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Channel NewsAsia 25 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is seeking public feedback on its existing and future Land Transport Masterplan.
The plan maps out strategies that will go into formulating the country's transport policies.
The last plan, launched in 2008, saw initiatives such as expanded rail and road networks as well as improved barrier free access to bus and rail stations.
As part of its update, the LTA will gather public views on how the various programmes under the 2008 masterplan can be refined as well as identify new initiatives.
To give feedback, go to this website: http://talk2lta.lta.gov.sg/ltmp
The portal will host online discussion forums and surveys that the public can participate in.
Detailed information on the scope of the consultation process and the 2008 Masterplan is also available.
Alternatively, members of the public can email the LTA at LTA-LTMP@lta.gov.sg.
The LTA said those who participate stand to win an EZ-Link card worth S$10.
Feedback channels will open till 30 September.
As part of the consultation process, LTA will also carry out a series of focus group discussions, after which views will be consolidated and released with the updated masterplan, which is targeted for 2013.
- CNA/ck
LTA seeks commuter views on new Land Transport Masterplan
Royston Sim Straits Times 25 Jun 12;
Commuters can weigh in on what they would like to see in a new Land Transport Masterplan.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to consult the public and gather views on how existing initiatives listed in the 2008 Masterplan can be refined. It will also seek their input on new initiatives.
In a statement on Monday, the LTA said the updated Masterplan 'will build on what LTA has planned to date and also map out new initiatives to take us forward for the next 10-15 years of our land transport journey'.
The authority has set up a web portal for the public to give their feedback - http://talk2lta.lta.gov.sg/ltmp. Commuters can also e-mail their views to LTA-LTMP@lta.gov.sg.
Those who participate in the public consultation can win an EZ-Link card worth $10. LTA will select 30 winners through a draw and contact them by e-mail after the consultation is completed.
The LTA will receive feedback till Sept 30, and it will also carry out a series of focus group discussions.
A summary of the feedback received and the LTA's responses will be released together with the updated Masterplan, which is targeted for release next year.
Transport feedback wanted
Straits Times 26 Jun 12;
MEMBERS of the public have been asked what they would like to see in an updated Land Transport Masterplan.
Their feedback will be used to help refine the existing 2008 document, a new version of which is expected next year.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) released a statement yesterday saying it was time to review the masterplan to address emerging challenges and identify new initiatives to 'deliver a transport network that better meets the needs of Singaporeans'.
It also consulted commuters before it released the 2008 version. The public can give their feedback online at http://talk2lta.lta.gov.sg/ltmp.
The website will host online discussion forums and surveys that visitors can take part in.
Commuters can also e-mail their feedback to LTA-LTMP@lta.gov.sg.
Detailed information on the scope of the consultation process and the 2008 Masterplan is available on the website.
Those who take part in the exercise can win an ez-link card worth $10.
Thirty winners will be selected in a draw and will receive an e-mail after the consultation is completed.
The exercise will last until Sept 30, and a series of in-depth focus group discussions will also be carried out.
A summary of the feedback received and the authority's responses will be released together with the updated masterplan.
Since 2008, various initiatives have been implemented, including an expanded rail network and distance-based fares.
ROYSTON SIM
The Australian 25 Jun 12;
THE mysterious death of 22 green turtles, a protected species, is puzzling experts in North Queensland.
The experts have not ruled out poisoning and even drowning as a cause.
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection is investigating the deaths of the turtles found at Wunjunga Beach, about 100 kilometres south of Townsville.
The department's director of threatened species, Wolf Sievers, said the vulnerable animals have been washing up on the beach for over a week.
"It is very unusual for this many turtles to have stranded on one beach and we will be making every effort to establish what may have happened," Mr Sievers said.
Senior turtle expert Dr Ian Bell said that initial investigations found no injuries, no obvious signs of malnutrition or illness.
"It's a bit like turtle CSI, it's all about ruling out possible alternatives," Dr Bell said.
"We're ruling out starvation. It doesn't look like it's any infectious type of disease, and it leaves us with two possibilities.
"One is potential poisoning, and we're also looking at the possibility of a drowning.
"At this stage we really don't know."
