wildsingapore news

Best of our wild blogs: 25 May 12

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:54:00 +0000

Bringing a glimpse of Cyrene to the Festival of Biodiversity from wild shores of singapore Sneak preview of “Singapore Got Wildlife, Meh?”! from Festival of Biodiversity 2012 Join us at the “Conserving our Biodiversity Symposium”, Festival of Biodiversity (26-27 May 2012) from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore See, feel & experience biodiversity at Festival of Biodiversity from Toddycats! Celebrate World Ocean Day with us @ Pasir Ris Site 6 from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore Children’s Season 2012: Open House at the Raffles...

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Call of nature

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:40:00 +0000

A new festival aims to educate Singaporeans on the country's diverse flora and fauna Rachel Chan Straits Times 25 May 12; A bird and butterfly race is on tomorrow at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, in which students will use two new iPhone apps to help them identify and record the species sighted. The race will launch the Bird Guide and Butterfly Guide apps, created by the Nature Society (Singapore), and is also a highlight of the inaugural Festival of Biodiversity this weekend. The two-day event, which aims to educate the public about Singapore's diverse wildlife, is on at the...

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Indonesia: only 7-10 Javanese leopards in East Java National Park

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:24:00 +0000

Count Baluran Javanese leopards with fingers Antara 24 May 12; Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - There are only about 7-10 Javanese leopards (Panthera pardus melas) remaining in Baluran National Park in Situbondo, East Java, according to a photographer. "I took the photograph of a Javanese leopard on February 18, 2012, and it was the first ever picture taken after 22 years," Nurdin Razak, a wildlife photographer from Gresik, stated here on Thursday. He said the photo of the Javanese leopard would be featured in "Surabaya Wildlife Photo Exhibition" at the House of Sampoerna from May...

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Philippines: Whale, dolphin strandings increase

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:10:00 +0000

WWF-Philippines Malaya Business Insight 25 May 12; This summer, don’t panic if you see a dolphin or whale stranded on the beach. Call the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) and the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines or local authorities. “WWF-Philippines alone has a 25,000-strong following on Facebook and pools volunteer experts from a wide range of disciplines to accomplish conservation goals,” Pagaduan, WWF-Philippines Hamilo Coast Project Manager. “We’re just a Facebook message or a text away.” According to WWF-Philippines, cetacean strandings are increasing;...

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Thai government urged to protect Irrawaddy Dolphins in Songkla Lake

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Thai News Agency The Nation 25 May 12; A Songkhla-based Irrawaddy Dolphin conservation club and concerned officials have urged government agencies to come up with proper conservation measures for the critically endangered species in the Songkhla Lake, Thai News Agency reported Thursday. Uthai Yordchan, president of Ban Laem Hat Irrawaddy Dolphin Conservation Club, together with the Songkhla Farmers Council and its members submitted a letter to the agriculture and cooperatives minister and the natural resources and environment minister via Songklha Governor Grisada Boonrach. The club...

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 May 12

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Prepping for the Festival: Chek Jawa from wild shores of singapore Where is biodiversity in Singapore? from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore Meet the marine volunteers of Singapore! from wild shores of singapore The Hantu Blog Celebrates World Turtle Day! from Pulau Hantu Eventful morning in Sungei Buloh’s mangrove swamp from my gap year and World Migratory Bird Day 2012 and An evening with the macaques of Bukit Timah and Chek Jawa with Teamseagrass!

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PUB maps Marina's flood-prone areas

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:58:00 +0000

Specially fitted car gathers land height data for digital map Feng Zengkun Straits Times 24 May 12; A DIGITAL map of the Marina catchment area will be created by the end of the year to help identify places where flooding may occur. National water agency PUB announced the $450,000 project yesterday by unveiling the car equipped with laser-scanning technology that will do the job. Fitted with a rooftop machine that emits laser pulses to collect land height data, the car was put through its paces on a demonstration drive near Newton Circus. The project started last month and will...

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Designated trails safeguard biodiversity

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:50:00 +0000

Letter from Wong Tuan Wah Director, Conservation, National Parks Board Today Online 24 May 12; WE refer to the letter "Make it green for mountain bikers" (May 21) and thank Mr Lim for his feedback. The nature reserves are gazetted for the protection of Singapore's remaining native flora and fauna. We encourage the public to visit the nature reserves to enjoy its rich biodiversity. Walking trails are designated to guide our visitors so that they do not inadvertently destroy rare plants or disturb the fragile habitats of wildlife. In order to meet the needs of cyclists, we have...

