Best of our wild blogs: 30 Apr 15

Pelagic Survey on the Singapore Strait – 26 April 2015
Singapore Bird Group

Eclosion of the Painted Jezebel
Bird Ecology Study Group

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Fewer shops sell tiger parts, but online trade troubles ACRES

MATTHIAS TAY Today Online 30 Apr 15;

SINGAPORE — Over-the-counter sales of tiger parts might have gone down, but online trade involving such items has become a concern, said the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), as it revealed findings from a recent undercover investigation of tiger parts trade here.

During the society’s undercover investigation, which took place between March and April this year, only four of the 153 jewellery and antique shops visited were found to be selling alleged tiger parts.

A similar ACRES investigation in 2010 found 59 out of 134 shops here offering alleged tiger parts for sale.

Tiger parts, such as teeth and claws, are sought after as they are thought to bring good luck to the bearer and serve as protection against evil.

At a media conference yesterday, ACRES chief executive Louis Ng said the findings indicated that there was greater awareness of the issue among shop owners now. “The people that were selling tiger parts five years ago were fined, they were prosecuted and the awareness that was generated through the enforcement, and the investigation (in 2010) have resulted in this significant decline now,” he said.

However, ACRES expressed concerns over the “brazen attitude” of the four shops alleged to have sold tiger parts, despite being aware of the situation. Three of the shops openly displayed tiger parts, while one produced the items upon request.

The findings were submitted to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), resulting in three of the errant shops being investigated and eight pieces of animal parts seized for forensic analysis to determine their authenticity, it said.

The AVA was unable to track down the fourth shop, a makeshift stall, despite visiting the site located in front of People’s Park Complex in Chinatown twice.

Meanwhile, ACRES hopes to eventually bring the number of shops selling tiger parts to zero through community engagement, such as school talks and road shows. It will also continue its undercover operations to identify and nab errant traders, especially online dealers.

Mr Ng said: “I think one of our biggest worries now is that, while we wipe out the trades in shops to a very small percentage, this trade has moved to the online sphere, which makes it slightly difficult to enforce.” A brief online survey conducted by ACRES on Tuesday found over 14 online advertisements promoting tiger parts on that day itself, which the society described as troubling.

In response to TODAY’s queries, an AVA spokesperson said the authority has been regularly monitoring traders’ premises, retail outlets islandwide and online sources for sale of illegal wildlife, as well as their parts and products.

Anyone found possessing, selling, offering, advertising or displaying for sale any endangered species without a permit could be fined up to S$50,000 per species and/or receive a two-year jail term.

The penalties also apply to netizens caught engaging in any of these acts, the spokesperson said.

Trade of tiger parts in Singapore on the decline
Channel NewsAsia 29 Apr 15;

SINGAPORE: There has been a "significant decline" in the trade of tiger parts in Singapore, the ACRES Animal Crime Investigation Unit announced in a press release on Wednesday (Apr 29).

The findings were made after a two-month undercover investigation conducted by ACRES between March and April. It revealed that only four out of 153 jewellery and antique shops investigated in Singapore (2.6 per cent) were offering alleged tiger teeth and claws for sale.

From the four stalls, a total of 13 pieces of alleged tiger parts were offered for sale, with prices ranging from S$70 to S$538.

According to ACRES, this is an improvement from a similar investigation in 2010 where 59 out of 134 (44 per cent) jewellery and antique shops in Singapore offered alleged tiger parts for sale.

ACRES' head of campaign Noelle Seet shed some light on the investigation process: "In order to elicit information without blowing our cover, we do engage them to a certain extent. We interact with them and we come in and say 'I am buying this for someone' or you know, 'I have lost this particular pendant and I am looking for something like that, do you happen to have it?' And when they are more comfortable with you, they will actually reveal a lot more."

Details of the investigation and all the evidence collected have been forwarded to the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), said ACRES.

During this year's investigation, more than half of the shopkeepers approached told investigators that the sale of tiger parts was prohibited by authorities, or required permits, said ACRES. Several shopkeepers said they stopped selling tiger parts after the authorities fined them and confiscated their products several years ago.

Chief executive of ACRES Louis Ng shared his worry that the trade has moved to online, making it "slightly difficult to enforce", but he promised the society would continue their sting operations to nab the lawbreakers.

"If you continue to sell them, we will catch you eventually," he warned.