The department hopes they will be able to establish the causes of death after performing further necropsies.
The entire Great Barrier Reef is an important feeding area for green turtles, which are classified as a vulnerable species nationally under legislation.
All of the green turtles, except one, have been large adult female green turtles. Adults have a shell length of about 1m and average about 130 kg, although some nesting females can weigh more than 180 kg.
A loss of just one breeding size individual can have an impact on the species.
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Inderjit Singh hears Lower Peirce Reservoir residents' concerns about animals in their neighbourhood
Straits Times 24 Jun 12;
About 40 people living near the Lower Peirce Reservoir met their Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh yesterday to discuss how to curb the wild boar population in their neighbourhood.
And a majority at the closed-door session - about 95 per cent - voted in favour of culling the animals.
Mr Singh, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said he arranged the dialogue after hearing from many residents who had spotted the boars in their neighbourhood. His constituents have also become more concerned after one of the animals attacked two people in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park last Friday.
A five-year-old boy was flung into the air when the boar charged at him, and a Cisco officer was also struck down by the same animal.
The incident came about a week after the National Parks Board (NParks) announced that there was a need to manage the wild boar population here because of the rising numbers.
Mr Singh said numerous residents have told him of wild boar sightings in the past few months. The creatures used to restrict themselves to the forested areas near the reservoir.
'It could be that they have run out of food in their natural environment, and came out to forage.'
He said the NParks estimates that there are 100 wild boars in the area, a third of them roaming residential areas. The MP added that he had asked the authorities to find a humane way to control the animals' population.
'We just want to keep the numbers at a manageable level so that they won't create trouble for my residents,' he added.
A man, who wanted to be known only as Mr Teng and has been living near the Lower Peirce Reservoir for three years, said he has seen the wild boars fewer than 10 times.
'They're harmless. They're just out here looking for food. I think the incident at the park was just unusual. Most of the time they are the ones hit by speeding vehicles,' he said.
Cheryl Ong
MP Inderjit Singh hopes wild boar issue can be resolved quickly
Evelyn Lam Channel NewsAsia 23 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Inderjit Singh, hopes authorities can look for a way to resolve the wild boar issue quickly.
He was speaking to the media after a closed door dialogue with some residents who live near the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, where two wild boars were spotted on Friday.
Several residents have seen the wild boars around Lower Peirce Reservoir.
On Friday, a wild boar reportedly charged at a security guard and a five-year-old boy at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.
Some residents are now worried that the wild boars may pose a danger to their personal safety.
But others said it's not a big problem, as long as residents keep their distance from the animals.
Channel NewsAsia understands about 40 people attended the closed door dialogue.
95 per cent of them support the move to reduce the wild boar population.
Apart from residents, there were also representatives from various government agencies.
Mr Inderjit Singh said: "The wild boars have shown that they can attack, so we would have to resolve this quite urgently and that NParks (National Parks Board) gather as much research and information as possible to resolve this quickly.
"It is quite logical to see that the food in the forest must be running out, because the numbers are large so the wild boars are now exploring further away from the jungle area to look for food."
- CNA/ck
AFP Yahoo News 22 Jun 12;
Global sea levels could rise two to three times higher over the next century than previous UN estimates, according to a study released Friday by the US National Research Council.
A committee of experts evaluated the latest UN data and updated those projections with new data on polar ice-cap melting that is believed to be speeding up sea level rise around the world.
By 2100, the NRC estimates that global sea levels will rise between 20-55 inches (50 and 140 centimeters).
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's projection in 2007 had predicted a fraction of that, at seven to 23 inches (18-59 centimeters) worldwide.
"Our answers are pretty much in line with what others have done except that the IPCC was a little timid in 2007 about the ice contribution, so using more current information about the ice melt we have a bigger contribution there," said Robert Dalrymple, committee chair and professor of civil engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
The wide range within each estimate is due to increasing uncertainty about sea level projections as researchers attempt to assess what may happen further and further into the future, the report said.
In the near term, the NRC predicted a global sea level rise of three to nine inches (eight to 23 centimeters) by 2030 (over the 2000 level) and seven to 19 inches (18 to 48 centimeters) by 2050.
