do not protect and enhance biodiversity in forests and other systems
Robert Bloomfield guardian.co.uk 26 Dec 10;

Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the media and many organisations have pursued as separate narratives the issues of climate, biodiversity and sustainable development. One of the changes this year, at a UN level, has been recognition that this does not make sense.

Without protecting and enhancing biodiversity in forests and other systems we are losing our biggest ally. These living systems can lock away carbon at a fraction of the price that technical solutions for carbon storage could only do at huge cost and by expending even more energy.

Fortunately, over 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity involved 1,500 organisations across 90 governments, 388 NGOs and 21 UN agencies to help raise awarenessof the importance of biodiversity. The UN designated 2011-2020 the International Decade of Biodiversity. Among the agreements that came out of the UN's major biodiversity meeting in Nagoya in October were commitments from 191 nations to increase the amount of the planet set aside for biodiversity protection to 17% of the land surface and 10% of the oceans.

Perhaps more importantly came increasing recognition of the econimic and health cost to humanity of biodiversity loss; not the least being the $3-4bn losses per annum associated with deforestation alone. These are losses which are actually making the World Bank and government finance ministers pick up their ears, they are losses no government can sustain indefinitely.

For the most part, people have seen biodiversity as being about saving endangered species, or setting aside special natural habitats as national parks. However the truth is that biodiversity is an issue of mainstream economic importance, with consequences that are wide-ranging; from helping mitigate floods and droughts to providing a pharmacopeia of future medicines. It is as much about how we as consumers make informed choices about the products we purchase as it is about preserving exotic animals in far away places.

This fresh perspective is at the centre of the new international agreement. All governments are called to report on the condition of their country's "natural capital assets", alongside their reports to the UN and World Bank on their economic growth and GDP. The agreement calls on all private sector organisations to look at their activities and similarly report the biodiversity impact of their corporate activities.

Yet there is still a huge dislocation in the public discourse. While many scientists regard biodiversity loss as an even greater threat than climate change, when did you last hear it discussed on Channel 4 News, or see it featured on News Night or as the subject of a leader comment? (with the honourable exception of the Guardian)

The first target from Nagoya is the call for all people to understand the importance of biodiversity by 2020. Such an endeavour is no simple turning over of a new leaf, no easy New Year's resolution. The topic needs to be covered in our education curriculum at all levels. It will require the vision from responsible government and business to ensure this issue is placed at the heart of aspirations for a successful, emergent green economy. It will require a sea change of awareness among the majority of media editors and producers that this is not only of relevance to their audiences, but that it is a central news story that will run and run for the decade to come.

• Dr Robert Bloomfield is the UK co-ordinator for the International Year of Biodiversity And Head of Innovation The Natural History Museum, London

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Dec 10

Christmas eve with the Big Sister
from wonderful creation and Singapore Nature and wild shores of singapore with joyous fishes

From UPR to USR
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Snakes in MacRitchie
from Urban Forest

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If you see this chicken, please don't cook it

Undergrad studies rare red junglefowl after spotting them in wild
Grace Chua Straits Times 25 Dec 10;


PHOTO: SUBARAJ RAJATHURAI

UNDERGRADUATE Amanda Tan spent half of this year counting chickens.

Miss Tan, 21, had spotted some odd- looking wild chickens in her Bukit Batok neighbourhood, and realised they were red junglefowl, listed as endangered in Singapore.

Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) are considered the wild ancestors of domestic chickens, and are native to South-east Asia and much of East Asia.

In Singapore, there are no records of red junglefowl until the 1980s, when bird-watchers began spotting them on Pulau Ubin and speculated they had flown in from Malaysia.

Today, they are seen in far eastern and western Singapore, in Changi and Lim Chu Kang. But the Bukit Batok sightings were new.

So in May, Miss Tan decided to do a research project to track them down, as part of her biology studies at the National University of Singapore.

She counted six red junglefowl in her neighbourhood - but nowhere else in the area - and observed their behaviour. She set up a website asking the public to recount their sightings at tinyurl.com/habitatnews-records.

The work is a feather in Miss Tan's cap, and she is considering extending her red junglefowl research to an honours thesis next year.

But to a layman, the differences between the red junglefowl and a domestic rooster can be hard to spot.