However, Mr Ng added: "It is positive that there is a significant decline in the trade in tiger parts in shops in Singapore. We look forward to partnering AVA and are confident of completely wipe out this illicit trade here,” said Mr Louis Ng, Chief Executive of ACRES.

Mr Ng said the public can call ACRES at their hotline 9783 7782 to report the selling of tiger parts.

- CNA/eg/hs

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Join the great Singapore cleanup on Sunday

Feng Zengkun My Paper AsiaOne 29 Apr 15;

This Sunday, step outside and join thousands of people in sprucing up Singapore.

More than 8,000 people are expected to volunteer for the Public Hygiene Council's (PHC's) first national litter-picking event, called Operation We Clean Up!

The council organised a similar one-day event last year, but it was confined to the Bedok neighbourhood.

This year, it is setting its sights on rubbish across the island and inviting everyone to show his love for the country by cleaning up schools, parks, offices, void decks and other places.

Many organisations, town councils, schools, firms and individuals have responded to the call and organised cleanup groups at more than 130 locations.

Town councils will cease general area cleaning in nearly 70 precincts on Saturday to give the cleaners a rest, and show the volunteers on Sunday how much trash there is in a single day in common areas such as void decks.

PHC will give the cleanup groups items such as gloves, wet wipes, tongs and trash bags. It is also urging those who cannot join the groups to do their part by picking up at least three pieces of rubbish on Sunday.

PHC chairman Liak Teng Lit said a clean Singapore would improve life in other aspects.

"If you look at what has been happening in Singapore - the rat infestations; reports of choked, smelly drains; cockroaches and mosquito breeding - littering plays a key part in all this," he said.

The country's cleanliness has been on the decline despite an army of cleaners picking up after people.

Earlier this year, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong wrote that Singapore is likely to become a "garbage city" if not for the cleaners, after pictures surfaced online of the mess left behind by people who went to a concert at Gardens by the Bay.

Last year, the National Environment Agency issued about 19,000 summonses for littering, almost double the number in 2013.

There were also 688 instances of Corrective Work Orders being imposed by the courts last year, more than double the 261 cases in 2013.

Mr Liak and leaders of environment groups said they hoped the mass cleanup session would spur people to pick up after themselves and others as a matter of course, and deter them from littering.

Tan Ken Jin, who started the Singapore Glove Project in 2012 where people walk or jog and pick up litter along the path at the same time, said: "You don't have to go way out of your comfort zone to do something. When you're going to work or going home, if you see litter, just pick it up and throw it away."

Said Eugene Heng, founder and chairman of Waterways Watch Society, which conducts cleanup sessions: "Hopefully, down the road, there will be no need for us to go and pick up litter, because there will be no litter to be picked up."

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Exploring Pulau Ubin in Singapore

Raditya Margi The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network AsiaOne 29 Apr 15;

Ever wonder what Singapore looked like in the 1960s? You can find out by exploring Pulau Ubin, an island northeast of the mainland.

It is one of the country's last kampungs and arguably has the most authentic old-Singapore vibe compared to other kampungs.

Local visitors have been coming to the island for many years, but it is only recently that the government has started to seriously develop it as a tourist destination.

Ride a boat from Changi

Reaching the island requires you to take a 5-minute boat ride from the Changi ferry terminal, which costs S$2.50 per one-way trip. The boat will wait until it reaches full capacity (12 passengers) before departing.

Lodging is very limited once you've crossed over and day trip should be sufficient. We would recommend you to stay at the Village Hotel Changi, as its offers an interesting Ubin Adventure package.

Where to start

From the harbour of Pulau Ubin, visit the information centre close to the jetty before exploring the island to learn about the island's history and all the exotic animals that can be found there.

Turn left toward the west from the jetty to get to the tourist hub - also known as the town - where you can find bike rentals, provision shops and restaurants. The hub is mostly residential homes that have been turned into shops.

How to get around

There are three ways to explore Pulau Ubin: walking around, renting a bike, or taxi. Exploring the island on foot is best when you allocate the whole day - or three hours at least - to walk around.

When you bring along a tour guide, walking would be the most appropriate way to explore. We recommend first time visitors bring a tour guide with you as there is plenty to be learned from this island.

Renting a bike costs S$2.00 per hour. You can also opt to rent a bike for an entire day. Riding a bike can get you around faster and is perfect for returning visitors.

