Green lifeline for wildlife as forest makes way for Chencharu housing

Pockets of greenery to be created to blunt environmental impact of Yishun project

- Ang Qing Correspondent

A pit stop for the straw-headed bulbul - a songbird on the brink of global extinction — is slated to be cleared for the upcoming Chen-charu housing estate starting in late 2026.

A report published by the Housing Board on Dec 11 found that the development will noticeably impair the ability of the native bird, as well as the critically endangered Sunda pangolin and 14 other species of fauna to use the green patch as a stepping stone to get around.

These species that typically rely on the forests for food and shelter are highly dependent on connected habitats to spread and survive.

To blunt the environmental impact of the development, HDB said on its website that it will create pockets of green to act as a stepping stone for birds and butterflies after consulting biodiversity experts and nature groups.

This involves designing a linear green strip along Yishun Avenue 1, and planting native flora that mimics a natural forest at the southeastern corner of the project site.

Singapore is a global stronghold for the straw-headed bulbul, har-bouring about a third of the world’s wild population.

The species is heavily threatened elsewhere by poaching and habitat loss.