For one thing, a farmyard chicken is meatier.

The red junglefowl's call is strangled at the end, whereas a rooster's is longer and trails off - as Miss Tan obligingly demonstrated.

A male junglefowl has white ear patches and a whitish rump above its tail, while a rooster has none; the former has grey legs while the latter's are buff or pink.

And unlike its domestic relatives, it can take to the air.

'These chickens don't have to cross the road,' said veteran nature guide Subaraj Rajathurai, who advised Miss Tan in her search. 'They can just fly across.'

In fact, just last month, he spotted one strolling calmly through Tanjong Pagar, and speculated it could be an escapee or a released bird.

The shy fowl have been spotted in central areas from Thomson to Commonwealth, according to unconfirmed reports.

While they are listed here as endangered, they are common in South-east Asia, and are likely to spread around Singapore, Mr Rajathurai said.

The wild birds are likely to be spreading around the island through green spaces and corridors, as they live at forest edges and adapt well to various environments.

That is a good thing, said Mr Rajathurai, as red junglefowl here would fill an important ecological niche.

'They feed on invertebrates and grain or seeds from grasses, and would be able to control the population of bugs that would have few ground-dwelling predators,' he explained.

The major threat to wild red junglefowl, in fact, is genetic pollution - they can breed with free-ranging domestic chickens and roosters.

But that is not a concern now - free-ranging chickens were culled some years ago to prevent bird-flu outbreaks.

Rare and endangered species in Singapore

THE red junglefowl is listed as 'endangered' in Singapore. There are fewer than 250 mature birds but there is no evidence of decline. In fact, their numbers could be on the rise.

Critically endangered species are those with fewer than 50 mature individuals islandwide.

Endangered and critically endangered species in the country include:

# The banded leaf monkey (Presbytis femoralis): Lives in the forests of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Earlier this year, National University of Singapore researchers found more here than previously thought.

# The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus): Occasionally seen basking in estuaries and reservoirs. It is listed as critically endangered.

# The berus mata buaya mangrove (Bruguiera hainesii): Named for the crocodile eye-like protrusions on its trunk. It is one of the world's rarest mangrove species, with only a handful in Singapore.

# The Singapore freshwater crab (Johora singaporensis): Found only in Singapore - in Bukit Timah and Bukit Batok. It is listed as critically endangered.

# The fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa): A reef dweller, among the largest of all bivalve molluscs. It is endangered because of habitat loss and its use as food.

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Gardens by the Sentosa bay

To open on Jan 29, the boardwalk linking VivoCity and Sentosa will have five themed plots
tay suan chiang Straits Times 25 Dec 10;

A leisurely stroll along the new 700m boardwalk linking VivoCity and Sentosa should take about 20 minutes but visitors can expect to linger a little longer. That is because the $70- million boardwalk is packed with green spaces, rest stops and great views.

Designed by architectural firm Aedas, the bridge will open on Jan 29.

Pedestrians can look out onto the waters separating Sentosa from the mainland, with Resorts World Sentosa on the right and VivoCity on the left.

There are also five themed gardens, which feature tropical landscapes that are indigenous to Singapore, for visitors to discover. They are the mangrove, rock garden, terrain and hill, coastal flora and rainforest gardens.

To create the landscapes, more than 130 plant species and 40,700 plants are being planted on the bridge, which has sitting areas for people to enjoy the surroundings.

In the middle of the walkway is a 6m-high lookout point at the Promontory area where visitors can get unblocked views of cruise ships docking in the area.

There will also be two retail and four F&B outlets along the way for those who want to shop or enjoy desserts. Before the bridge is open to the public, visitors can reach Sentosa only by car, bus, cable car or the Sentosa Express rail.

While the boardwalk offers visitors plenty of greenery, it also has green features that are less visible. It is made of 28,900 planks of timber board, each weighing 21kg and measuring 5m in length. The material is made from recycled hardwood and resin so it is more environment-friendly than real timber. It costs 20 per cent more than real timber but does not rot or warp like timber.

Also, under the boardwalk is a specially constructed water catchment tank where rainwater can be collected. The tank can store three days' worth of water for irrigating plants.