The committee was convened by an executive order from the state of California to assess sea level rise in order to inform preparations for coastal impact, and to make detailed predictions for the US West Coast.
The NRC found that the sea level was projected to rise faster than global estimates in much of southern California due to land erosion and subsiding coastline.
But the northern part of the state as well as the coasts of Oregon and Washington could see less of an impact than the rest of the world because of shifts in the Earth that are causing the coasts there to rise, it said.
"The lower sea levels projected for northern California, Washington and Oregon coasts are because the land is rising largely due to plate tectonics," said the report.
"In this region, the ocean plate is descending below the continental plate at the Cascadia Subduction Zone, pushing up the coast."
More severe weather events causing flooding and coastal erosion are expected to accompany higher sea levels, and a major earthquake in northern California could cause a sudden sea level rise of one meter (yard) or more, the report said.
The NRC study was jointly sponsored by the states of California, Washington and Oregon, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Geological Survey.
Although agreement was not reached on policing international waters, some firm commitments were made in Brazil.
Brian Clark Howard For National Geographic News 22 Jun 12;
In an email to National Geographic News from Rio de Janeiro, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle said of the ongoing UN Conference on Sustainable Development, "Concerning oceans, there is reason to suggest that the outcomes could be characterized as Rio+20 minus 40."
Earle's words sum up the buzz in the halls of Riocentro—the massive suburban conference center that has hosted tens of thousands of delegates, activists, and journalists this week—as well as among the thousands of protesters that have taken the streets around the Marvelous City.
Still, Earle pointed out, "It is not all bad news, just discouraging to hear the French ambassador say that the will of 183 countries concerning developing a framework for governance of the high seas had come unglued owing to opposition from a small number of powerful countries."
Earle is referring to the United States, Russia, Canada, and Venezuela in particular, who, according to reports, moved to block specific rulemaking on environmental protections in international waters during late-night, closed-door negotiations earlier this week.
Expressing his disappointment, Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International, told the Guardian, "What kept Greenpeace in the [Rio+20 negotiations] was that it looked like we could get a decent deal on the oceans, but we have now got a really watered-down text that has very little teeth."
Earle said she believes the U.S. government is resistant to start negotiations on a new international oceans treaty, since there has been recent movement to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, an international agreement that went into effect in 1994 but counts the U.S. as one of a handful of holdout countries. The Law of the Sea Treaty does include some environmental guidelines, but not as many specific protections as Earle would like.
Earle added that the U.S. also has concerns about fishing interests and is worried about the United Nations gaining authority over U.S. interests, although, she said, the aim of Rio+20 talks was not to put the high seas under UN jurisdiction, but to establish a framework for international governance.
"Presently the High Seas, nearly half the planet, is like the Wild West, and a few industrial fishers from a few countries are wrecking entire ecosystems and depleting species already in serious trouble," said Earle. "In my remarks [at a Rio+20 panel discussion] yesterday, I used [IUCN marine protected areas expert] Dan Laffoley's comment that we should call this a 'Half the Earth summit,' since the blue half—the high seas—are being seriously neglected."
Also speaking to National Geographic News from Rio, Susan Lieberman, deputy director of international policy for Pew Environment Group, said, "We came to Rio with high expectations for action to address the ocean crisis. For a once-in-a-decade meeting where so much was at stake, Rio was a far cry from a resounding success. The lack of progress on managing the high seas, which can and will only be addressed through international action, is discouraging and should have been dealt with here and now.
"It is frankly astonishing that world leaders all agreed this is a major problem needing an international, coordinated solution and then deferred any decision on action for another two and a half years. The future of life in the sea does not need more bureaucratic infighting," said Lieberman.
Some Progress Made
Still, Lieberman saw some positive developments in Rio. "The final-outcome document contains good recommendations on ending overfishing, taking action to stop illegal fishing, phasing out harmful subsidies, eliminating destructive fishing practices, and protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems," she said.
Lieberman added that there was a decision to make regulating the catch of commercial species like tuna more transparent, although it will be up to governments to put those regulations into place.
