HONG KONG - A RARE Chinese sturgeon given as a gift for the Olympics has died in Hong Kong's Ocean Park after being bitten by barracudas housed in the same aquarium.
The fish, of a species dating back to the dinosaur age 140million years ago, died on Monday just three days after being unveiled for public viewing.
'The marks around the wound are consistent with those produced by barracudas,' the park said.
Chinese sturgeon, which can reach up to 5m in length and weigh up to 500kg, are an endangered species and are classified as protected in China.
There are fewer than 1,000 Chinese sturgeon in existence, making them rarer than pandas, reported The South China Morning Post.
Chinese sturgeon coexist in the wild with barracudas, according to park officials.
Four remaining sturgeon have been removed from the aquarium as a precautionary measure. They will be exhibited again early next month.
The dead Chinese sturgeon was the smallest of five given by China's National Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Association last month as a gift.
They symbolised the five Olympic rings, marking the Beijing Olympic Games in August.
The association said it would send a replacement. -AP
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Hit and run an animal is an offence!
If your hit-and-run victim is an animal: you get fined or jailed
IF you hit someone on the road and flee from the scene of the accident, you will get into trouble with the law.
But what if you knock down an animal?
Well, don't think you can just drive off.
Be it a person or an animal, the same law applies.
Under the Road Traffic Act, if you are involved in an accident where a person or an animal is injured, you have to stop your vehicle and help the victims.
If not, you can face a fine up to $3,000 or be jailed up to a year.
For a subsequent conviction, you can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to two years.
Lawyer Luke Lee told The New Paper: 'Animals are protected under the same law as humans.'
And those who injure an animal in a hit-and-run case face the same penalties if the law is violated, he added.
Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said: 'Most people, unfortunately, do not think that such cases are important just because (the victim) is an animal.'
Student Andrew Teo's dog was one such victim.
On 4 Jun, the 23-year-old took his 2-year-old miniature schnauzer, Vodka, for their usual evening walk.
At 9.45pm, they were about to cross Choa Chu Kang Crescent when a white van sped towards them.
Mr Teo said he was standing on the pavement while Vodka, who was on a leash, was already on the road.
On seeing the van, Mr Teo tried to pull the dog back, but Vodka slipped out of his collar and dashed across the road.
It was hit by the van and blood oozed from its right ear and nostrils.
Mr Teo saw the van had stopped a few metres away and two men came out. Mr Teo said that when they saw him, they quickly got back into the van and allegedly drove off.
But he managed to take down its licence plate number.
Three passers-by, two of whom are Mr Teo's neighbours, helped him move Vodka onto the pavement.
He said: 'By that time, I knew Vodka was dead. His body was intact, but you could feel that his skull had been crushed.'
Mr Teo took the dog to its vet to get a death certificate and then went to a police station to make a report.
A police spokesman confirmed Mr Teo's report and said they are investigating the accident, which happened between Block 662 and Block 691A at Choa Chu Kang Crescent.
The road has no pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, but Mr Teo and other residents said that it has low traffic even during the day.
The vet's medical report declared Vodka dead on arrival. It suffered severe trauma to the head and chest.
Mr Teo is upset that the van occupants did not stop to help and feels they must take responsibility and be punished accordingly.
AWARENESS NEEDED
Motorist William Neo, 28, was unaware that the penalty for hit-and-run cases is the same for both humans and animals.
The project coordinator feels that motorists need to be better educated on road rules.
He said: 'Most people would probably think hitting an animal is much less serious than hitting a person.
'Informing motorists of the consequences would make them think twice about driving off after hitting an animal.'
The SPCA said that when pets are injured in road accidents, the owners should alert the SPCA and try to move the animals to the side of the road.
But those with little experience in handling animals should not try to pick them up. They should wait for SPCA staff members to arrive, while alerting motorists to slow down and drive cautiously - the traffic police will generally assist in this area.
IF you hit someone on the road and flee from the scene of the accident, you will get into trouble with the law.