Experience authentic Singapore

Despite being located relatively close to the mainland of Singapore, visiting Pulau Ubin is like on a trip back in time. Most of the land is still a lush green forest and many of the houses are remnants of old architecture.

Until a couple of years ago, residents of the island still relied on diesel generators for electricity as setting up a power cable from the mainland was deemed too costly.

However, residents of Pulau Ubin are now enjoying cutting-edge technology as their energy is now supplied by solar-powered micro-grid and biodiesel, courtesy of Energy
Market Authority and a consortium of companies.

What the island used to be

Pulau Ubin literally translates as an island of granite because, decades ago, the island was the country's source for granite. The quarries have stopped operating now, leaving large lakes where they used to operate.

You can also examine the mangrove forest close to the centre of the island. There is an old stone-based waterway used by the fishermen back then to farm fish. They used to drain the mangrove lake and collect the fish.

What to see

From the jetty, head east to the sensory trail and mangrove forest. Go further out to the east to find the Chek Jawa wetlands, which is an interesting shallow sea shore filled with lively ecosystem.

The northern area is where the campsite is located for those looking to camp on the island. You can also walk through a kilometer-long boardwalk that ends at Chek Jawa.

To the west, you can bring your bike to test out the 8-km long course at Ketam mountain bike park. On your way there, don't miss out on Puaka Hill, which provides a nice overview of Ubin quarry's lake.

The wildlife ecosystem is also an interesting feature of the island. During certain times, rare migrating bird species can be found stopping by the island.

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Prestigious award to Malaysia for plans to protect one million hectares of ocean

WWF 29 Apr 15;

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Global conservation organisation WWF presented its prestigious Leaders for a Living Planet Award to the state government of Sabah in recognition of its effort to create the largest marine park in Malaysia. The award was presented today to Sabah’s Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

The proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) represents almost one million hectares of marine protected area off the north coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The park will encompass 50 islands and will protect one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems.

WWF has launched a major global effort to emphasize the value of coastal marine resources to hundreds of millions of people around the world and to strengthen marine conservation. As part of this initiative, WWF pledged full support to the state government of Sabah for the designation of the park and to help secure the funding required to ensure its effective management once created.

“The gazettement of Tun Mustapha Park is a globally significant action that will boost the conservation and biodiversity of this uniquely rich natural environment. It will also do much to ensure the sustainable management of the significant marine resources in the area, for the long-term benefit of the more than 80,000 people living on the coast and islands in the proposed park,” said Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International.

Fishing is a key economic driver of this northern coastal area of Sabah, with approximately 100 tonnes of fish – valued at US$200,000 – caught each day.

The planned park holds four species of sea turtles, 550 fish species, 252 hard coral species, and 243 invertebrate species with new species being discovered continuously. Migratory marine mammals such as dolphins and whales also feed in the area.

“Effective management of the Tun Mustapha Park will help ensure the viability of the area’s fisheries resources – and high quality ecotourism can provide hugely increased value, based on this natural treasure. The gazettement of this park should act as a model and an inspiration for marine conservation worldwide,” said Marco Lambertini.

Marco Lambertini also paid tribute to Dato’ Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin, Chairman of Sabah Parks, for the outstanding contribution his organisation has made in the long journey toward TMP’s gazettement.

WWF’s Leaders for a Living Planet Award acknowledges the long-standing commitment of the Sabah state government to create the proposed Tun Mustapha Park. The award recognises the role the government’s lead agency, Sabah Parks, has played in advancing this issue and encourages the state government to designate the park as planned by the end of 2015.

“The announcement of the Sabah Government’s intention to gazette the TMP to create Malaysia’s largest marine park has not only national significance, but regional and global importance too as a significant marine area in the Coral Triangle – an area gravely threatened by overfishing and pollution,” said Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director/CEO of WWF-Malaysia.

Dionysius Sharma paid tribute to the foresight of the Sabah Government led by the Chief Minister in declaring its intention to gazette the TMP.

WWF-Malaysia has been supporting the gazettement process and working with state government agencies and partners since 2003 through implementation of a number of strategies to support the establishment of the TMP, including community consultations, demonstrating benefits of marine protected areas, alternative livelihood programmes, and education and public awareness.