National Geographic's Earle said, "The good news is that the Rio+20 conference may be more important for the enhanced exposure given to ocean issues and other topics not covered 20 years ago," during the first Earth Summit in Rio. "Meetings over coffee, on the transport buses, and in hallways, bars, and beaches are likely to be more meaningful concerning policies that will endure than all of the exquisitely orchestrated formalities."
Earle pointed to major commitments from the Maldives and Australia for large protected areas within their exclusive economic zones.
She also pointed to the high amount of public participation in Rio+20, including the fact that people from 163 countries submitted nearly a million and a half votes online about environmental issues they wanted to see discussed.
"The conference has been a celebration of knowing that nature matters—for business, industry, health, security, and every breath we take, every drop of water we drink," said Earle. "Whether the political leaders endorse what the people are saying or not is not as important as the lift this conference has given to the growing awareness that the planet has limits."
Earle added that 20 years ago scientists did not have nearly as much data or insight about the environment. She called the current moment a "sweet spot," and warned that it will soon be too late to take action to reverse the increase of carbon dioxide, ocean acidification, ocean dead zones, deforestation, plastic pollution, mass extinctions, and so on.
"Too Big to Fail"
Earle said a highlight of the dialogues on oceans she participated in this week in Rio was when one panelist said, "We have to get over the idea that the ocean is 'too big to fail'"—that it will survive and thrive no matter what.
She added that ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau said there are just three things that will save the ocean and ourselves: "Education, education, education!"
One panelist, concerned that fishing interests were under-represented, asked anyone in the audience who made their living as a fishermen to stand up.
No one did. But then Earle asked all of the fish in the audience to please stand up. "We were determining their fate, after all, but I didn't see them at the table. Only on the table," Earle reflected.
Pews Lieberman told National Geographic News, "I wouldn't call Rio a total failure, because a large number of countries recognize the need for international management of the sea, and there were commitments to deal with some of the key issues that are accelerating the deterioration of the marine environment."
Bradley Brooks Associated Press Yahoo News 23 Jun 12;
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It was hard to find a happy soul at the end of the Rio+20 environmental summit.
Not within the legion of bleary-eyed government negotiators from 188 nations who met in a failed attempt to find a breakthrough at the United Nations conference on sustainable development.
Not among the thousands of activists who decried the three-day summit that ended late Friday as dead on arrival. Not even in the top U.N. official who organized the international organization's largest-ever event.
"This is an outcome that makes nobody happy. My job was to make everyone equally unhappy," said Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the conference, nicely summing up the mood.
In the end, this conference was a conference to decide to have more conferences.
That result was hailed as a success by the 100 heads of state who attended. Given how environmental summits have failed in recent years as global economic turmoil squashes political will to take on climate and conservation issues, the mere fact of agreeing to talk again in the future constitutes victory.
Faced with the real prospect of complete failure, negotiators who struggled for months to hammer out a more ambitious final document ended up opting for the lowest common denominator. Just hours before the meeting opened Wednesday, they agreed on a proposal that makes virtually no progress beyond what was signed at the original 1992 Earth Summit, removing the kind of contentious proposals activists contend are required to avoid an environmental meltdown.
"We've sunk so low in our expectations that reaffirming what we did 20 years ago is now considered a success," said Martin Khor, executive director of the Geneva-based South Centre and a member of the U.N. Committee on Development Policy.
Indeed, the word "reaffirm" is used 59 times in the 49-page document titled "The Future We Want." They reaffirm the need to achieve sustainable development (but not mandating how); reaffirm commitment to strengthening international cooperation (just not right now); and reaffirm the need to achieve economic stability (with no new funding for the poorest nations).
Some of the biggest issues activists wanted to see in the document that didn't make it in included a call to end subsidies for fossil fuels, language underscoring the reproductive rights of women, and some words on how nations might mutually agree to protect the high seas, areas that fall outside any national jurisdictions.
"We saw anything of value in the early text getting removed one by one. What is left is the clear sense that the future we want is not one our leaders can actually deliver," said Greenpeace executive director Kumi Naidoo. "We now need to turn the anger people around the world are feeling into creative, thoughtful and meaningful action."