But what if you knock down an animal?
Well, don't think you can just drive off.
Be it a person or an animal, the same law applies.
Under the Road Traffic Act, if you are involved in an accident where a person or an animal is injured, you have to stop your vehicle and help the victims.
If not, you can face a fine up to $3,000 or be jailed up to a year.
For a subsequent conviction, you can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to two years.
Lawyer Luke Lee told The New Paper: 'Animals are protected under the same law as humans.'
And those who injure an animal in a hit-and-run case face the same penalties if the law is violated, he added.
Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said: 'Most people, unfortunately, do not think that such cases are important just because (the victim) is an animal.'
Student Andrew Teo's dog was one such victim.
On 4 Jun, the 23-year-old took his 2-year-old miniature schnauzer, Vodka, for their usual evening walk.
At 9.45pm, they were about to cross Choa Chu Kang Crescent when a white van sped towards them.
Mr Teo said he was standing on the pavement while Vodka, who was on a leash, was already on the road.
On seeing the van, Mr Teo tried to pull the dog back, but Vodka slipped out of his collar and dashed across the road.
It was hit by the van and blood oozed from its right ear and nostrils.
Mr Teo saw the van had stopped a few metres away and two men came out. Mr Teo said that when they saw him, they quickly got back into the van and allegedly drove off.
But he managed to take down its licence plate number.
Three passers-by, two of whom are Mr Teo's neighbours, helped him move Vodka onto the pavement.
He said: 'By that time, I knew Vodka was dead. His body was intact, but you could feel that his skull had been crushed.'
Mr Teo took the dog to its vet to get a death certificate and then went to a police station to make a report.
A police spokesman confirmed Mr Teo's report and said they are investigating the accident, which happened between Block 662 and Block 691A at Choa Chu Kang Crescent.
The road has no pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, but Mr Teo and other residents said that it has low traffic even during the day.
The vet's medical report declared Vodka dead on arrival. It suffered severe trauma to the head and chest.
Mr Teo is upset that the van occupants did not stop to help and feels they must take responsibility and be punished accordingly.
AWARENESS NEEDED
Motorist William Neo, 28, was unaware that the penalty for hit-and-run cases is the same for both humans and animals.
The project coordinator feels that motorists need to be better educated on road rules.
He said: 'Most people would probably think hitting an animal is much less serious than hitting a person.
'Informing motorists of the consequences would make them think twice about driving off after hitting an animal.'
The SPCA said that when pets are injured in road accidents, the owners should alert the SPCA and try to move the animals to the side of the road.
But those with little experience in handling animals should not try to pick them up. They should wait for SPCA staff members to arrive, while alerting motorists to slow down and drive cautiously - the traffic police will generally assist in this area.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Caring for orphaned creatures is part of job
From my paper
by Rachel Chan
FOR the first six years on the job, she endured the 24.6km, or two-hour-long commute, via public transport from her Tampines home to her workplace in Mandai.
Ms Chua Poh Shan, 30, who started driving to work four years ago, also gets grubby and muddy almost every day and sometimes, her charges can keep her awake into the wee hours.
But for the love of her job, she perseveres.
Ms Chua is the assistant manager for animal presentations, and part of a 550-strong workforce at Wildlife Reserve Singapore (WRS). The WRS runs Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
Its staff are spread across 12 departments, from specialisations such as animal presentation and zoology, corporate services, food and beverage and retail.
With an average of more than three million visitors per year, WRS is a major player in the local attractions industry. Ms Chua first started as a junior presenter - a position which currently pays a starting salary of $1,200.
While she earns more now, Ms Chua does not think of her rewards in monetary terms. Besides conceptualising and hosting animal shows, she also trains her junior colleagues.
And she said: 'I feel really blessed to have been given the opportunity to play foster parent to many animals.'
To date, she has fostered civet cats, pumas, otters and a spotted hyena, among others.
These baby animals were rejected by their mothers for various reasons.
