SEcondary
research
Dealing with wildlife
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/mygreenspace/issue-15-vol-4-2012/conservation/hornbills-in-the-lion-city
National Parks Board, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and independent researchers Marc Cremades and Ng Soon Chye played a big part in the comeback of the Oriental Pied Hornbills. Their efforts and research put in to help preserve the hornbills has been successful and this knowledge that they know have is able to help other countries in increasing their number of birds in a urban setting in the fastest amount of time. The Oriental Pied Hornbill not only eats fruits and insects, it is actually an omnivore which means it also consumes small birds, rats, fish and crabs.
Hornbill in S'pore mercilessly devours pet bird on HDB unit window. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mothership.sg/2018/11/hornbills-singapore-diet-small-birds/
With the lack of knowledge and awareness of such Oriental Pied Hornbills, most people are unaware that they prey on small birds. Hence, residents that hang their pet birds in cage fall pray to these hornbills.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/mygreenspace/issue-08-vol-1-2011/conservation/monkey-musings-respecting-singapore-s-long-tailed-macaque
The long-tailed macaque is the most commonly seen monkey here in Singapore. They are commonly found in the forest areas or at our nature reserves. While most people think that pose a threat to them. The long-tailed macaque has a very human-like behaviour and they actually play a very important role. They help disperse seeds in our nature reserves.
Many perceive that they are dangerous and are dustbin raiders but their actions are often derived because of the way we interact with them in the first place. We still have to respect that they are part of the wildlife here in Singapore. Should we see them, it is importan that we observe from a distance, do not feed or provoke them. Always keep all food items and plastic bags. This way both parties, us and the monkeys are able to co-exist peacefully.
Singapore Primates. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://janegoodall.org.sg/singapore-primates/
With Singapore’s rapid urbanisation, we have become close neighbours to the Long-Tailed Macaque which results in a lot of interaction between us. With the lack of knowledge on the type of appropriate behaviour, this has in turn resulted in conflicts between the two.
The Monkey Guards programme is a team of trained personnel to identify groups of macaques that are living too closely to residential areas. They make use of tools to create a loud noise to discourage these macaques to enter such areas. This negative reinforcement then influences the more dominant macaques which leads to the rest avoiding such areas. The Monkey Guards programme does not eliminate them but instead create a safe barrier between people and macaques. This programme also served to educate residents as well as the security guards on how they should react should they encounter a macaque. Now the roles of Monkey Guards have been handed over to security guards to ensure the sustainability of this project.
The rare animals of Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/EesBlKmRbE4
Despite Singapore’s rapid urbanisation, Singapore is still a home to many wildlife that most people may not even know about. This video showed how Singapore’s efforts in her go green efforts to preserve the wildlife are working. Some species like the oriental pied hornbill and the smooth-coated otters were once extinct in Singapore has made its way back to this country to call home. Although, they are still critically endangered, it is a first step in contributing to Singapore’s growing wildlife. Most importantly, this video showed how such a common and frequently visited place like the Botanic Gardens is now a home to a variety of wildlife species that most visitors can observe or encounter.
WILDlife protection
Circuses: Three Rings of Abuse. (2017, May 23). Retrieved from https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-factsheets/circuses-three-rings-abuse/
Many do not know that animals in entertainment are tortured just so that they are able to perform and bring a smile to the audience. These animals often live far away from home as they are constantly travelling, kept in confined areas and often lack basic necessities. Most of the time they are training and are not allowed to have fun or even just live a normal life. Secondly, they are often physically tortured as part of their training. They are beaten, shocked or even whipped to do tricks that does not make any sense to them.
9 Big Reasons Why Elephant Rides Are Bad for Animals. (2018, November 27). Retrieved from https://www.peta.org/blog/9-jumbo-reasons-to-avoid-elephant-rides
Firstly, to be able to train such elephants to be suitable for people to ride, they are often captured when they are young. These young elephants are separated from their mothers. They start to train these calves immediately, beating them and tying them up, instilling fear in them from young. This leaves them with no choice but to start obeying their trainers to avoid pain. These elephants often suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. When held in captivity, they often only move in small areas while carrying humans on their backs. With the lack of enough exercise and long hours at work, these elephants suffer from foot, back injuries and arthritis.
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Should you buy animal souvenirs? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/campaign/buy-animal-souvenirs/
Souvenirs often act as a sort of remembrance for that particular trip that we have been on. However, to source for these animal souvenirs, the local animals are threatened and this may even threaten their survival rate. Reptile skins are often used for items such as bags, hats, wallets etc. Animal furs are used in clothes or even in trinkets as a ‘good luck charm’. Corals and sea shells are used as decorations, jewellery etc. Turtle and tortoise shells are used to make items such as hair clips, combs, necklaces etc. When we travel, we need to be more aware of the items we are buying and start being more cautious.
Why Plastic Is a Problem for Marine Life. (2018, July 30). Retrieved from https://www.seewinter.com/plastic-problem-inside-sea-turtles/
The plastics that we see in the ocean are derived from land. These trash can be blown by the wind and get swept into beaches. Littering is also another reason why there is always plastic in the ocean. Plastics take a very long time to break down but when they do, they are broken down into very small pieces called microplastics. Microplastics will then float around and consumed by marine animals. This leads to an accumulation of toxic in their bodies over the years, which may eventually lead to death.
Reduce Plastic Waste. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.herplanetearth.com/reduce-plastic-waste.html
The ocean provides us with many essential things, however, with the increasing amount of plastic waste generated, we are slowly but surely destroying the ocean. As most plastic cannot be recycled, they often get trapped in the ocean, harming marine life. Many may think that biodegradable plastic would be better but in short, it harms the ocean as bad as normal plastic. These biodegradable plastic would break down into smaller pieces but faster and these microplastics will either be carried by wind or the rain and end up in the ocean. Plastic in the ocean poses a lot of damage to the marine life. These animals may get trapped or even consume these plastics, eventually leading to death. Many of these fishes caught are then consumed by us humans, along with the plastic that they have eaten. There are many simple ways we can do our part to reduce the amount of plastic used.
How to conserve Singapore's wildlife in urban landscape. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/w3Vz8BQWmsk
Although Singapore has 90% of its original forest cover, this video proves how the number of encounters humans have with wildlife in recent years have been on the rise. This video talks about the different efforts that have been in placed to help humans better coexist with wildlife.