On the "glass half full" side of things, while the effort to make progress on multilateral talks among the collective U.N. body were a disappointment, the big gathering produced nearly 700 promises and advances made by individual countries, companies and other organizations, in total worth about $500 billion if actually followed through
For instance, the U.S. agreed to partner with more than 400 companies, including Wal-Mart, Coca- Cola and Unilever, to support their efforts to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains by 2020.
Andrew Deutz, director of international government relations at the Nature Conservancy, pointed out that Indonesia, Australia and Colombia all made strong commitments to protecting oceans in their national waters, in part to ensure future food security.
"Monday morning, the challenge will be to go back home and hold governments and companies accountable for the commitments they made here and help them get things done," he said.
Despite the shifting global economic order, with the rise of nations like Brazil and China and a host of other "middle-income" countries, critics said negotiators still argued along the lines of old "north-south" arguments that pit richer developed nations against developing nations.
The Group of 77 nations that represents the poorest on the globe maintained their demand that richer nations in Europe and the U.S. recognize their "historic debt" eating up a much greater amount of the globe's resources since the industrial revolution began 250 years ago. They say rich nations should finance environmental improvements in the poorer nations, and also freely transfer technology that would help the developing nations use more renewable energy and build cleaner industrial sectors.
"Everything has been kicked down the lane a few years, we'll have to wait to formalize sustainable development goals and make the transition to a green economy," said Muhammed Chowdhury, a lead negotiator of Group of 77. "It's not a good scenario."
However, a U.S. delegate member said that countries can no longer debate issues with an eye on the past, that once poor nations are becoming rich, and that anybody looking for the Rio+20 summit to somehow reach a magical agreement and solve complicated environmental and development challenges would be sorely disappointed.
"I think the expectation that there is one document or one approach that can solve one of the major questions of our time — how do you maintain economic growth and protect the environment? — there's not one paper that can do that," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones.
"This is a process. We have to embrace it as a process, look at the positive things we have done, and keep working, as there is much more to do."
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S. Ramesh Channel NewsAsia 22 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has weighed in on the subject of wild boars in Singapore.
Writing in his blog on housing matters, Mr Khaw says the wild boar population needs to be managed and re-homing them is, unfortunately, not an option.
On Friday morning, he says two wild boars wandered into the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and charged at a CISCO security officer and a child.
Luckily, he says, they were not seriously injured.
He explained in his blog post that Singapore is a modern 'City in a Garden'.
And he hopes that all species of animals, birds, insects, trees and flowers can have their place under the sun in their natural habitat and not caged up as if in a giant zoo.
This, he says, is a very stretched target.
Singapore may never achieve it, but it forces the people to be creative and to think out of the box to try to see if Singaporeans can co-exist with as many species of living things as possible, without endangering themselves.
Mr Khaw says his priority is protecting Singapore's babies, that they will be safe and grow up well, happy and be able to fulfil their dreams.
That is why the Ministry has to act on stray dogs and wild boars occasionally.
Mr Khaw adds that the Ministry will be as humane as it can, and the need to manage their population remains.
Last month, NParks and AVA jointly rounded up a pack of stray dogs at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.
Some have been re-homed, but the rest are awaiting a good home.
Meanwhile, the stray dogs in Punggol continue to worry residents and park users there.
Mr Khaw notes that many Singaporeans are dog lovers but feeding strays indiscriminately and hindering efforts to manage the stray population are not the ways to express this compassion.
Instead, they can come forward to adopt the stray dogs that were rounded up.
- CNA/de
Wild boar incident: Population 'needs to be managed'
Today Online 23 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE - As two wild boars were sighted at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park yesterday morning, with one of them charging at a CISCO security officer and a child, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post that the wild boar population must be managed.
"Rehoming them is, unfortunately, not an option," he added.
His comments come amid a debate over ways to curb their growing numbers, which negatively impact the environment, according to the National Parks Board (NParks).
At about 8.30am yesterday, the boars wandered into Pond Gardens at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park from the Lower Peirce area, where the population "has grown to levels beyond what is ecologically sustainable", said NParks Director (Conservation), Mr Wong Tuan Wah.
When an NParks staff arrived at the site half an hour later, one of the wild boars dashed back towards Lower Peirce, while the other charged at a security officer on patrol and a five-year-old boy.