Feeding a baby animal every two hours and burping them, she added, is all part and parcel of the 24-hour foster care programme.
Generally, animal presenters are expected to hone a vast set of skills, such as show presentation, show conceptualisation, acting, stage lighting and animal husbandry. They also double up as dung shovellers and butchers (they cut up meat and fish for the animals).
Animal presenters have to go through on-the-job training, as well as specially developed in-house programmes to learn how to walk, handle and work with animals.
Due toWRS' diversified training needs, it depends on the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS) to complement staff training with their Certificate in Attractions modules.
While in-house WRS programmes, like Zoo Biology Basic, give keepers some knowledge of animal anatomy, TMIS courses provide the soft skills needed to take care of human guests.
Mr Andy Gan, 29, assistant manager of learning and development in human resources, pointed out that it takes more than just knowledge from books to be a part of the WRS team.
Mr Gan said: 'We're looking for people with a passion for animals.' Ms Chua, who is also involved in the process of handpicking recruits for her department, added: 'I'm looking for people who speak fluently, are good with both people and animals, and don't mind getting dirty. It's not easy to find someone who has this balance.'
She has a degree in biology, but stressed that not everyone needs to be trained in science to work at the zoo.
WRS is constantly on the lookout for talented individuals to join its team.
'We take pride in training and developing our staff, including our part-timers,' Mr Gan said. 'We also do our best to make this place a fun environment to work in.'
by Rachel Chan
FOR the first six years on the job, she endured the 24.6km, or two-hour-long commute, via public transport from her Tampines home to her workplace in Mandai.
Ms Chua Poh Shan, 30, who started driving to work four years ago, also gets grubby and muddy almost every day and sometimes, her charges can keep her awake into the wee hours.
But for the love of her job, she perseveres.
Ms Chua is the assistant manager for animal presentations, and part of a 550-strong workforce at Wildlife Reserve Singapore (WRS). The WRS runs Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
Its staff are spread across 12 departments, from specialisations such as animal presentation and zoology, corporate services, food and beverage and retail.
With an average of more than three million visitors per year, WRS is a major player in the local attractions industry. Ms Chua first started as a junior presenter - a position which currently pays a starting salary of $1,200.
While she earns more now, Ms Chua does not think of her rewards in monetary terms. Besides conceptualising and hosting animal shows, she also trains her junior colleagues.
And she said: 'I feel really blessed to have been given the opportunity to play foster parent to many animals.'
To date, she has fostered civet cats, pumas, otters and a spotted hyena, among others.
These baby animals were rejected by their mothers for various reasons.
Feeding a baby animal every two hours and burping them, she added, is all part and parcel of the 24-hour foster care programme.
Generally, animal presenters are expected to hone a vast set of skills, such as show presentation, show conceptualisation, acting, stage lighting and animal husbandry. They also double up as dung shovellers and butchers (they cut up meat and fish for the animals).
Animal presenters have to go through on-the-job training, as well as specially developed in-house programmes to learn how to walk, handle and work with animals.
Due toWRS' diversified training needs, it depends on the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS) to complement staff training with their Certificate in Attractions modules.
While in-house WRS programmes, like Zoo Biology Basic, give keepers some knowledge of animal anatomy, TMIS courses provide the soft skills needed to take care of human guests.
Mr Andy Gan, 29, assistant manager of learning and development in human resources, pointed out that it takes more than just knowledge from books to be a part of the WRS team.
Mr Gan said: 'We're looking for people with a passion for animals.' Ms Chua, who is also involved in the process of handpicking recruits for her department, added: 'I'm looking for people who speak fluently, are good with both people and animals, and don't mind getting dirty. It's not easy to find someone who has this balance.'
She has a degree in biology, but stressed that not everyone needs to be trained in science to work at the zoo.
WRS is constantly on the lookout for talented individuals to join its team.
'We take pride in training and developing our staff, including our part-timers,' Mr Gan said. 'We also do our best to make this place a fun environment to work in.'