While the walk is likely to be a hit with families, the elderly and handicapped can also enjoy it. There are travellators on the boardwalk and a covered walkway lets visitors get to the island on foot even on rainy days. Mr Kwoh Kok Kiong, Sentosa Leisure Group's planning and development director, says the bridge is designed to take 8,000 visitors an hour each way.

To encourage more people to walk to Sentosa, the entrance fee to the island for those on foot will be lower than those taking the bus or monorail.

Currently, visitors pay $3 to enter Sentosa if they take the Sentosa Express and $2 if they are on the Sentosa Bus.

Visitors on foot can buy island entry tickets at a booth near the end of the bridge. The price will be announced on Jan 29. But on Jan 29 and 30, Sentosa is offering free island admission for visitors who choose to walk. 'The boardwalk will become a destination in itself,' says Mr Kwoh.

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275,000 rare plants under Sheares Bridge

Evelyn Lam Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 10;

SINGAPORE : The first phase of Singapore's new "Gardens by the Bay" will include a specially-designed cool observatory, which will be completed by the end of next year.

In the meantime, more than 275,000 plants from at least 8,000 species have been brought in, including an olive tree from the Mediterranean area which is 1,000 years old!

The plants are now kept under the Benjamin Sheares Bridge in an area that covers about 25 hectares.

The trees are being cared for by about 80 people, 20 of whom are horticulturists.

Despite their efforts, they could not save some trees which did not survive the month-long journey by sea to Singapore when they were kept in containers.

But all is not lost. Some trees have unique shapes and the National Parks Board (NParks) selected such tree trunks to be used as decorations, particularly those from withered olive trees.

If there are signs of life in some trunks, NParks officers immediately try to save them.

More trees will be brought into Singapore and when they arrive, they will be kept in Marina South, Marina East and Lim Chu Kang.

As the trees are used to a dry climate rather than Singapore's humid climate, they will be given special attention.

Christopher Dalzell, assistant director, Gardens Operations, Gardens by the Bay, National Parks Board, said: "We ensure that we don't give them too much water, so the feeding programme has to be correct.

"And also to maintain (them) ... if we see a bit of dead growth on the plant, ... we will start doing a bit of pruning to ensure that we don't (have) any fungal problems."

- CNA/al

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Dolphinarium opening sparks protest in Armenia

Yahoo News 24 Dec 10;

YEREVAN (AFP) – Environmentalists on Friday staged a protest against alleged cruelty to animals as Armenia's first dolphinarium opened in the capital.

Protesters representing an alliance of 50 Armenian environmental groups and animal-welfare organisations gathered outside the new dolphinarium in Yerevan's Komitas Park holding placards that read: "Don't use dolphins for entertainment!"

The campaigners believe that keeping dolphins in confined spaces is cruel and could cause them to become psychologically disturbed.

They also argue that the climate in Yerevan -- where winter temperatures can plunge to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) -- is not suitable.

"Summer is too dry and winter is too severe, which is harmful for dolphins and other sea mammals," said Ruben Khachatrian, director of the Fund for Wildlife Protection.

But the Ukrainian company that built the new tourist attraction -- home to four dolphins and two fur seals -- has said that suitable conditions will be guaranteed and a glass dome will ensure protection from bad weather.

"I don't understand this protest -- we are giving children an opportunity to interact with these beautiful animals," said dolphin trainer Dmitry Uryvsky.

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Brunei: Clamp Down On Illegal Turtle Eggs Trade

Catharine Goh Brunei Direct 25 Dec 10;

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) it collaboration with the General Operations Fore( (GOF) from the Police Department, swept through Serikin and Pasar Lacau recently, confiscating over 1,200 turtles eggs and some totally protected an protected animals including python, tortoise, soft shell turtles and squirrels.

These joint operations consist of three officers from Sarawak Forestry Corporation's enforcement team and being assisted by six GOF members from 11th Battalion, Batu Kawa Kuching.

The recent operations were carried out at Serikin Market near Bau and Pasar Lacau near Sri Aman respectively.

Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh, the Controller of Wild Life, commended the bravery of the joint team for the success of the operations.