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Malaysia: Fishes died due to lack of oxygen

KELLY KOH New Straits Times 29 Apr 15;

The death of 8000 fishes discovered in Sungai Kampung Enam in Bachang here last Monday was believed to have been caused by oxygen depletion in the river.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said oxygen depletion occurred due to slow water exchange rate between the river water and the seawater.

“The gates at the barrage door control center is only half open during low tides.

A long term solution to increase oxygen level in the river would be to flush out river water completely into the sea during low tide, so that new seawater can be flushed in during high tide to ensure higher oxygen content,” he said.

Idris said another cause of low oxygen content in the river was the high amount of sludge in the river.

"Thorough maintenance must be carried out to reduce the amount of sludge in the river, and this requires a massive clean-up at the river-bed," he said during a press conference at Seri Negeri here, yesterday. For this reason, Idris said the Malacca River Cruises would be stopped for a day or two.

"As long as we provide notice to customers, explaining to them that the river is undergoing scheduled maintenance, it should not be a problem," he said.

Fishes that died were mostly tilapia hitam, jelanak and keli.

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Best of our wild blogs: 29 Apr 15

LKCNHM Now Open to the Public!
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

A Peek Into the Past – Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
My Itchy Fingers

Lorong Halus Wetlands (NParks CIN Garden Bird Count Survey)
Psychedelic Nature

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New York state to turn lights out for migrating birds

Hilary Russ PlanetArk 28 Apr 15;

On their arduous flights North to their breeding grounds, birds migrating up the U.S. East Coast will have one less peril to worry about - bright lights from state-owned and -managed buildings in New York.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday said that state buildings will turn off non-essential outdoor lighting from 11 p.m. until dawn during peak migration in the spring and fall.

The state is along the Atlantic Flyway, one of four major routes for birds coming North in the spring from their warmer winter hideouts.

To get here, many migrating species - including colorful warblers and other song birds - fly at night and navigate by the stars, using constellations to guide them.

But outdoor nighttime lights, especially in bad weather, can disorient the birds and cause them to crash into windows, walls, floodlights or the ground.

The phenomenon, called "fatal light attraction," has killed an estimated 500 million to one billion birds annually in the United States, the governor's office said, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Migrating birds even fly right through the towers and canyons of New York City. Earlier this month, a Chuck-will's-widow - a brown, nocturnal insect-eater with a lizard-like head so flat and large it can swallow small birds whole - spent several days just a few blocks from Times Square, perched atop a branch in New York City's Bryant Park on 42nd Street.

Now bright lights will be turned off by New York state during the spring rush north from April 15 until May 31 and again during the fall migration south to warmer climes from Aug. 15 until Nov. 15.

By joining with the National Audubon Society's Lights Out program, the state buildings follow other well known structures that have also agreed to limit lighting, including Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building and the Time Warner Center.

"This is a simple step to help protect these migrating birds that make their home in New York's forests, lakes and rivers," Cuomo said in a statement.

Lights Out efforts are already protecting birds in the east coast cities including Baltimore and Washington, and in other U.S. metropolitan areas including Chicago, Minneapolis and San Francisco, according to Audubon.

Bird lovers can learn more about the Lights Out program by visiting the state's new website www.iloveny.com/birding.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Sandra Maler)

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Climate indicators suggest El Nino is forming - Australian weather bureau

Colin Packham PlanetArk 29 Apr 15;

Climate indicators are nearing levels associated with an El Nino weather event, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Tuesday.

Pacific Ocean sea temperatures now exceed El Nino thresholds, the bureau said, while trade winds have weakened over the last few weeks - suggesting coupling between the ocean and atmosphere may be occurring.

Should this pattern continue, the bureau said, an El Nino will develop.

The weather bureau earlier this month put the chance of the weather event arriving at least 70 percent, potentially as early as June.

An El Nino can cause lower rainfall in Australia and Asia, and more rains in South America.

Such conditions would be unfavorable for production of wheat in Australia and sugar production globally providing some support to prices, which have slumped in recent weeks.

Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures hit a six-month low on Monday, while ICE May raw sugar were trading near a six-year low in March.

The group head of sugar at Wilmar International Ltd last week told Reuters that there was a risk sugar prices could rise if an El Nino emerged.

(Editing by Richard Pullin and Ed Davies)

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UN, Vatican team up for climate change agenda

NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press Yahoo News 28 Apr 15;

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The United Nations and Vatican joined forces Tuesday to warn about the dire effects of climate change, gathering religious leaders, Nobel laureates and heads of state to present a united front ahead of make-or-break environment talks later this year in Paris.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Pope Francis for framing the need to combat global warming as an urgent moral imperative, saying his upcoming encyclical provided an "unprecedented opportunity" to create a more sustainable future for the planet.

