Best of our wild blogs: 18 Feb 13

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [11 - 17 Feb 2013]
from Green Business Times

Dredging off Cyrene Reef and other Southern coastal works
from wild shores of singapore

Hantu bloggers - One seahorse for you, and many seahorses for me! from Psychedelic Nature

From Bukit Brown to Lornie Trail
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Javan Myna with deformed wing
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Indonesia: Sumatran tigers breed well in South Bukit Barisan

Antara 17 Feb 13;

Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA News) - World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Indonesia said that at least 80 Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are breeding well in South Bukit Barisan National Park.

"Dozens of tigers live well in the forests of South Sumatra and Lampung," said Project Leader of WWF Indonesia Job Charles here on Sunday.

According to him, despite the fact that human activities have threatened the tigers` habitat, the breeding of this species pans out in Sumatra's national parks.

The success of the tiger breeding is thanks to the cooperation between nature lovers and the local community who help protect the habitat of the tigers.

"The WWF along with other institutions and local communities are continuously preserving the habitat in order to promote the tiger's breeding and increase the population," said Charles.

The NGO activists, said Charles, conduct patrol in the habitat regularly.

According to the WWF, the population of tigers on Sumatra Island is around 200 heads. "The species will not extinct if the whole communities are actively helping preserve their habitats and let the tigers breed optimally," said Charles.

Previously, Sarah Christie, Zoological Society of London (ZSL)'s head of regional conservation said in a statement that a camera trap caught video of a mother tiger and her two cubs in a protected Sumatran forest, the first evidence of breeding in this location, conservationists say.

The footage was captured in Sumatra's Sembilang National Park. Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have documented evidence before of the endangered species in nearby Berbak National Park in Sembilang Conservation area, Jambi Province.

The video of these big cats shows the mother and her two youngsters walking past the camera. Scientists said they estimate the cubs are less than a year old. They live in their original habitat in mangrove forest, said Sarah.

"We will continue working with leaders of both national parks as well as the government to ensure the areas are better protected and well patrolled," she said.

(B019/F001)

Editor: Ade Marboen

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Best of our wild blogs: 17 Feb 13

April: Free Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk walk
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Life History of the Tawny Coster
from Butterflies of Singapore

Myna Having a Free Cool Drink
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Best of our wild blogs: 16 Feb 13

The last kampong in Singapore
from Rojak Librarian

Chek Jawa with long driftnet
from wild shores of singapore

Black-naped Oriole stole an egg
from Bird Ecology Study Group

World Pangolin Day 2013
from EDGE Blog

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Number of dengue cases weekly hits 5-year high

322 cases recorded last week, four new dengue clusters identified by NEA
Today Online 16 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE — The number of dengue cases weekly hit a five-and-a-half-year high last week with 322 cases, while four new dengue clusters have been identified.

The last time numbers reached such levels was in July 2007, when weekly figures hit as high as 426 cases in one week.

The number of dengue cases has been rising steadily in the first six weeks of the year, from 134 cases in the first week to 295 in the fifth week, to last week’s high of 322.

Altogether, there have been 1,442 cases in the first six weeks of the year, compared to 419 during the same period last year. As of 3pm on Thursday, there were 148 cases for the seventh week of the year.

The four new dengue clusters identified by the authorities are Jalan Usaha, Lorong Ong Lye, Block 27, Marine Crescent and Block 55, Marine Terrace and Ubi Avenue 1.

This brings the total number of active dengue clusters to 32.

An area is identified as a dengue cluster when two or more dengue cases occur within 14 days and the homes of the dengue victims are within 150m of each other.

The most active cluster as of Feb 14 is an area consisting of Lorong K Telok Kurau and East Coast Road, which had 123 cases. Within this cluster, St Patrick’s Road had 44 cases.

In an advisory posted on http://www.dengue.gov.sg, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the public should take preventive steps to remove stagnant water in homes.

Those diagnosed with dengue should sleep in air-conditioned rooms or apply insect repellent to break the dengue transmission chain.

The public can visit http://www.dengue.gov.sg, check the myENV app, or sign up for X-Dengue SMS alerts at http://www.x-dengue.com for updates on dengue case numbers and affected areas.

Those who come across mosquito breeding habitats should contact the NEA through its 24-hour hotline at 1800-2255 632, or contact their managing agents or Town Councils to have them removed.

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Malaysia: Injured dolphin rescued in Sepanggar Bay

The Star 16 Feb 13;

KOTA KINABALU: The Wildlife Department and Universiti Malaysia Sabah have teamed up to save an injured dolphin at Sepanggar Bay.

