nature lovers

I am a self-professed nature lover. I've grown up amongst animals (somewhat like tarzan), i've always had green-fingers, I used to breed rodents and birds and I practically grew up on animal documentaries. It is a pity I didn't end up as a vet but at least, I can try to be a conservationist or an activist of sorts.

Singaporeans are generally apathetic towards wildlife partly because they are generally fixated with making money and getting on with their lives Many are unaware and cannot care less, of the threat mankind poses to the rich diversity of animal and plant life which can still be found on our tiny island.

Whenever I see or hear of sightings of rare animals and birds in Singapore, or hear news and see photos of coral reefs thriving well in our waters, I get terribly excited. I suppose this has much to do with the fact that quite a lot of our wildlife has disappeared, thanks to the rapid urbanisation and development over the last 40 years. To now hear that they still exist brings much joy and reassurance as it goes to show that despite urbanisation and loss of habitat, a balance can be found and wildlife can still find a way to sustain itself, albeit in smaller numbers. But this balance is a delicate one, and Singaporeans should be mindful of this and learn how to preserve the status quo. That is why conservation and education is key.

I got excited (and sad) when news broke about a Malaysian driver running over (and in so doing, killing) a rare wild Sambar deer along the Seletar expressway. I didn't know deers were still roaming in the wild in Singapore. Apparently, Sambar deer have been sighted in various locations in Singapore such as Upper Seletar Reservoir and even around Bukit Brown Cemetery. Apart from the elusive mouse deer, the barking deer is another species of deer which is thought to be in existence. The Greater Mousedeer was sighted last year in Pulau Ubin while the Lesser Mouse Deer has been sighted in our catchment areas. Some other rare animals which still inhabit our shores include the Pangolin, the Slow Loris and the Civet Cat.

Singapore is also known to be a birdwatchers paradise as it's location along the equator makes it an ideal spot for migratory birds to stop over. So far, the most spectacular birds I have seen are the Greater Hornbill and the Rhinocerous Hornbill somewhere along Linden Park. They are also probably the largest birds I have seen wild in Singapore. According to the bird blog, this is a pair of same-sexed "escapees" who have been living together in the wild. The other species of hornbill which has successfully bred in the wild is the Oriental Pied Hornbill.

Singapore is infamous for land reclamation. The fallout of all this is the devastation of our coral reefs. Before Singapore became the developed nation that she is today, she used to have pristine waters and coral reefs all around. All that changed as she developed into a busy port and her hunger for land fueled the the government's desire to reclaim more land. For as long as I remember, the waters around Singapore were murky, loaded with sediment and devoid of any interesting marine life. However, thanks to conservation efforts over the last few years, coral reefs have slowly re-emerged around the islands, some of which can even be found in narrow strips of shallow water between the busy shipping lanes leading into our ports. The diversity of marine life today is richer than ever, with all sorts of coral, invertebrate and fish making the reefs their home. Although the threat posed by land reclamation has lessened somewhat, the threat from vessels running aground or the risk of pollution arising from vessel casualties is omnipresent.

Here is a collection of nature sites found in Singapore about nature in Singapore:-

Marine Life
Cyrene Reef Exposed
Team Seagrass
Guide to Marine Fishes in Singapore

General
Ria's Conservation Info
Wildlife Singapore
Nature Society of Singapore
Wild Singapore


Birds
Bird Ecology Study Group
NSS Bird Group

Butterflies
Butterflies of Singapore
Butterfly Gallery Checklist
Singapore Butterfly Interest Group
Learn about Butterflies
Singapore Butterfly Checklist

Plants
Journey to Paradise


Facebook Pages
Bleach Watch Singapore

Personal Nature Blogs
Singapore Fauna
Beauty of Flora and Fauna in Nature
Chay Hoon's Colourful Clouds
Nature's Wonders
The Hantu Bloggers
A Spark of New Hope
The Lazy Lizard Tales
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Justin Dive Adventures
Creatures in the Wild
Biodiversity Singapore (Brandon's blog)
Singapore Nature
The Annotated Budak (Marcus's Blog)
Psychedelic Nature (Mei Lin's Blog)
Half a Bunny and the Salmon of Doubt
Sgbeachbum
Nature Calls