Ban opened a Vatican conference on the environment that is a key part of the Holy See's rollout of Francis' eagerly awaited encyclical, which is expected in June. While popes past have all taken strong stands in favor of environmental protection, Francis will be the first to address climate change in a pontiff's most authoritative teaching document.

The conference gathered Francis' key environmental advisers, the presidents of Italy and Ecuador, religious leaders from different faiths, Nobel laureates and respected climate change scientists. They were unanimous in agreeing that climate change is real, it's mostly human-induced, the poorest suffer the most from it and collective action is needed to stop it.

In a joint declaration, the participants said they "appreciate that (nature) is a precious gift entrusted to our common care, making it our moral duty to respect rather than ravage the garden that is our home." It said the Paris climate talks "may be the last effective opportunity" to negotiate agreements to keep global warming under the 2 C (3.6 F) limit set by world governments in 2009.

Francis' encyclical has generated more excitement and anxiety than any papal document in recent times: Environmentalists are thrilled that Francis will be lending his voice to the conservation cause, while climate skeptics have argued that a pope has no business getting involved in the debate.

View galleryPope Francis shakes hands with U.N. Secretary-General …
Pope Francis shakes hands with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during their meeting at the Vatica …
But Ban said that while neither he nor the pope is a scientist, "what is important is ... to mobilize the will of the people and to lead the people."

Monsignor Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, one of Francis' key advisers, stressed that the document won't delve into the science of global warming, but rather focus on pastoral issues created by it.

"The Bible tells us that Adam was commanded to serve and preserve the Earth, but we're clearly not doing that," said Dr. Peter Raven, a leading authority on evolution and a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which hosted the event.

Chemist Paul Crutzen of the Netherlands, who shared the 1995 Nobel Prize for chemistry for work on the ozone layer, showed a series of slides detailing concentrations of pollution in the atmosphere from man-made activities.

"This is something I would like to present to the skeptics who say that human impact" has had no role in the warming of the earth, he said.

The skeptical Chicago-based Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank, sent a team to Rome urging the pope not to lend his moral authority to the U.N.'s climate agenda and warning that he would just be confusing Catholics by writing an encyclical about it.

AP writer Karl Ritter contributed from Rome.

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Best of our wild blogs: 28 Apr 15

Checking out the plankton bloom at Pasir Ris
wild shores of singapore

Learning Journey to Raffles Lighthouse (Singapore Maritime Week 2015)
Psychedelic Nature

Snakes in the grass
Bird Ecology Study Group

A Murmuration of Starlings in Singapore?
Singapore Bird Group

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Piecing together a prehistoric puzzle

Audrey Tan The Straits Times AsiaOne 28 Apr 15;

Perched on its hind legs at the centre of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Twinky the dinosaur has been immortalised with its front limbs in the air and its head lifted high, as though midway through a hearty meal of leaves and buds.

At 12m in length, it is the smallest of the trio of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs at the new museum in Kent Ridge, which the public can visit from tomorrow.
Next to Twinky is graceful Apollonia, its 24m-long frame reaching up to overlook the museum's mezzanine.

Then there is Prince, all 27m of "alpha" male, stretched in a seemingly lazy manner across the centre of the 2,000 sq m exhibition space.

Their easy poses belie the efforts of a team of almost 30 museum staff, professional art movers and dinosaur experts to set up the exhibit - the star attraction of Singapore's first and only natural history museum.

Research associate Martyn Low, 33, said it took the team two weeks of 12-hour days last August to assemble the fossils of the three giants, which arrived in Singapore in 53 crates between 2012 and 2013.

There were more than 1,000 elements to the three 150-million- year-old skeletons, with some bones weighing more than 200kg. The heaviest was the sacrum (the pelvis and the bones fused to it).

It was the first piece to be mounted on each of the three frames, with the help of a chain block and two "spidermen" - professional art movers trained to walk on the frame, said project manager Tan Swee Hee, 43.

Due to its weight, getting the sacrum positioned was a challenging task. "But once the sacrum was in place, the vertebrae and tail grew from both ends very quickly," Mr Low said.

