Endangered Lemur Babies Born at Singapore Zoo

Singapore Zoo saw the births of the little-known and critically endangered red ruffed lemur.

"We're ecstatic with the arrival of this red ruffed lemur as it is our first such birth at the park," said Biswajit Guha, assistant director of zoology at the zoo.

"This means that there will now be one more addition to the breeding pool of this critically endangered species."

Although it is not known how many red ruffed lemurs now exist in the wild, its numbers are declining due to deforestation, hunting and the pet trade.

Red ruffed lemurs are one of the biggest primates native to the African island of Madagascar.

They have soft red and black fur and eat a diet comprised 75 per cent of fruit.

RARE orange-haired monkey

A rare orange-haired monkey has made her debut at a zoo – after being rejected by her mum.

Elka, a Francois Langur monkey, is being hand-raised by staff who showed her off at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

Elka's birth five days ago was a surprise to zoo keepers who weren't sure mum, Saigon, was even pregnant.

Staff will now look for a new temporary home for the orange-haired leaf-eating monkey because she's all alone.

Elka's parents have black fur but it is thought the infant's orange colour helps parents to spot them in the wild.

Senior primate keeper Mandy Mclellan said: "Primates are quite an intelligent group of animals, a lot of their social development depends on learning.

"Often first time mums might not have have enough exposure to other females giving birth so they haven't learned social skills and haven't learned what they need to do with these little babies."

Keepers will raise Elka, feeding her baby formula every three hours, and prepare her for eventual reintroduction to her parents.

Her species is very rare in the wild and under great pressure from loss of habitat and poachers.

It is thought there could be as few as 1,000 left in Vietnam and China.

Taronga's life sciences general manager, Cameron Kerr, said: "Taronga's keepers were prepared and are managing the difficult process of hand-raising the langur...as the species faces real risk of extinction in the wild."

2 Komodo dragons kill man in eastern Indonesia

Two Komodo dragons mauled a fruit-picker to death in eastern Indonesia, police and witnesses said Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks on humans by the world's largest lizard species.

Police Sgt. Kosmas Jalang said 31-year-old Muhamad Anwar was attacked on Komodo, one of four islands where the giant reptile is found in the wild, minutes after he fell out of a sugar-apple tree on Monday.

He was bleeding badly from bites to his hands, body, legs and neck after two lizards, waiting below, attacked him, according to a neighbor, Theresia Tawa. He died at a clinic on the neighboring island of Flores soon after.

Attacks on humans by Komodo dragons _ said to number at less than 4,000 in the wild _ are rare, but seem to have increased in recent years.

An 8-year-old boy was killed in 2007 _ the first recorded deadly attack on a human by one of the endangered lizards in three decades. A park ranger narrowly survived after one of the animals entered his hut last month and started biting his hands and legs.

There have been several other attacks in recent months, according to Metro TV.

The reptiles, which can grow up to 10 feet long (three meters) and weigh as much as 150 pounds (70 kilograms), have shark-like serrated teeth and a bite that can be deadly. Its saliva contains roughly 50 different known bacteria strains, so infection is a risk.

Komodos can be found in the wild on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca. Tiny numbers also can be found on Flores.

Papaua New Guinea forests reveal 56 new species

Scientists said Wednesday they have uncovered 56 new species in the teaming virgin tropical forests of Papua New Guinea including jumping spiders and a tiny chirping frog.

The 2008 two-month expedition by British, Canadian and PNG scientists to the Pacific islands found a wealth of treasures and documented some 600 species, said Conservation International (CI) which organized the trip.

Among them were 50 spider species, two plants, three frogs and an elegant striped gecko which are believed to completely new to science.

"The vast Kaijende Uplands and nearby valleys represent one of Papua New Guinea's largest undeveloped highlands wilderness areas, and all of it is under the tenure of local clan landowners. These forests are essential to their traditional lifestyles," said CI scientist Steve Richards, who led the expedition.

The three new frogs include a tiny brown one with a sharp chirping call, a bright green tree frog with enormous eyes and a torrent-dwelling frog that has a loud ringing call.

Much of PNG's forests remain unexplored, and have been kept in pristine condition thanks to the care of the local tribes who inhabit them.

"Their intimate knowledge of and stewardship over a large tract of this vast upland wilderness has led to conservation of their wildlife and environment," said Bruce Beehler from Conservation International.

The tribes rely on the wilderness for hunting as well as gathering forest products, and the region provides fresh drinking water to thousands of people living in the Enga Southern Highlands as well as Western and Saudaun provinces.

The group, based in Arlington, Virginia, also highlighted that the vast forested wilderness played a critical role in helping slow climate change as it sucks in large amounts of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Since 1990, Conservation International, which is a private organization, has led more than 60 expeditions to different parts of the globe, discovering more than 700 new species.