"I applaud the efforts by Sarawak Forestry Corporation and the Police Department, especially as the seizure of 1,200 turtle eggs in Serikin is the second largest seizure in the history of Sarawak Forestry Corporation," he said, adding that SFC would continue to work with Police Department and other relevant agencies to curb illegal wildlife trade in Sarawak.

"This will be an ongoing exercise and we are aware of these illegal activity `hotspots' which we are continually monitoring. Our policy is to pro-act rather than react," added Len Talif, who is also the Managing Director and CEO of Sarawak Forestry.

He warned the illegal wildlife traders that the government will not condone any wildlife violation.

"We are going to enforce the laws strictly to ensure the survival of our wildlife for our future generations," he stressed.

Len Talif also assured that several approaches are being studied to protect the State's natural resources, especially along the borders.

"Sarawak Forestry Corporation is multiplying the efforts to combat these illicit acts by irresponsible traders and perpetrators," added Len Talif.

Len also called on the public to assist Sarawak Forestry Corporation in its efforts to protect and conserve Sarawak's biodiversity wealth. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Malaysia: Sun bear attacks 'rare'

Suganthi Suparmaniam New Straits Times 25 Dec 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: It was the first time in his 15 years of service with the Kelantan Wildlife and National Parks Department that director Pazil Abdul Fatah had heard of a sun bear attacking a human.

A sun bear, he said, would run away when it saw humans.

"It does not want any conflict unless it is provoked or startled, or has a young to protect."

A 35-year-old rubber smallholder suffered deep cuts on the right foot when he was bitten by a sun bear in Kuala Balah, Jeli, Kelantan, last week.

The one-metre tall bear, which weighed about 50kg, ran off after the smallholder used a parang and struck it on the head in the 4pm incident.

The sun bear or Helarctos Malayanus is a totally protected species under the Wildlife Act 1972. It is usually found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.


Pazil said sun bears could be found all over the country.

"The bears can be found in jungles in Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor.

"In Selangor, they can be found in areas like Kuala Kubu Baru and near Gombak."


According to Wikipedia, the sun bear stands at 1.2m tall and is the smallest in the bear family. It has sickle-shaped claws and large paws with naked soles. Its inward-turned feet make the bear's walk pigeon toed, but it is an excellent climber.

The sun bear also has a long slender tongue, ranging between 20cm and 25 cm in length. It is used to extract honey from beehives. Sun bears are born blind and an adult has poor eyesight. Smell is their most important sense.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) said it was difficult to determine the population of sun bears in the country, but added that it was declining. With a world population estimated at between 600 and 1,000, the sun bear is one of the rarest animals on earth.

It is on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's red-list of endangered species.

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Tiger team marks 20 years of conflict resolution

Victoria Gill BBC News 24 Dec 10;

Living within the habitat of a dangerous animal is not easy. But it is particularly challenging when that animal is the critically endangered Amur tiger.

If a tiger wanders into a remote Russian village it poses a threat, but also raises a difficult quandary: how can people protect themselves without resorting to killing a creature that is on very the brink of extinction?

A special Tiger Response Team in Russia has sought to solve that problem.

The World Conservation Society (WCS) and an anti-poaching patrol dubbed Inspection Tiger are working closely with the team.

It was set up by the government in 1999 to help resolve "human- tiger conflict".

Amur tigers live in the mosaic of forests in Russia's Far East - an expanse of more than 150,000 sq km of tiger habitat that is dotted with small human settlements.

"There's a grey area where both tigers and humans co-exist," explains Dale Miquelle, director of the WCS Russia Programme.

"So, even though the tigers are incredibly scarce, they do pass through or close to villages on a regular basis."

When a tiger does come too close, it might prey on a domestic animal - most commonly a pet dog or a cow.

Much more rarely it might attack a human.

Danger signal

In the past 10 years, Amur tigers have killed at least 254 domestic animals, 160 of which were dogs.

Official records show 19 attacks on humans, resulting in 11 injuries and two deaths.

And this is where the response team's very hands-on approach comes in.

When someone sees a tiger or discovers an animal that has clearly been mauled by one, they can alert the local authorities, who then contact the team.

"The local authorities assess the situation and, if necessary, a team is despatched," explained Dr Miquelle.

"But we're dealing with a vast area, so it can take several days to reach the village."