The work was as challenging administratively, as it was physically. "Every single bone needed to be kept track of, as each one is an asset," said Mr Low.

The dinosaurs were acquired for about $8 million in 2011 from Dinosauria International, a Wyoming-based fossil company that found the remains between 2007 and 2010 in Ten Sleep, a town in the American state.

The bones were wrapped in paper towels, then encased in a protective plaster and burlap cast called a jacket so they could be transported without being damaged. Each jacket was marked for identification and moved to the lab where it was removed using a cast cutter.

Workers then painstakingly chipped rock away from the bones using an air scribe. A consolidant, or a strengthening liquid, was then used to preserve and harden the fossils.

When the bones arrived in Singapore, they were kept in a temperature-controlled warehouse in Tagore Lane until their new home was ready for them last year.

Before the bones could be mounted, experts like "dinosaur builder" Brock Sisson had to design the "poses" that would bring them back to life.

"We worked with the museum on making (the dinosaurs) interact, and came up with a design for the family group," said the American.

The dinosaur trio were found together, and could well have been a family.

At the museum, Prince looks as if it is welcoming visitors, while Apollonia watches over Twinky at play.

Said Mr Sisson: "The main hall where the dinosaurs are is a great space - it's going to showcase the exhibit very nicely.

"I've been to other museums where the dinosaurs are just in a big room, but they fit very nicely here and fill the space - it's going to be a neat exhibit."

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum: 7 things to watch out for beyond the dinos
AUDREY TAN Straits Times 28 Apr 15;

SINGAPORE - Walk through the doors of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Kent Ridge from April 28, and you will see through a frosted panel the museum’s three main stars: Prince, Apollonia and Twinky.

They were among the largest creatures to roam the earth some 150 million years ago, and up until today, the trio of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs are still the tallest inhabitants of their new world: Singapore’s latest museum, and the only one dedicated to showcasing Southeast Asian biodiversity.

Apollonia, the second largest at 24m long, stands proud and tall in the centre of the 2,000 sq m exhibition space of the museum.

She is flanked by Prince, the ‘alpha’ at 27m long and Twinky, the smallest at 12m long.

But even though the dino trio has grabbed the attention of many people, from imaginative children to reptile enthusiasts to fans of the prehistoric era, there are other treasures within the hallowed halls of the Republic’s first and only natural history museum worth visiting. Spread across two floors are 20 zones of biodiversity and heritage, in which 2,000 artefacts are displayed.

Here are some of the must-sees in the museum.

BIODIVERSITY GALLERY

The Biodiversity Gallery dominates the first floor, and comprises 15 zones, two of which are exhibits on the marine and rainforest habitats.

Plants Zone

One of the first few exhibits to greet visitors strolling through the turnstiles is an exhibit called the 10 common trees in Singapore.
Some trees may be familiar, like the Saga, with its small, bright red seeds. These scarlet seeds are also known locally as the Red Love seeds, as they represent earnest love and affection. But guests may learn lesser known facts about the tree at this exhibit, such as how the seeds are toxic if eaten raw. Other Singapore trees include some with colourful names, like the Trumpet Tree - which bursts into pink or white blooms after a dry spell - or the coastal Sea Apple Tree.

Dinosaurs Zone

This zone may be named after the dinosaurs, but visitors will also get a glimpse of another extinct creature: the dodo bird. Aside from genuine Dodo bones, which are on loan from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, visitors browsing the Demise of the Dodo may also be interested in checking out a model of the flightless pigeon, which went extinct due to hunting by humans, interference from domesticated animals, and competition from invasive species.

Anthropods Zone

Singaporeans may best know crabs for being delicious when cooked in gravies of chilli, black pepper or salted egg yolk, but few may know that the animal actually belongs to a larger class of animals known as the anthropods.

Referring to organisms with an exoskeleton, a segmented body and many pairs of legs, anthropods also include insects and extinct marine creatures called trilobites.
This zone is nestled near the back of the museum, and in it you will find an eye-catching exhibit known as the Tank of Superlatives. Curious to find out which are the world’s largest (Japanese Spider Crab) and smallest crabs (Coral Spider Crab)? Or did you know that the beautiful red-white Mosaic Reef Crab is the most poisonous crab known? Visit this exhibit and find out.