Monday, June 09, 2008
Attractions too pricey for families
Sad But True... Its all about $$$ and Cents.
Many say they are skipping outings to top attractions this June holiday
By Daryl Tan (The Straits Times)
They are the crown jewels of Singapore attractions, drawing thousands of visitors each day.
Yet parents say that high admission fees and miscellaneous charges at spots like the Night Safari or Singapore Flyer are pricing them beyond a regular family's reach.
Mr Lim Chow Siong, a father of two boys aged 16 and nine, said none of Singapore's star attractions will be on the family's to-do list during the school holidays this month.
'You've got to be kidding,' said the SMRT station manager, when asked if he planned to take his family to any of them.
'It is just too expensive to spend a day at any one of these places.'
Eighteen out of 20 parents contacted echoed this view.
A COSTLY AFFAIR
The high cost of attractions was also a sore point with writers to The Straits Times' Forum page recently.
A check of 10 main attractions here found that a day out would set a family of four back by $125 on average.
For example, an outing to the Underwater World or the Singapore Flyer, or taking a Duck Tour will cost a typical family between $127 and $164 (See facing page).
Topping the list is the Singapore Night Safari.
Taking into account a meal and souvenirs, a trip there could burn a $230-hole in the pocket.
Spokesmen for the attractions said that the quality of the experience and cost of upkeep justify the pricing.
Ms Isabel Cheng, a spokesman for the Singapore Zoo, Jurong BirdPark and Night Safari, said that admission rates are 'relatively low' compared to similar attractions in Australia and the United States, and that the experience one gets is worth the money.
To encourage more families to visit during the June holidays, some attractions are offering school-break discounts.
Singapore Underwater World, for example, said it will be offering tickets to its Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon at a 30 per cent discount until June 22.
The Singapore Discovery Centre and Escape Theme Park are also offering discounted packages for families.
Most families interviewed, however, say the discounts do not do enough to offset the high prices.
They have developed some creative ways of having fun for close to nothing instead.
Popular haunts include shopping malls and the airport for some cool comfort, or beaches and nature walks for the more adventurous.
Madam Judy Lim, 47, a mother of three, said a popular outing is a picnic at Changi Beach with her 13-year-old son, and daughters, aged 16 and 10.
'My son and husband take the opportunity to indulge in a spot of fishing, while my daughters love picking sea shells,' said the proprietor.
Many say they are skipping outings to top attractions this June holiday
By Daryl Tan (The Straits Times)
They are the crown jewels of Singapore attractions, drawing thousands of visitors each day.
Yet parents say that high admission fees and miscellaneous charges at spots like the Night Safari or Singapore Flyer are pricing them beyond a regular family's reach.
Mr Lim Chow Siong, a father of two boys aged 16 and nine, said none of Singapore's star attractions will be on the family's to-do list during the school holidays this month.
'You've got to be kidding,' said the SMRT station manager, when asked if he planned to take his family to any of them.
'It is just too expensive to spend a day at any one of these places.'
Eighteen out of 20 parents contacted echoed this view.
A COSTLY AFFAIR
The high cost of attractions was also a sore point with writers to The Straits Times' Forum page recently.
A check of 10 main attractions here found that a day out would set a family of four back by $125 on average.
For example, an outing to the Underwater World or the Singapore Flyer, or taking a Duck Tour will cost a typical family between $127 and $164 (See facing page).
Topping the list is the Singapore Night Safari.
Taking into account a meal and souvenirs, a trip there could burn a $230-hole in the pocket.
Spokesmen for the attractions said that the quality of the experience and cost of upkeep justify the pricing.
Ms Isabel Cheng, a spokesman for the Singapore Zoo, Jurong BirdPark and Night Safari, said that admission rates are 'relatively low' compared to similar attractions in Australia and the United States, and that the experience one gets is worth the money.
To encourage more families to visit during the June holidays, some attractions are offering school-break discounts.