Once there, the response team has a number of options.

The most straightforward is to scare the tiger away, using rockets or flares. But sometimes it is necessary to capture the animal.

"We do that quite often," says Dr Miquelle. "What we do once we capture it depends on the situation.

"Sometimes we'll put a radio collar on it and put it back where it is.

"Sometimes we'll move it to another location - if we think that will reduce the likelihood of it [returning to the village]."

But if a tiger is wounded, the situation is more complicated.

John Goodrich, a conservationist and wildlife photographer, has worked with the team during some of their tiger rescue missions.

He says most tigers that attack people in Russia have been shot by poachers or injured by traps.

And these injuries change the tigers' behaviour - driving the animals into human populations to pick on domesticated prey, if they are incapacitated and unable to hunt.

According to Dr Goodrich, wounds from from botched poaching attempts are a leading cause of Amur tiger attacks on people.

Tiger rehabilitation

Injured tigers can sometimes be rehabilitated and released into the forest.

But when one is too badly hurt or too dangerous, the team has to remove it from the wild altogether - for its own safety, as well as to protect humans.

Dr Goodrich followed the rehabilitation of one young male tiger called Volya, which was shot in the face by poachers.

"The bullet broke three canines and shattered his lower jaw," he recalled.

Vets at the Utyos Wildlife Rehabilitation Center wired it together as best they could: "But the injury condemned Volya to a life in captivity".

Dr Goodrich and his colleagues are now attempting to survey the prevalence of infectious diseases in the Amur tiger population, which might also affect their behaviour and make them more aggressive to humans.

Counting tigers

It is tricky to quantify exactly how many tigers the team's efforts have saved; but at this stage, every individual counts.

The latest survey estimated that there were just 350 Amur tigers remaining in the wild.

"There's some indication that we've been able to reduce the number of tiger losses associated with conflicts," said Dr Miquelle.

He says there is definitely room for improvement. Efforts to scare animals away from human-dominated areas have not been as successful as hoped.

"But with so few tigers remaining, we know we have to turn that declining trend around," he tells BBC News.

"And we do see human caused mortality as a really important component of that - 20 years ago, the main intervention was a bullet."

In such isolated communities, the response team hopes to give local people a signal that there is a group that cares about their welfare.

"It really can be extremely threatening when an animal the size of a tiger walks into you neighbourhood," says Dr Miquelle.

"So having a team that can deal with that is really important."

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Shark attacks: Egypt lifts diving ban, denies cull

Leana Hosea BBC News 23 Dec 10;

The Egyptian authorities have lifted all diving restrictions in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh following the shark attacks earlier this month.

But the tourism ministry said a ban on swimming and snorkelling was still in place along a 3km (2-mile) stretch of beach in the main resort area.

Meanwhile, an environmental group has accused officials of "indiscriminately" killing at least 10 sharks.

The South Sinai deputy governor has denied any large-scale shark cull.

"We don't kill sharks," the Deputy Governor for South Sinai, Ahmed Saleh, told the BBC.

"Only one, or maybe two or three sharks have been caught, but not killed. Maybe they died after they were caught," he added.

Earlier, the director of the Hurghada Environmental Protection Agency (Hepca), Amr Ali, told the BBC that he had received photographs of 10 sharks killed by the authorities.

The group accused Egyptian officials of attempting to "wipe out local shark populations", but said the killing appeared to have stopped in recent days.

In early December, the authorities released photos of two sharks they captured which they believed were responsible for the spate of attacks.

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the world's top diving destinations and there are fears the shark attacks could hurt Egypt's lucrative tourism trade.
Swimming ban

Deputy Governor Ahmed Saleh said that 23km (14 miles) of coastline was safe for all watersports.

But he said swimming and snorkelling were still banned in the 3km from North Naama, Sharm el-Sheikh's main centre, to the resort's second busiest hub, Ras Nasrani, pending further investigation by scientists.

A 70-year-old German woman was killed and four other tourists injured in a highly unusual series of attacks earlier this month.

At least two species of sharks carried out the attacks, experts said, suggesting that environmental factors were likely to blame.

The Egyptian government is keen to protect the tourism industry, which generated revenues of $11.6bn (£7.3bn) in 2009.

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