What S'pore is doing for S-E Asia's biodiversity

Republic's breeding programmes boosting numbers of species on the brink of extinction

- Zachary Lim

From Philippine pigeons with "bleeding hearts" to majestic Malayan tigers, Singapore has been helping the numbers of South-east Asian species on the brink of extinction recover through breeding programmes.

On April 3, The Straits Times reported that the Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) will be sending one of the three Malayan tigers at Rainforest Wild Asia to Taipei Zoo to be paired with a young female tiger there.

This comes after MWG on Jan 15 sent 10 Negros bleeding-heart pigeons which had been bred at Bird Paradise Singapore to their native lands. There were only 70 to 400 of them left in the central Philippine island provinces of Panay and Negros prior to that, according to BirdLife International.

Such breeding efforts are key in ensuring that species threatened with extinction do not disappear off the face of the earth.

But experts ST spoke to said ensuring the longevity of animal species in the wild requires much more than just breeding them in zoos.

Conservation efforts also include protecting and safeguarding the region's natural environments, as well as educating various communities, organisations and even the authorities on how best to care for these animals in their native habitats, said a spokeswoman for MWG.

Getting the public to appreciate and coexist with wildlife is also critical to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, she said, adding that Mandai's conservation programmes also include such efforts.

Associate Professor Darren Yeo, head of the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said conserving wildlife species in South-east Asia is vital in preserving the region's natural heritage.

The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is under the Faculty of Science at NUS.

In fact, many wildlife species, such as the southern river terrapin, Sumatran rhino and orang utan, are only found in South-east Asia.