They rescued the dolphin after it was spotted to be in distress about 100m from the shore at about 1pm yesterday. It is belived the injuries were caused by fishing nets.

The university's director of the Borneo Marine Research Institute, Prof Dr Saleem Mustafa, said the dolphin was weak from its injuries and would be placed in the institute's hatchery while its wounds were tended to.

This was the second dolphin spotted in two days.

The first was seen near the Sutera Harbour Resort near here on Thursday.

Prof Saleem said dolphin sightings in Sabah had increased over the years, and this proved the success of marine conservation efforts.

A pod of dolphins was spotted on Jan 6 and Jan 8 near Gaya Island, he said.

Rescued Sepanggar Bay dolphin dies
The Star 28 Feb 13;

KOTA KINABALU: An injured female dolphin found in Sepanggar Bay here two weeks ago has died.

The dolphin died on Feb 25 while at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Borneo Marine Institute hatchery, which was treating it.

Institute Director Prof Dr Saleem Mustafa said the 3m-long mammal, a Delphinidae dolphin, died due to its injuries.

“The dolphin arrived with infected wounds and despite the best effort of staffers and students and the Wildlife Department, it could not be saved,” he said, adding that it was sad to see another mammal die on Malaysian shores.

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Malaysia needs an environs court, says Malaysian Nature Society

The Star 16 Feb 13;

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is in dire need of a specialised environment court to handle cases involving wildlife and environmental crimes, said Malaysian Nature Society president Prof Dr Maketab Mohamed.

He said such a court would result in the appointment of specialist judges well-versed in various acts pertaining to wildlife and nature.

“MNS and other NGOs would be more than happy to conduct dialogues and workshops for judges.

“For example, do they know that the Malayan tiger is critically endangered?,” he said.

Dr Maketab said the most recent example was the disappointing lack of fines meted out to wildlife trader Mohd Nor Shahrizam Nasir despite the fact that he was caught with eight tiger skins, 22 whole tiger bones and nine African elephant tusks.

The Alor Setar Sessions Court sentenced him to a total of 60 months jail 24 months each for possession of tiger skins and bones, and 12 months for the tusks.

However, the sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will spend only two years in jail.

“This means he will spend a little over a month for each of the 22 tigers despite being an accessory to the murder. Is that the value of a tiger, conservation wise?” he asked.

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One in five reptile species faces extinction – study

Half of all freshwater turtles close to extinction while three species, including jungle runner lizard, are possibly extinct
John Vidal The Guardian 15 Feb 13;

Nearly one in five of the world's estimated 10,000 species of lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles and other reptiles are threatened with extinction, according to a study conducted by 200 experts.

But the risk of extinction was found to be unevenly spread throughout the extremely diverse group of animals. According to the paper, an alarming 50% of all freshwater turtles are close to extinction, possibly because they are traded on international markets.

The study, published by the Zoological Society of London in conjunction with the IUCN species survival commission, is the first of its kind summarising the global conservation status of reptiles, and used 1,500 randomly selected reptiles worldwide.

Out of the estimated 19% of reptiles threatened with extinction, in order of magnitude of danger, 12% are classified as critically endangered, 41% endangered and 47% vulnerable.

Three species were found to be possibly extinct. One, a jungle runner lizard, Ameiva vittata, has only ever been recorded in one part of Bolivia. In Haiti, six of the nine species of anolis lizard included in this study have an elevated risk of extinction, due to extensive deforestation affecting the country.

The spread of farming and deforestation in tropical regions represents two of the greatest threats to reptiles, says the paper.

"The proportion of threatened reptile species is highest in freshwater environments, tropical regions and on oceanic islands, while data deficiency was highest in tropical areas, such as central Africa and south-east Asia," the paper says. "Levels of threat remain particularly high in tropical regions, mainly as a result of habitat conversion for agriculture and logging."

Monika Böhm, lead author of the paper, said: "Reptiles are often associated with extreme habitats so it is easy to assume that they will be fine in our changing world. But many species are very highly specialised in terms of habitat use and the climatic conditions they require for day to day functioning. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes."

Reptiles have a long and complex history, having first appeared on the planet about 300m years ago. They play a number of crucial roles in the proper functioning of the world's ecosystems, in their roles as predators as well as prey.

Philip Bowles, co-ordinator of IUCN's snake and lizard red list authority, said the findings sounded alarm bells on the state of reptiles.

"Tackling the identified threats, which include habitat loss and harvesting, are key conservation priorities in order to reverse the declines in these reptiles,"

World's reptiles at risk of extinction
Ella Davies 15 Feb 13;

Almost a fifth of the world's reptile species are at risk of extinction, according to scientists.