Singapore Underwater World, for example, said it will be offering tickets to its Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon at a 30 per cent discount until June 22.
The Singapore Discovery Centre and Escape Theme Park are also offering discounted packages for families.
Most families interviewed, however, say the discounts do not do enough to offset the high prices.
They have developed some creative ways of having fun for close to nothing instead.
Popular haunts include shopping malls and the airport for some cool comfort, or beaches and nature walks for the more adventurous.
Madam Judy Lim, 47, a mother of three, said a popular outing is a picnic at Changi Beach with her 13-year-old son, and daughters, aged 16 and 10.
'My son and husband take the opportunity to indulge in a spot of fishing, while my daughters love picking sea shells,' said the proprietor.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Elephant gets a new girlfriend
Birds do it, bees do it, so why not elephants - especially when it comes to Singapore's most famous jumbo?
Yes, Chawang has a new girlfriend, and zookeepers are wasting no time in getting the pair amorous.
This is not about a quick 'Thank you, ma'am' here.
Each morning for the past two weeks, 31-year-old Chawang waits patiently in his den at Night Safari.
Gambir, the Singapore Zoo's 19-year-old female elephant, then lumbers over for their date, albeit with at least one or two other older females for company.
In the first week, a wire mesh separated the would-be lovers as they sniffed each other, trunk to trunk.
Then, when the carers were sure love was in the air, they were allowed to be together, even if privacy was not an option for the pair.
The couple's matchmakers - the zoo and Night Safari's team of veterinarians, curators and keepers - are naturally anxious that their baby-making plans bear fruit.
After all, the last time the parks welcomed a new addition to their pachyderm family was in 2001 - when Chawang and Sri Nandong had a boy, Sang Wira.
Yes, Chawang has a new girlfriend, and zookeepers are wasting no time in getting the pair amorous.
This is not about a quick 'Thank you, ma'am' here.
Each morning for the past two weeks, 31-year-old Chawang waits patiently in his den at Night Safari.
Gambir, the Singapore Zoo's 19-year-old female elephant, then lumbers over for their date, albeit with at least one or two other older females for company.
In the first week, a wire mesh separated the would-be lovers as they sniffed each other, trunk to trunk.
Then, when the carers were sure love was in the air, they were allowed to be together, even if privacy was not an option for the pair.
The couple's matchmakers - the zoo and Night Safari's team of veterinarians, curators and keepers - are naturally anxious that their baby-making plans bear fruit.
After all, the last time the parks welcomed a new addition to their pachyderm family was in 2001 - when Chawang and Sri Nandong had a boy, Sang Wira.
Acres gets Law Minister's thumbs up
When Mr Louis Ng set up a welfare group here to improve the lot of wild animals, he was labelled a fanatic.
Some thought he had a screw loose.
Seven years later, he is no longer a voice in the wilderness.
Acres, short for Animal Concerns Research & Education Society, has 12,000 volunteers and donors, Government funding and - this is crucial - status as an institution of public character, which allows donations to it to be tax-exempt.
Mr Ng, 29, said: 'I was always told, 'You're a small fry' and 'You can't change big organisations'.'
He has not only made the authorities sit up and take notice, he now works with them to nab those in the illegal wildlife trade.
Acres is also building a shelter in Sungei Tengah big enough to house and give medical treatment to at least 400 animals; it even works with other animal welfare groups to give out grants to students for their own animal-protection projects.
His secret: Perseverance.
A baby chimpanzee named Rhamba started it all for him in 2000.
Then a 21-year-old volunteer photographer for the zoo, he said he saw a keeper punch Rhamba in the face to discipline it.
He said: 'She ran to me and hugged me. I knew then that I had to speak on her behalf.'
He tipped off The Straits Times, which reported the incident and started a groundswell of support from animal lovers who successfully campaigned for Rhamba to be returned to her family.
The zoo denied this was a problem, but following the media publicity, it stopped isolating baby chimps from their families.