The boy, who was hit from behind, was knocked off his feet and landed about a metre away, said Mr Wong in a statement. Both the officer and child were not seriously injured.
Mr Wong said NParks contacted Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and the police cordoned off the area from other park users. The boar was put down with a dart gun and removed from the park after a one-hour operation.
Noting the wild boar population at Lower Peirce could double by year-end, Mr Wong said it represented "an increasing risk to public safety".
NParks is now consulting with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, government agencies, plus nature and animal welfare groups to explore the most appropriate method to manage the wild boar population at Lower Peirce.
Other measures suggested by the public, such as sterilisation and erecting barriers, can be considered, but "cannot replace the need to manage the wild boar population", added Mr Wong. "While our decision may not please everyone, we believe it is necessary," he said.
In his blog post, Mr Khaw raised the "very stretched target" of having people co-exist with "as many species of living things as possible without endangering ourselves".
But he highlighted his "priority" goes towards "protecting our babies". "That is why we have to act on stray dogs and wild boars occasionally. It is to protect our babies. We will be as humane as we can, but the need to manage their population remains," said Mr Khaw.
Last month, NParks and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore worked with several animal welfare groups to round up and rehome 10 stray dogs at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.
Protecting kids is top priority: Minister
Straits Times 23 Jun 12;
NATIONAL Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday defended the government policy of rounding up stray dogs and culling wild boars, citing the danger the animals pose to children.
While he welcomes a diversity of animal life in Singapore, the animals must not endanger humans, Mr Khaw wrote in a post on his ministry's blog.
'In a limited space of just over 700 sq km, it is a zero-sum game and we need to prioritise,' he added. 'My priority is towards protecting our babies.'
He also said two wild boars had wandered into the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and charged at a security guard and a child yesterday morning.
His comments follow news reports two weeks ago that some animal lovers are opposed to culling wild boars to curb their population.
They proposed that sterilisation be used instead.
Mr Khaw, in a nod to their sentiments, said: 'We will be as humane as we can, but the need to manage their population remains.'
For this reason, the authorities are also rounding up stray dogs in parks, he wrote.
While some feel strays should be allowed to roam freely in parks, Mr Khaw said residents living near these parks have reported these dogs barking aggressively, howling late at night and chasing park users. 'An accident was waiting to happen,' he said.
He also said that since stray dogs in Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West were rounded up last month, residents there have been 'happier'.
He urged dog-lovers not to feed strays, saying a better way to show compassion is to adopt a stray instead of buying a dog from a pet shop.
MATTHIAS CHEW
Creature believed to be from Lower Peirce charged at guard, boy in park
Stacey Chia Straits Times 23 Jun 12;
A WILD boar believed to be from the Lower Peirce area yesterday wandered into Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, where it charged at a security guard and a boy aged five.
It was later put down with a dart gun.
The guard, Mr Arnold Rodriguese, 36, hurt his right hand.
The unnamed boy, who was butted from behind, fell and landed a metre away, but was not seriously injured, said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, director of conservation at the National Parks Board (NParks).
He added that a second boar was spotted by NParks staff running back towards the Lower Peirce area.
Mr Rodriguese, who is from security company Certis Cisco, was on duty with two colleagues at the park's Pond Gardens at around 8.30am when he saw the boar.
A Certis Cisco spokesman, responding to questions from The Straits Times via e-mail, said its officers had reported this to NParks and national water agency PUB.
But just as an NParks officer arrived at the scene, the boar charged at Mr Rodriguese, said the Certis Cisco spokesman.
Right after that, the boar headed for the boy, who was near the playground.
The incident comes a week after NParks' announcement about the need to manage the wild boar population here on the back of a rise in its numbers.
A debate then ensued about the wisdom of culling the animals, with animal activist groups such as the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society against it.
The Nature Society and two university professors, backing NParks, said the boars posed a danger to the regeneration of the forests here because of their tendency to eat the seeds of primary forests.
Mr Wong said: 'This morning's incident underscores the urgency of managing the wild boar population. We cannot wait for a more serious incident to happen before taking action.'
He said that yesterday's incident was not an isolated one.
