Wildlife in our midst
Have you paid attention your surroundings recently? You may have realised that more critters are starting to make our urban city their home. For example, smooth-coated otters were spotted while fishing and playing in Gardens by the Bay. Some of us students have seen dog-faced fruit bats (or the traces that they leave behind… such as excrement all over our lockers) around our school campus even.
According to experts, the increase in wildlife sightings is the result of successful greening initiatives in Singapore, such as park connectors and green belts. Eco-bridges, such as the Eco-link@BKE, allow wildlife to move from one area to another with ease, without risking the traffic. As such, the effective size of habitats is increased.
Evidently, Singapore has achieved commendable results for trying to balance the need for urban development, with the need to reduce fragmentation of green spaces. However, there is still much to be done. Human-animal conflicts have risen over the past few years. Macaque monkeys and birds in particular are a regular complaint by residents.
Poaching is yet another issue we face, where vulnerable yet financially valuable animals are removed illegally from the wild and sold off at a high price. For example, pangolins curl up into a tight ball when they feel threatened. This defence mechanism serves more harm than good, because the pangolin can be easily picked up by poachers.
Evidently, Singapore has achieved commendable results for trying to balance the need for urban development, with the need to reduce fragmentation of green spaces. However, there is still much to be done. Human-animal conflicts have risen over the past few years. Macaque monkeys and birds in particular are a regular complaint by residents.
Poaching is yet another issue we face, where vulnerable yet financially valuable animals are removed illegally from the wild and sold off at a high price. For example, pangolins curl up into a tight ball when they feel threatened. This defence mechanism serves more harm than good, because the pangolin can be easily picked up by poachers.
While we ponder upon the solutions to solve these problems and improve current measures, we should all reflect on the fact that despite limited land area in Singapore, how can we help to make ample room, physically and in mindset, to allow wildlife to co-exist peacefully with us?
Source: The Strait Times, Awash With Wildlife