The 'painful' guide to visiting S'pore

Thinking of taking a holiday in Singapore but fear there won't be enough suffering?

Well, worry no more. (Unless, of course, you happen to enjoy worrying, in which case you can worry all you want. Whatever floats your boat. I'm not here to judge.)

We will be the first to admit that Singapore has long neglected your specific demographic. In the past, the country had very little to offer people like you who demand a certain amount of pain and suffering on their vacations.

You will be glad to know that much has changed. In recent months, numerous existing attractions have been retrofitted to cater to your specific tastes. We did a detailed study and invested some effort into this project and I am sure you will like what you see.

Where we could not have the attraction to directly inflict pain on you, we inflicted pain on the attraction so that you can be reminded of pain.

We have spared no expense for the sake of your displeasure.

While we cannot list all of the different attractions here, we've picked just a few painful highlights.

Enjoy, or rather, don't enjoy your stay!

Shopping

Do you find that your shopping experience lacks pushing, shoving and people ramming into you with trolleys loaded with television sets?

Want a shopping trip where you can get good bargains and yet at the same time be exposed to risk of death by suffocation?

Then you absolutely cannot miss one of Singapore's IT fairs.

At every fair, nearly the entire male population crams into a few convention centre floors and proceeds to buy flatscreen TVs like they (the TVs, not the men) are curry puffs.

IT vendor: Hello uncle, would you like to buy a TV? There's a promotion.

Man: Sure, I'll take five. And don't call me uncle.

If you think crowds are painful, wait till you try a crowd where every other person is pushing a trolley with a giant TV in it.

You may never want to go back to normal shopping again.

Eating

Singapore has long been known for its great dining experiences. It is known for having good food at clean hawker centres at very reasonable prices.

Understandably, you masochistic tourists stayed away.

However, thanks to the innovative efforts of one seafood stall at Newton Hawker Centre, Singapore now has a dining experience it is proud to offer to visitors like you.

You will still get a taste of Singapore food but with the added satisfaction of feeling completely ripped off at the end.

Enjoy the thrill of being presented with a gigantic bill at the end of your meal. A single tiger prawn can cost as much as $30. A meal for six will cost more than that TV set you got rammed with at the IT fair.

For a little added bonus, try querying the bill. Then just sit back and soak in some fear as some burly men appear to persuade you to pay.

When you finally cave in and pay up, make sure you don't pay with exact change, then watch helplessly as the stall owner who presented you with the large bill thinks you want to give him a tip.

It's this sort of dining experience that prompted one masochist to say: 'Die, die must try'.

Water sports

After you've done all the shopping and eating, how about some outdoor activity to burn off those calories?

For you the masochist, we offer an exciting water rescue that combines physical pain of injury with the emotional pain of feeling unappreciated.

The day starts with a stroll along the Singapore River near the Merlion. If you are lucky, someone who cannot swim will fall into the water. You then dive into the water to perform a heroic rescue.

In the process, you are likely to suffer scrapes and bruises bad enough to warrant a trip to hospital.

Sounds good so far? It gets better.

Not only are you wet and injured for doing a good thing, you will also be out of pocket to the tune of $90. Yes, as a special treat for tourists like you, you will be made to pay your hospital bill.

During the trip, be sure to have your picture taken with the Merlion statue.

It became an iconic symbol for pain after a lightning strike left a large hole in its head.

Amazing views

After all that excitement, it's time to wind down with a relaxing ride on the world's largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer. Such wheels may be commonplace these days, but none offers the kind of torture we do.

As with the water rescue, timing is crucial here. While the wheel will operate normally most times (it has to cater to normal tourists too), it will occasionally break down.

When it does, you can look forward to up to six hours stuck in a small enclosed capsule at over 100m in the air.

This is especially recommended for claustrophobic masochists who fear heights.

For the ultimate experience though, make sure to drink a lot of water just before you get on and don't take any plastic bags with you.

Somewhere around the third hour, you'll be a big hit with the rest of the passengers.

These are but a few of the many wonderful experiences just waiting to be enjoyed. And we're coming up with new ways to hurt you all the time.

So what are you waiting for? Contact your travel agent today.

jeremyau@sph.com.sg

Zoo doubles its rare reptiles

A zoo in Indonesia is welcoming the arrival of 32 newborn Komodo dragons.

Agus Pangkat, of Surabaya Zoo, said the endangered lizards – thought to number less than 4,000 in the wild – hatched in the last two weeks. Fourteen eggs were still under observation.

The giant reptiles have been kept at the zoo since the early 1980s, but the new arrivals have swelled the population from 34 to 66. It has been their most successful breeding year there.

Komodo dragons can grow up to t10ft long and weigh up to 37 stones. Their bite can be deadly.