Other human-boar run-ins have been reported, including collisions with vehicles and a pet dog being mauled to death.
As a single female boar can produce four to eight piglets a year, the population of boars in Lower Peirce could double by the end of the year, said NParks.
Mr Wong said NParks was in talks with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, government agencies and nature and animal welfare groups on managing the boar population.
The forested area in Lower Pierce is home to an estimated 100 boars.
Mr Tony O'Dempsey, who chairs the Nature Society's Vertebrate Study Group, said boars are not aggressive by nature, but all wild animals will attack if provoked.
'From the animal's point of view, it may think it is cornered, even though you may not know you are cornering it,' he said.
Mr Ong Say Lin, 25, a biology graduate from the National University of Singapore who studied wild boars, said he was surprised by yesterday's incident.
'Wild boars usually evade people, but in a few rare instances, are quite comfortable with people,' he said.
An NParks spokesman said signs have since been put up around the park reminding the public to stay away from wild boars and not to feed them or use flash photography.
Wild boars spotted at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Tan Qiuyi Channel NewsAsia 22 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: Two wild boars spotted in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park on Friday morning triggered off more than three hours of operation by the authorities to hunt them down.
The National Parks Board (NParks) says one boar had charged at a security officer and a child.
The five-year-old was knocked off his feet from behind, and landed about a metre away. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.
Authorities say the two wild boars wandered into the park early in the morning.
One dashed off into the nature reserve of Lower Pierce when officers arrived. The other remained, and hid in a bush.
Men, including those from a local pest control company, worked to lure the animal out.
Eventually, just before 3pm, officers from the Wildlife Reserves (Singapore) shot the boar with a dart gun.
MediaCorp understands the boar has been put down.
Ong Say Lin, Researcher at the National University of Singapore, said: "I can say that yes, their distribution is more extensive than expected. One of the hypotheses is that they have been swimming over from Johor Bahru, or Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin. Those are very likely sources of the wild boar migration.
"Also, right now wild boars, we can see them at the West Coast, East Coast, at Pasir Ris, Changi and the Jurong area and also in the north. So it's very likely they are coming from the northern islands and Malaysia."
NParks says wild boar numbers at Lower Pierce have grown beyond what's ecologically sustainable.
And their appearance at Bishan Park is another reason why they will have to take urgent action to control the population.
But some residents at Old Upper Thomson Road, right next to the nature reserve and its wildlife, say the pigs are part of the charm of the neighbourhood.
"They've never been an issue to us. They usually appear late at night, or during evening time, and they're very shy of people."
"Culling seems a bit drastic, and kind of, permanent?"
Blogging on the issue, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan backs NParks' decision to cull the animals.
He said the wild boar population needs to be managed and re-homing them is, unfortunately, not an option.
- CNA/wk/de
Straits Times 23 Jun 12;
The National Parks Board (NParks) and Panasonic Asia Pacific are working together on a mangrove biodiversity monitoring study in Pasir Ris Park's mangrove forest.
The initiative, which started in March, includes 16 biodiversity monitoring sessions to be conducted over a two-year period. This is also the first time such an effort is undertaken in Singapore.
Covering an area of 6ha, the mangrove forest at Pasir Ris Park is one of the few mangrove sites left in Singapore. Results of the study will provide NParks with valuable information to aid the long-term conservation and management of Singapore's mangrove forests. NParks said in a statement on Saturday.
The partnership between NParks and Panasonic is in line with the City in a Garden vision to involve the community in the conservation of Singapore's natural heritage.
Through this project, volunteers can cultivate a better appreciation of the biodiversity in Pasir Ris Parks' mangrove forest. Children from as young as 10 can help monitor and collect information about mangrove trees, snails and mudskippers.
Mangrove study to aid conservation
Leslie Kay Lim Straits Times 24 Jun 12;
Volunteers in mud-proof boots and gloves are to descend on Pasir Ris Park mangrove forest as part of a new wildlife survey.
Around 60 people - mostly employees at Panasonic and their families - will visit the area roughly every 45 days in the two-year study. They will gather data on mangrove trees and creatures such as snails and mudskippers. The data can then be used in conservation work.