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Special Interests Chip Away At Jakarta Tree-Cutting Ban

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:30:00 +0000

Eric Bellman Wall Street Journal 23 May 12; JAKARTA—After drawing international acclaim, Indonesia's moratorium on forest clearing has proved hard to implement, as special interests whittle down the area protected under the agreement, environmental groups say. A year ago this week, Indonesia kick-started plans to radically reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by pledging to stop issuing new forest-clearing permits for two years. But the plan to make millions of hectares of pristine jungle off-limits for development has been hurt by violations, challenges to the agreement and the...

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Imported Animals May Cause Extinction To Thai Wildlife

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:20:00 +0000

Bernama 23 May 12; BANGKOK, May 23 (Bernama) -- The import of foreign animals may affect food sources and habitats of native animals in Thailand, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported quoting an academician as saying. Panthep Ratanakorn, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science of Bangkok-based Mahidol University, said on Tuesday that native animals in Thailand have become endangered due to Thailand's continual imports of foreign animals over the past several years, namely Japanese tortoises and ornamental fish. Panthep called for strict control on the import and pointed out that imported...

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Peru Dolphin Death Mystery Deepens, Algae Eyed

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:10:00 +0000

Caroline Stauffer PlanetArk 24 May 12; The mystery surrounding the deaths of at least 877 dolphins in Peru deepened on Wednesday as the government said human activity was not to blame but failed to pinpoint a natural cause for the massive die-off. A final report from the Peruvian government's Ocean Institute, which manages one of the world's richest marine ecosystems, said the dolphins did not die from a lack of food, hunting by fishermen, poison from pesticides, heavy metal contamination, an infection or a virus. It also said there was no conclusive evidence that linked seismic...

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Los Angeles Largest U.S. City to Ban Plastic Bags

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Environment News Service 23 May 12; LOS ANGELES, California, May 23, 2012 (ENS) - Los Angeles City Council today voted to adopt a ban on plastic bags at retail checkouts, making the " City of Angels" the largest in the country to phase out the single-use bags. The City Council voted 13 to 1 to phase out plastic bags; Councilman Bernard Parks cast the single no vote. The ban will be phased in during the next 10 to 16 months at about 7,500 stores. First there will be a four-month environmental review of the ban, followed by passage of an ordinance requiring that retailers stop giving...

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Web of Marine Life Dissolving Under Human Onslaught

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:48:00 +0000

Environment News Service 22 May 12; NEW YORK, New York, May 22, 2012 (ENS) - Oceans cover about 72 percent of Earth's surface area and there are an estimated 250,000 marine species. "Yet, despite its importance, marine biodiversity has not fared well at human hands," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in his message to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity. More than half of global fisheries are exhausted and a further third depleted, warned the secretary-general. Between 30 and 35 percent of critical marine environments, such as seagrasses, mangroves and coral...

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U.N. Chief Disappointed Over Deadlocked Rio+20 Negotiations

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:44:00 +0000

Thalif Deen IPS 23 May 12; UNITED NATIONS, May 23, 2012 (IPS) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has invested heavily in the success of the upcoming U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), is publicly expressing his frustration at the lack of substantial progress on a final plan of action for a greener economy and a sustainable future worldwide. "I am disappointed with the negotiations. They are not moving fast enough," he complained last week. The secretary-general, who thinks the summit of world leaders in Brazil next month is a virtual panacea for most of the world's...

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Best of our wild blogs: 23 May 12

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:16:00 +0000

There are still seagrasses at Labrador from wild shores of singapore Take part in the Biodiversity Challenge! from Festival of Biodiversity 2012 A Sneak Peek: Caterpillars of Singapore's Butterflies from Butterflies of Singapore Seashore CSI at the Marine Exhibition, Festival of Biodiversity from wild shores of singapore Too much happening this week! from Nature rambles International Day of Biodiversity @ Katong Convent with Siva from Peiyan.Photography International Day of Biological Diversity – Marine biodiversity! from Festival of Biodiversity 2012 Chek Jawa:...

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Maintenance challenge at Punggol waterway

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Letter from Phang Long Yew Today Online 23 May 12; PUNGGOL, as Singapore's newest township, has seen tremendous yet sustainable development over the last 15 years. The new My Waterway @ Punggol recently won the American Academy of Environmental Engineers' Grand Prize for Excellence in Environmental Engineering in the environmental sustainability category. With more housing and infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities being built, though, the path along the waterway could possibly be damaged by parties such as contractors, developers, site staff and workers as well as heavy...

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New cruise centre ready for ships

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Marina Bay terminal off to a slow start because of lull season Jessica Lim Straits Times 23 May 12; SINGAPORE'S new cruise terminal has only eight visits by ships lined up between now and August, but the man at the helm remains unfazed. 'We are not worried at all, far from it,' said Mr Melvin Vu yesterday. The 34-year-old - who is chief executive of the firm that operates the new development - pointed out that it is lull season for the industry. He added: 'We expect many more ships to dock at the terminal come October, when peak season starts.' The $500 million Marina Bay Cruise...

