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Habitatnews 2002-04: Wednesday, 5th March 2002
The Habitat Group's Nature Information List
To subscribe, email: habitatnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Current nature-related news busy Singaporeans might otherwise miss
More information and archives at: <http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg>
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Contents

1. Lizardman Rashid on CNA TONIGHT, 7.30pm
2. Otter group of 6 sighted at Sungei Buloh Nature Park
3. Closure of Nature's Niche at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
4. Correct URL for Feedback on Remaking Singapore
5. Strange story - African lioness adopts another Oryx, seeks a third!
6. Download the ACRES bear bile project report
7. New book on common Malaysian peat swamp forest trees

This issue was prepared on a Macintosh iBook at airports in Delhi, Kuala
Lumpur and Changi, and on the MRT from Changi Airport to Buona Vista!


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---> [1] Lizardman Rashid on CNA tonight, 7.30pm
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SMA Rashid of NIE/NTU's Natural Sciences department will featured on
Channel News Asia tonight, at 7.30pm, with his monitor lizards. Rashid
conducted research on monitor lizards at Sungei Buloh Nature Park for a
couple of years for his PhD. He is currently writing up. I think thee
feature is on lizards.


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---> [2] Otter group of 6 sighted at Buloh, 22nd February 2002
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"I saw otters at Buloh yesterday [22nd February] ... 6 of them but hard to
make out juv/adults etc. In any case, I think it's the first sighting of the
year so it might be useful for you and the conference??"

"Tse-Lynn and two others with us saw it too. There was also an entry for
these otters on the same day by someone else visiting the park but they only
saw 4..

The group were chasing a school of mullets (I think) and these fishes kept
jumping out of the water...TL's and my first ever sighting of otters at
Buloh...how cool right?"

---> Source: Zeehan Jaafar, 23rd & 24th February 2002.


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---> [3] Nature's Niche at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has closed
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Nature's Niche has ceased operation of the shop at Bukit Timah Nature
Reserve. This store, opened by nature lover Ng Bee Choo, was the first to
focus on Southeast Asian natural history. I stopped lugging books from all
over the region but just went to Bukit Timah, often coming back with a heavy
load of books after a walk a thee hill!

The shop also popularised many titles which were previously very rare in
Singapore, such as the Mammals of Thailand. Bee Choo and Nature Niche Pte
Ltd continues to operate the Botanic Garden Shop. See
<http://www.naturesniche.com>

---> Announcement of closure: Ng Bee Choo, 7th February 2002.


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---> [4] Feedback submissions to Remaking Singapore - Correct URL
<http://app10.internet.gov.sg/scripts/mcds/remakingsingapore/index.asp>
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The webpage provided in the newspapers did not work, so a simple hunt
revealed the correct address at:
<http://app10.internet.gov.sg/scripts/mcds/remakingsingapore/index.asp>

We have all been asked to submit our thoughts and opinions, so take a stab
at it. Nature-related issues can be presented for consideration.

---> Thanks to Ria Tan, 15th February 2002


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---> [5] African Lioness adopts another Oryx, seeks a third
by Jennifer Wanjiru, Environment News Service
<http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2002/2002L-02-21-02.html>
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SAMBURU GAME RESERVE, Kenya, February 21, 2002 (ENS) - The lioness that
attracted international attention in January after it adopted an oryx calf
in Kenya's Samburu Game Reserve is back in the news. This week the lioness
adopted another baby oryx.

---> Thanks to Sasi Nayar, 22 February 2002


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---> [6] Download the ACRES bear bile project report
<http://www.acres.org.sg/reports.htm>
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'The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) is a new
non-profit society aimed at fostering respect and compassion for all
animals.

Last year, there were featured in the news when they published the results
of a 3-month long investigation conducted in collaboration with the World
Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). The investigation found that
73.5% of the 68 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shops visited sold
alleged bear products. Most of the products were reported to be from China.'

'Bears undergo inhumane conditions in farms to produce bile medicines.'
"There are many herbal substitutes to bear bile medicines in Traditional
Chinese Medicine and we encourage people to ask shopkeepers and TCM
practitioners for these," said Vadivu Govind, Program Manager of ACRES.

In January and February, the society conducted several exhibitions. Look at
the webpage under 'campaigns' for the bear bile project. The full consumer
report can be downloaded from the site in pdf format.

They intend to provide a list of medicine halls who respond to this sort of
feedback, and adopt alternative, humane, sources.

Source: Jagdish Ramakrishnan, Vadivu Govind & Louis Ng, Dec 2001 - Feb 2002.


See also: Singapore study sparks concern over bear farming
<http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=13633>

---> Thanks to Sasi Nayar, 11th December 2001.

Bear product trade 'rife' here, Strait Times, 11th December 2001.
<http://www.ecologyasia.com/NewsArchives/Dec_2001/straitstimes.asia1.com.sg_
singapore_story_0,1870,89386,00.html>


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---> [7] New: Common Trees in Peat Swamp Forest of Peninsular Malaysia
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Research Pamphlet No. 124 from the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
by T.P. Ng and S. Ibrahim, 2001. 98 pages, 18 x 23 cm, Œillustrated with
colour photographs on almost every page.¹

³The bulk of the book is a photographic guide to tree species but there are
additional chapters covering distribution, characteristics, management and
conservation of peat swamp forest.² Price at the Botanic Garden Shop is
S$46.90

---> Source: Morten Strange, 3rd February 2002.
<http://www.naturesniche.com>
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