Research led by the Zoological Society of London found that the future of 19% of the world's reptiles are threatened.

Conservation experts also confirmed that 47% are vulnerable and highlighted the possible extinction of three species.

The figures are based on a random sample of 1,500 of the world's reptile species.

"It's essentially an election poll set up - using this sample to give an example of how reptiles are doing as a whole," explained Dr Monika Bohm, lead author of the study published in the journal Biological Conservation.

The study was made in conjunction with 200 experts from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission.

Reptiles are a group of vertebrates that includes turtles, tortoises, snakes, lizards, crocodiles and amphisbaenians - commonly known as worm lizards. Tuataras, lizard-like animals found only in New Zealand are also included.

There are an estimated 9,500 different reptile species in the world.

"Reptiles can really be important in natural food webs: they're really important as predators as well as prey," said Dr Bohm.

"The risk is - if you lose a really important food source you can change food webs quite dramatically."

Although some species, including the tuatara, have survived relatively unchanged for millions of years, Dr Bohm pointed out that reptiles can often be "indicators" of environmental problems.

"Reptiles are often associated with extreme habitats and tough environmental conditions, so it is easy to assume that they will be fine in our changing world," she said.

"However, many species are very highly specialised in terms of habitat use and the climatic conditions they require for day to day functioning. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes."
Under pressure

The study highlighted that levels of threat to the diverse group of animals are particularly high in tropical regions due to pressures from agriculture and logging.

One species previously listed as Critically Endangered is the jungle runner lizard Ameiva vittata, which had only ever been recorded in one part of Bolivia.

But, prompted by the destruction of its habitat, two recent searches for the animal were unsuccessful, causing conservationists to question its future existence.

In Haiti, six of the nine species of Anolis lizard studied also had an elevated level of localised extinction due to extensive deforestation.

Freshwater turtles were also flagged as a considerable concern. The study estimated 50% were at risk of extinction, and 30% of freshwater reptiles are in danger of disappearing as a whole.

Dr Bohm hopes the study's results will focus attention on their plight.

"With turtles, what's quite often the case is they are affected by harvesting and they're quite often used for food or the pet trade," she told BBC Nature.

The survey is one of many that aims to provide an indicator of biodiversity both now and over time, in an effort to make such research more collaborative.

"This gives us an indication of how reptiles are faring and we can compare this to other species groups."

"We can then find out if there's a similar picture across all of them or if there are some that are particularly threatened," Dr Bohm commented.

"It's more of a drive to really pool information rather than everybody doing their own thing... really working together, getting it out there and giving it more emphasis."

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Antibiotics search to focus on sea bed

BBC News 15 Feb 13;

Researchers are embarking on an £8m project to discover new antibiotics at the bottom of the ocean.

A team, led by scientists at Aberdeen University, is hunting for undiscovered chemicals among life that has evolved in deep sea trenches.

Prof Marcel Jaspars said the team hoped to find "the next generation" of infection-fighting drugs.

England's chief medical officer has warned of an "antibiotic apocalypse" with too few new drugs in the pipeline.

Few samples have ever been collected from ocean trenches - deep, narrow valleys in the sea floor which can plunge down to almost 6.8 miles (11km).

Yet researchers believe there is great potential for discovering antibiotics in these extreme conditions.

Life in these incredibly hostile environments is effectively cut off and has evolved differently in each trench.

The international team will use fishing vessels to drop sampling equipment on a reel of cables to the trench bed to collect sediment.

Scientists will then attempt to grow unique bacteria and fungi from the sediment that can be extracted and refined to discover new antibiotics.

Starting in the autumn with the Atacama Trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean - about 100 miles (161km) off the coast of Chile and Peru - the EU-funded research will also search deep trenches off New Zealand as well waters off Antarctica.

Arctic waters off Norway will also be explored.

'Pre-antibiotic era'

The inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics - and an over-reliance on the drugs - has led to a rapid increase in resistant bugs and medical experts fear effective antibiotics might soon run out completely.

In January, Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, compared the threat to global warming and said going for a routine operation could become deadly due to the risk of untreatable infection.

Project leader Marcel Jaspars, professor of chemistry at the University of Aberdeen, said: "If nothing's done to combat this problem, we're going to be back to a 'pre-antibiotic era' in around 10 or 20 years, where bugs and infections that are currently quite simple to treat could be fatal."

He said there had not been a "completely new" antibiotic registered since 2003 - "partially because of a lack of interest by drugs companies as antibiotics are not particularly profitable".

"The average person uses an antibiotic for only a few weeks and the drug itself only has around a five to 10-year lifespan, so the firms don't see much return on their investment."