The project is a joint effort between Panasonic and the National Parks Board (NParks). Both organisations have collaborated on nature tours and tree-plantings in the past, but decided mid-last year to deepen their partnership.
'We want to make Singapore a city in a garden... but we can't do it alone,' said NParks general manager Chia Seng Jiang. He said the manpower provided by Panasonic would help the board manage the mangroves, and the data collected would build on a 2006 survey by the National Biodiversity Centre.
Led by NParks representatives, the volunteers will examine the plants and creatures, looking at factors such as abundance and general health. Snails and mudskippers were selected as they are indicator species which reflect the mangrove forest's overall condition.
The survey is part of a broader conservation programme at Panasonic which includes a $15,000 donation to NParks' Garden City Fund, said its general manager, Mr Low Beng Huat.
The outings to the mangrove forest are important because they create a greater awareness of the environment, added Mr Low. 'It's an opportunity not only to appreciate nature but also let the younger generation understand the importance of nature in Singapore.'
Siblings Lye Jia Qi, 14, and Lye Jia Hao, 11, said digging for snails was an unusual experience.
'We're from the city so it's important to encourage them to venture out,' added their father, Mr Lye Puay Foon, 44, whose wife works at Panasonic.
NParks, Panasonic to study Pasir Ris Park's mangrove forest
Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 23 Jun 12;
SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) and electronics firm Panasonic Asia Pacific are working together to monitor Pasir Ris Park's mangrove forest.
It's the park's first such mangrove biodiversity monitoring study.
Covering an area of six hectares, the mangrove forest at Pasir Ris Park is one of the few mangrove sites left in Singapore.
It's a popular attraction that draws nature lovers and families alike.
The study, which started in March, will be conducted over two years.
Volunteers include Panasonic's employees and children, some as young as 10 years old.
They will help NParks researchers collect data of mangrove trees, snails and mudskippers in the forest.
Results of the study will provide NParks with information on the long-term conservation and management of Singapore's wetlands.
- CNA/ck
NParks and Panasonic embark on first mangrove biodiversity monitoring initiative at Pasir Ris Park
NParks Media Release 23 Jun 12;
Singapore, 23 June 2012 - The National Parks Board (NParks) and Panasonic Asia Pacific (Panasonic) are working together on a first mangrove biodiversity monitoring study in Pasir Ris Park's mangrove forest. As part of this study, which commenced in March 2012, 16 biodiversity monitoring sessions will be conducted over a two-year period. Apart from contributing $15,000 in cash and in kind to NParks' Garden City Fund for the study, Panasonic aims to provide 60 volunteers per monitoring session. Results of the study will provide NParks with valuable information to aid the long-term conservation and management of Singapore's mangrove forests. This partnership is in line with the City in a Garden vision, which is about involving the community to conserve our natural heritage.
Covering an area of six hectares, the mangrove forest at Pasir Ris Park is one of the few mangrove sites left in Singapore. It is also a popular park attraction - scores of nature lovers and families visit the mangrove forest every month to experience and learn about its rich biodiversity.
Through this project, volunteers can cultivate a better appreciation of the biodiversity in Pasir Ris Parks' mangrove forest. This project also reaffirms Panasonic's commitment to creating greater awareness and furthering environmental causes as its employees and children assist NParks' researchers in the monitoring sessions. Children from as young as 10 years old will help monitor and collect data of the mangrove trees, snails and mudskippers.
Mr Low Beng Huat, General Manager of Environment & External Affairs Group, said, "Panasonic is involved in comprehensive environmental preservation through various biodiversity conservation projects globally. This monitoring initiative at Pasir Ris mangrove forest is part of the broader Panasonic Conservation Programme. We recognise that mangroves are important to our ecosystem and are excited to collaborate with NParks to ensure their conservation. Also, it serves as a good opportunity for our employees and their children to better appreciate nature and preserve the environment."
"We are delighted to be collaborating with Panasonic to actively protect our ecosystem. It is important for us to continue in our efforts to conserve and enhance the rich diversity of our mangroves through monitoring initiatives and surveys. Active management of our mangroves will help enhance the health of the forest and the educational experience for all park visitors," said Mr Chia Seng Jiang, General Manager, Parks.
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