Adding that zookeepers have come a long way since then, Mr Ng still considers the episode 'the best thing that happened in my life'.
Inspired to do more for animals, he and eight friends started what would become Singapore's first wildlife protection agency, scraping together less than $1,000 in combined savings.
The National University of Singapore-trained biologist was then doing his masters in primate conservation part time with the Oxford Brookes University in Britain, but through sheer will and support from friends, he got Acres up and running on a shoestring in 2001.
He and his team began by fanning out to give talks in schools.
Public education is on-going.
In the past seven years, Mr Ng estimated, Acres has reached out to over 200,000 people about animal abuse and how animals can be better protected.
The group's efforts here have so impressed Law Minister K. Shanmugam that he agreed - on short notice - to speak at Acres' seventh anniversary celebrations last month.
Some thought he had a screw loose.
Seven years later, he is no longer a voice in the wilderness.
Acres, short for Animal Concerns Research & Education Society, has 12,000 volunteers and donors, Government funding and - this is crucial - status as an institution of public character, which allows donations to it to be tax-exempt.
Mr Ng, 29, said: 'I was always told, 'You're a small fry' and 'You can't change big organisations'.'
He has not only made the authorities sit up and take notice, he now works with them to nab those in the illegal wildlife trade.
Acres is also building a shelter in Sungei Tengah big enough to house and give medical treatment to at least 400 animals; it even works with other animal welfare groups to give out grants to students for their own animal-protection projects.
His secret: Perseverance.
A baby chimpanzee named Rhamba started it all for him in 2000.
Then a 21-year-old volunteer photographer for the zoo, he said he saw a keeper punch Rhamba in the face to discipline it.
He said: 'She ran to me and hugged me. I knew then that I had to speak on her behalf.'
He tipped off The Straits Times, which reported the incident and started a groundswell of support from animal lovers who successfully campaigned for Rhamba to be returned to her family.
The zoo denied this was a problem, but following the media publicity, it stopped isolating baby chimps from their families.
Adding that zookeepers have come a long way since then, Mr Ng still considers the episode 'the best thing that happened in my life'.
Inspired to do more for animals, he and eight friends started what would become Singapore's first wildlife protection agency, scraping together less than $1,000 in combined savings.
The National University of Singapore-trained biologist was then doing his masters in primate conservation part time with the Oxford Brookes University in Britain, but through sheer will and support from friends, he got Acres up and running on a shoestring in 2001.
He and his team began by fanning out to give talks in schools.
Public education is on-going.
In the past seven years, Mr Ng estimated, Acres has reached out to over 200,000 people about animal abuse and how animals can be better protected.
The group's efforts here have so impressed Law Minister K. Shanmugam that he agreed - on short notice - to speak at Acres' seventh anniversary celebrations last month.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Attacker - Elephant
Name: Chawang
Species: Malayan elephant (Elephas maximus hirsutus)
Where it's found: Forests of Peninsular Malaysia
Life expectancy: 65 - 70 years
Date of birth: ~1976
Diet: Hay, pellets, grass, nangka leaves, palm leaves
Star appeal: Donated by the Wildlife Department of Malaysia in Dec 1983. Shot to fame for being a handsome and majestic male elephant with long tusks of about 1.5m meeting at the tips. He was featured in newspapers in July 2001 for an attack on his handler.
Subsequently, he was featured in news reports as the Night Safari tried to relocate him to another zoo overseas as part of a breeding programme, but the plan fell through because of costs and logistics.
Despite that incident, Chawang has endeared himself to staff and the public over the past few years, becoming a poster boy of how proper conditioning and training can assist in managing animals that were deemed to be difficult. Through the use of hand-held target cues, Chawang has responded well to training to present his body parts and his temperament and disposition has improved tremendously.
At the Night Safari he cuts and imposing figure in his exhibit as he surveys the trams passing by, and the response from visitors are usually gasps of awe.
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