Marine Cycles Zone

One of two habitat zones in the museum - the other being tropical rainforests - this section will immerse guests in waves of marine facts. Guests can view interesting specimens like sea stars and a specimen of the Neptune’s Cup Sponge, which was previously thought to have been extinct in Singapore since 1908 until they were spotted recently in 2014 and 2011. Visitors to this section will also get to see a map depicting the location of the Coral Triangle, an area widely considered the world’s richest underwater wilderness, which sits just south of Singapore.

Mammals

This is the largest zone in the Biodiversity Gallery. One exhibit that should not be missed is a cordoned section depicting marine mammals - including a 2.7m long tusk from the narwhal, also known as the “unicorn of the ocean”. Skeletons of a short-finned pilot whale and a dugong are also on display.
Venture further into the L-shaped zone to view a side-by-side comparison of a human and an ape skeleton. These animals are known to be a close relative of the human, but how similar are we really?

HERITAGE GALLERY

The mezzanine floor, just a short flight of steps away, is dedicated to the Heritage Gallery. This showcases Singapore's history of biodiversity exploration, pioneers of the nature scene here, and a section called Singapore Today presents a summary of the geology of the island, and the conservation work being undertaken in the Republic.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Mounted on a wall in the Heritage Gallery, this 1.75m long specimen was caught at Siglap Beach on Singapore’s eastern coast in 1883. The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle species in the world, and this specimen is the only recorded sighting of the animal in the Republic.

The Singapore Tiger

An exhibit of a tiger skin on display at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum on April 18, 2015. -- PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

This skilled hunter thrived in Singapore during the 19th century, preying even on humans and reportedly killing more than 300 people every year. But the tables were turned decades later, when the last local tiger was shot in Choa Chu Kang during the early 1930s.

Singapore Today

The Republic may currently be known more as a concrete jungle than a country with sprawling nature areas, but biodiversity is still thriving in our green and blue spaces. Find out more about how marine and terrestrial conservation is being managed in Singapore in this section.


Hunt for dino bones in museum with an app
It gives facts on parts of dinosaurs, allows visitors to take selfie with one
AUDREY TAN Straits Times 28 Apr 15;

THE lair of three rare dinosaurs opens to the public today, after more than five years in the making.

Guests to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Kent Ridge will not only get to see the genuine fossils of the three diplodocid sauropod dinosaur stars - Prince, Apollonia and Twinky - but also get the chance to "hunt" for bones.

But instead of a hammer and chisel, aspiring palaeontologists (fossil scientists) need only a mobile application called App-ollonia, a play on Apollonia's name.

Developed by Singapore software firm mgg software, App-ollonia is free for download on iOS and Android devices.

Using the app, museum visitors must first "collect" four of Apollonia's bones - its skull, fibula (lower leg bone), cervical vertebra (neck bone) and coracoid (a bone near the shoulder blade).

This is achieved by using the app's camera function to scan the QR codes placed around the biodiversity gallery on the first floor of the museum. The QR codes show where the bones are hidden.

The app also provides interesting facts about a particular bone when a QR code is detected. For instance, those who "collect" the fibula will learn that it is the part of the skeleton from which palaeontologists take samples to determine a dinosaur's age.

"This app helps make the experience fun and interactive, and gives visitors more information about the different parts of the dinosaur," said mgg software managing director Steven Tan, 49.

After all the bones are collected, visitors can scan a QR code in the museum's brochure to watch Apollonia come to life. They can also take a selfie with a preloaded image of Apollonia.

"The dino app is a good souvenir that visitors can take home, and it's free," said museum research associate Martyn Low, 33. "I remember just flipping through dinosaur books when I was young. This is fantastic - the dinosaur actually moves in front of you."

The three dinosaurs, which were discovered in Wyoming in the United States, are a few of the largest creatures to roam the earth 150 million years ago. Apollonia, the second largest of the trio at 24m long, was chosen as the app's model because its skeleton has more bones than 12m- long Twinky, which was the first to arrive in Singapore. Apollonia arrived before 27m-long Prince.

The $200,000 app was created for the museum pro-bono. Said Mr Tan: "I was very touched and impressed by the museum's work to preserve natural history. So I decided that... we will also do our part to donate to our country."

The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is also launching its own website to give more details about the exhibits.

The website is still in the beta version, but is accessible at http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/webME.

NUS Environmental Studies undergraduate Song Lin, 22, said: "The dino app seems like a good way to interact with lifeless artefacts."

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