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On biodiversity day, UN chief calls for greater protection of world’s oceans

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:44:00 +0000

UN Press Release 22 May 12; Marking the International Day for Biological Diversity, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the fragile state of the world’s oceans, urging greater protection for marine biodiversity. “Oceans cover almost three-quarters of the surface area of the globe. They are home to the largest animal known to have lived on the planet – the blue whale – as well as billions upon billions of the tiniest of microorganisms. From sandy shores to the darkest depths of the sea, oceans and coasts support a rich tapestry of life on which human communities rely,” Mr....

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Malaysian expedition to discover medical uses of sea life

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:40:00 +0000

Elvina Fernandez New Straits Times 23 May 12; CONSERVATION BID: Project will also study ecosystem and effects of climate change KUALA LUMPUR: A SCIENTIFIC Expedition on marine bio-diversity has been launched by the the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to discover components in marine life that may lead to the development of pharmaceutical products. Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah said the expedition was mainly aimed at collecting scientific data on marine resources, its chemical and physical environments. "The information gathered would also provide us information on...

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Malaysia: Racing to save wild tigers

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:38:00 +0000

The Star 23 May 12; A NEWLY released assessment of Malaysia’s efforts to save its wild tigers paints a picture of mounting pressure on the iconic animal and the need for drastic action now, to reverse its decline. The analysis, published in MYCAT Tracks: Malaysia’s progress towards 1,000 wild tigers is part of a comprehensive look at efforts, progress and problems in the implementation of the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP) in 2010 and 2011. The NTCAP is one of the most diligently monitored plans concerning wildlife in Malaysia involving close government-NGO...

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Malaysia: Orang asli concerned over death of elephant

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:34:00 +0000

The Star 23 May 12; KLUANG: The death of a female elephant in Labis has raised concerns among the orang asli villagers as to whether the animal was hunted down by poachers or killed for encroaching a plantation. The villagers said the elephant was an endangered species and its capture should have been properly handled by the authorities. The elephant was found dead with a stomach wound by a Kampung Punan resident on Monday. Village committee member Rafie Yukin said a teenager was on his way to Kampung Peta when he stumbled upon the elephant which was still alive. “He returned...

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Malaysia: Sungai Menyala park in Port Dickson to open to the public next month

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:32:00 +0000

Sarban Singh The Star 23 May 12; TOURISTS will have another reason to visit Port Dickson when the 1,300ha Sungai Menyala lowland forest park opens its doors to the public next month. The park, believed to be one-of-its-kind in this part of the country, is also an “eco-edutourism” centre — apart from promoting eco-tourism activities — it also doubles up as a research centre for those who wish to know more about tropical forests. Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the new attraction would be promoted as a “forest in the city” product and would be a boon for...

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Malaysia: Mt Singai's Valuable Ecological And Social Attributes

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:30:00 +0000

Bernama 22 May 12; KUCHING, May 22 (Bernama) -- Mount Singai is visible from Kuching and the hill was once the home to seven Bidayuh villages whose inhabitants were known as "Bisingai" or literally the people of Singai. Located about 30 kilometres south of Kuching, the base of the 333.3 metre (1,000-ft) high hill can be reached by tarred road through Batu Kawa here while its flat top can be accessed via the jungle trail once used by the villagers. One of the former Bisingai community leaders, Orang Kaya Pemanca Durin was even part of the Sarawak team that went to London in 1963 to...

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Environmental Portal Launches in Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:26:00 +0000

Dessy Sagita Jakarta Globe 22 May 12; The Indonesian version of the prominent environmental news portal Mongabay.com made its domestic debut during the weekend in Jakarta. Rhett Butler, the founder of Mongabay, said on Saturday that the decision to launch an Indonesian site, Mongabay.co.id, was because the country was experiencing a critical period of rapid deforestation that was among the highest rates in the world. “I believe that people wouldn’t destroy their environment if they only knew how much they were losing,” he said at the launch event at @america, the US cultural...

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Indonesia forest moratorium won't meet climate pledge - Norway

noreply@blogger.com (ria tan) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:25:00 +0000

Reuters AlertNet 22 May 12; JAKARTA, May 22 (Reuters) - Indonesia's progress in reforming its forestry sector will not be sufficient to meet its pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2020, Norway's environment minister said on Tuesday. Indonesia imposed a two-year moratorium on clearing forest last May under a $1 billion climate deal with Norway aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation, despite resistance from some government departments and from resource firms looking to expand in the archipelago. Norway has been impressed by what Indonesia has achieved in terms...

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