He said he expected scientists to be working on samples in the laboratory within 18 months and added that, if new treatments were discovered, they could be available within a decade.

Project co-ordinator Dr Camila Esguerra, from the University of Leuven in Belgium, said: "We'll be testing many unique chemical compounds from these marine samples that have literally never seen the light of day.

"We're quite hopeful that we'll find a number of exciting new drug leads."

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Don't remove Punggol forested knoll

Straits Times Forum 15 Feb 13;

THE article ("Save our knoll, urges Punggol residents' group"; Feb 5) reported on a plea from Punggol residents to save a forested hill fringing their estate.

The elevation of the knoll straddling the Punggol Waterway provides visitors to the waterway with a good view of the waterway.

The proposed road through the knoll will harm the last natural feature left around the waterway.

The knoll has been left untouched and is the last vestige of the old forests and remaining hillock in Punggol. It should be preserved.

Visitors to the waterway have come to associate it with the forested knoll as its backdrop. It would be a nasty shock if this beautiful natural backdrop is removed.

The proposed road is not necessary as the future network of roads, MRT line and Punggol LRT west loop would be adequate for transport connectivity.

I hope the Urban Redevelopment Authority, HDB, Land Transport Authority and National Parks Board will preserve the knoll for natural heritage and retain its scenic view of the waterway, now a national iconic asset.

Tan See Ting

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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls for Styrofoam container ban

Michael Muskal Los Angeles Times 14 Feb 13;

The billionaire mayor who has fought smoking, large-sized sugary drinks and excessive fat and salt announced on Thursday that he will now target Styrofoam, seeking to ban the product used for take-out -- and leftover -- fare.

In his 12th and last State of the City address, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he will seek to have the City Council ban polystyrene foam, the ubiquitous, lightweight packaging colloquially known by the brand name Styrofoam. The product has long been criticized by environmentalists because it seems to last forever, easily outliving most anything organic.

“One product that is virtually impossible to recycle and never biodegrades is Styrofoam,” Bloomberg said in his annual speech. It is "something that we know is environmentally destructive, that is costing taxpayers money, and that is easily replaceable.

"I think it is something we can do without," Bloomberg said. "And don’t worry: The doggie bag and the coffee cup will survive just fine."
The city estimates about 20,000 tons of the foam product are dumped into New York’s waste stream every year, adding an estimated $20 a ton to the cost of recycling because it must be handled separately. Bloomberg’s proposal now goes to the City Council where a similar ban has been stalled in recent years even though some cities on the environmentally conscious West Coast have moved toward full or partial bans.

The ban is part of an environmental program that Bloomberg, a lame duck, put forward. He called for more parking spaces and more vehicle chargers -- both for electric cars. He also called for doubling the city’s recycling rate to 30% by 2017.

In his speech, given at the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, Bloomberg stressed that the city has never been stronger, repeating the formula that most chief executives use in giving their annual appraisal of their efforts. Among the milestones his aides have stressed in recent days is the record-low homicide rate of 419 (less than Chicago and about the same number as the much smaller Detroit); the record number of tourists; and the record number of private sector jobs.

Bloomberg, who is termed out this year, is known nationally for his efforts to curb gun violence, having funded and created a coalition of mayors, which has pushed for tougher gun control laws.

In terms of policy, Bloomberg will always be associated for his efforts in the public health field, earning him praise from activists and derision as a “nanny” mayor from opponents.

He pushed to limit the size of sugary drinks, sold principally by fast-food outlets, to 16 ounces. The limit is scheduled to go into effect next month, but is still being challenged by the beverage industry.

During his first term, Bloomberg successfully got a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, which has proven very popular even in a city where smoke-filled rooms were seen as a sine qua non. He also fought for a ban on trans fats, which makes French fries more than shoe-stringed shaped ballast. He also got a requirement for fast-food restaurants to post calorie information in large type, making public what was once tastefully hidden.

Much of Bloomberg's speech dealt with economic development issues, but the mayor also noted Superstorm Sandy, which tore through the city and much of the metropolitan area in a deadly swath of destruction.

“We’ll take the same approach to the single most important piece of unfinished business that lies ahead of us in 2013: rebuilding the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy -- and creating a more resilient and sustainable city," Bloomberg said.

“Forty-three New Yorkers lost their lives in that storm, and it’s up to us to do all we can to prevent that from happening again," he insisted.
“This year, we’ll develop a long-term plan so that when extreme weather hits -- we’ll be able to get the lights back on quickly and ensure that the heat keeps working, the gas stations stay open, the hospitals maintain power and the transportation system keeps operating."

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Indonesian Forestry Minister Commits to Dolphin Protection

Daniella White Jakarta Globe 14 Feb 13;

World-renowned dolphin activist Richard O’Barry has praised Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan for agreeing to help end the dolphin trade in Indonesia.

The minister met with O’Barry and the Jakarta Animal Aid Network on Tuesday following a discussion last week on dolphin protection.

Zulkifli on Wednesday traveled to Bali to investigate dolphins being kept inside Akame restaurant, which were captured by the travel show company Wersut Seguni Indonesia.

“I think he’s a hero. He never knew about the issue and as soon as he did he moved to action,” O’Barry said. “He’s going to get lots of positive international public attention for what he’s doing.”

O’Barry, who stars in the Academy Award-winning documentary “The Cove,” first came to Indonesia after hearing about what he believed to be the last traveling dolphin circus in the world. At Tuesday’s meeting, the minister said he was shocked to learn about traveling dolphin shows and that he wanted to work with the JAAN to protect dolphins.

In 2010, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the JAAN and the Forest Ministry to protect, save and rehabilitate captured dolphins in Indonesia.

However, since March 2011, following a change in the director of the ministry, the discussions stalled.

JAAN co-founder Femke den Haas alleged that local levels of the forestry agency prevented the minister being informed about the issue, as they were receiving kickbacks from the traveling dolphin shows. She added that JAAN had been trying to reach the minister for two years.

Zulkifli said that he had not received letters sent to him about the issue and was not aware that an MoU had been signed.

“It was hidden from him because people were looking for profit, not protection,” she said.

O’Barry said he was confident the minister did not know the true depth of the issue until last week’s discussion.

“I’m 73 and I’ve learned to be able to read people’s body language. When I gave him the MoU [at the discussion], I could tell he was reading it for the first time,” he said.

The JAAN hopes the captive dolphins at the Bali restaurant will be the first candidates to go to a dolphin rehabilitation center in Karimunjawa, Central Java. The center is currently empty, but is ready to admit dolphins. O’Barry said it was not common for dolphins to be rehabilitated.

“When they get captured, they rarely get another chance at life,” he said.

Questions Over Fate of Dolphins Slated for Rescue in Bali
Dessy Sagita & Made Arya Kencana Jakarta Globe 26 Feb 13;

The manager of a traveling dolphin show is ignoring accusations made by activists about the alleged theft of two dolphins in Bali who were supposed to be transferred to a rehabilitation center in Central Java.

“Whether or not we have transferred the dolphins is none of their business, if you want to know where the dolphins are please find out yourself,” Ade Kusmana, a representative of dolphin show company Wersut Seguni Indonesia, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.

Ade complained that the Indonesian media had been portraying him as a criminal while treating Richard O’Barry, a world-renowned dolphin activist, as a hero.

The kidnap allegation started when the Jakarta Animal Aid Network received an anonymous call over the weekend, reporting two dolphins kept inside the Akame restaurant in Denpasar, Bali, had been loaded onto a truck and transferred to Central Java, instead of being transferred to a rehabilitation center as the restaurant promised Minister of Forestry Zulkifli Hasan.

“Our source said the dolphins were loaded onto a truck, covered by a piece of tarpaulin and brought to Gilimanuk Port. We suspected they would be brought back to Central Java, where the dolphin travel show is located,” JAAN co-founder Femke den Haas told the Globe.

“This transport should not have been allowed. The dolphins are heading into a tropical depression with heavy rain and sustained winds up to 40 knots predicted for the next four to five days,” she said.

An Akame staff member who did not want to be named denied the accusation, saying that the dolphins were still in the restaurant.
However, when a Globe reporter visited the restaurant, the pool where the dolphins were kept was empty.

During his trip to Akame restaurant, Zulkifli said he was shocked to learn about traveling dolphin shows, and he declared that he wanted to work with the JAAN to protect dolphins.

“This is very typical, first the minister was very cooperative but now he goes silent, or maybe he still doesn’t know,” Den Haas said.
In 2010, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the JAAN and the Forestry Ministry to protect, save and rehabilitate captured dolphins in Indonesia.

Den Haas alleged that local forestry agency officials prevented the minister being informed of the issue as they were receiving kickbacks from the traveling dolphin shows.

She said the organization was mulling stronger action to protest the alleged theft.

“We could file a report because we signed an MoU, our status is higher than the company that uses the dolphins, I don’t understand why they are lying, saying the dolphins are still at the restaurant,” she said.

Previously, JAAN had said the dolphins will be the first candidates to go to a dolphin rehabilitation center in Karimunjawa National Park, Central Java.

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