Chimp 'planned attack on zoo visitors

Scientists claim to have uncovered evidence which shows how chimpanzees plan for the future.

A study published in Current Biology observed the actions of a male chimpanzee at a zoo and recorded how he collected stones and fashioned concrete discs which he would later throw at visitors.

Mathias Osvath, from Lund University, said the observations convincingly show how apes consider the future in "a very complex way".

"It implies that they have a highly developed consciousness, including life-like mental simulations of potential events," he said.

"They most probably have an 'inner world' like we have when reviewing past episodes of our lives or thinking of days to come. When wild chimps collect stones or go out to war, they probably plan this in advance. I would guess that they plan much of their everyday behaviour."

The scientists claim their study shows how chimps don't simply react to immediate circumstances with a "current drive state", highlighting how the chimp was in a calm state when collecting the stones compared to the agitated state he was in when throwing the items at visitors.

Mr Osvath also says he thinks wild chimps, in general, probably have the planning ability demonstrated by the individual in captivity.

"I think that wild chimpanzees might be even better at planning as they probably rely on it for their daily survival," he added.

"The environment in a zoo is far less complex than in a forest. Zoo chimps never have to encounter the dangers in the forest or live through periods of scarce food. Planning would prove its value in 'real life' much more than in a zoo."

Drug arrests at Singapore Zoo

Serious Stuff!

THE Singapore zoo cancelled performances after police said on Wednesday they had arrested ten Malaysian workers and three Singaporeans on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking.

Three Malaysians were intercepted in their taxi at a border crossing between the two countries on Sunday carrying a variety of drugs including cannabis, ketamine and 'ice", a concentrated form of methamphetamine, officers said.

This led to the arrest of three Singaporeans at Singapore Zoo's car park and another seven Malaysians at their dormitories in the complex, a spokeswoman from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said.

One Malaysian and one Singaporean have been charged with drug importation and trafficking and face a minimum sentence of five years' jail and five strokes of the cane if convicted, she said.

Some of the suspects were part of a performance troupe that entertained visitors to the zoo's Night Safari section with mock tribal dances and fire-breathing stunts.

The show, popular among foreign tourists, has been 'suspended until further notice' as a result of the arrests, the attraction's website says.

Drug trafficking is punishable by hanging in Singapore if the amounts carried by a suspect exceed certain limits specified by law. -- AFP

Wedding at Singapore Zoo

Weddings aren't everyday affairs. They come by once in a lifetime and merit the undivided attention of a national event. From the bridal bouquet to the menu, everything ought to be nothing less than perfect. And yet, when it comes to the venue, it's always the same old boring set of addresses. If your love for each other truly knows no bounds, neither should the venue for your wedding celebrations.

Address:
The Singapore Zoo
80 Mandai Lake Road,
Singapore 729826
Tel: (65) 6269 3411
www.zoo.com.sg

Tel: (65) 6360 8500/560

Spending millions to attract millions?

Cable cars may replace free buses on Sentosa

ZIPPING around Sentosa Island will be made easier from 2011 with the launch of a new cable car service.

The new transport link may replace the present free intra-island bus service.

The above-ground system is part of Sentosa Leisure Group's (SLG) over $250 million plan to overhaul the transport system on the island to ensure that it can handle the crowds when Resorts World at Sentosa opens next year.

Currently, Sentosa receives up to 30,000 visitors daily during the peak season. But that number is expected to rise to over 100,000 people daily with the opening of Singapore's second integrated resort.

Mr Lee Chin Chuan, director of SLG's property business development, said the cable car system will offer a greener way of travel compared to the current diesel-powered bus fleet.

The new cableway system will be at most six to seven storeys tall, a third of the height of the current cable car system which runs from Mount Faber.

It is expected to take anything from 1,400 to 5,000 passengers per hour in one direction, moving at speeds of 4m to 6m a second. It will also offer express waiting times of 12 seconds to 15 seconds instead of two minutes to three minutes for the monorail and 10 minutes to 15 minutes for the bus.

Currently, four stations have been earmarked. Mr Lee did not discount the possibility of rolling out the system to the rest of the island or even to the mainland.

The cost of the project is not known yet. SLG has hired consultants to help determine the system's capacity and cost.

One other unknown: whether visitors will be charged for rides. SLG is still mulling over this.

The group is also exploring other possibilities like electric trams, mini railways and buggies. Plans to boost links to the island include an $80 million, 710m-long second bridge, being built by the casino-resort and expected to be ready by the third quarter of this year.

SLG has invested $25 million to build a new depot extension and to buy two cars to raise the capacity of the monorail from 3,000 to 4,000 passengers per hour.

It is also building a new boardwalk so pedestrians can walk to the resort island. Construction of the walkway is slated to begin in the second half of this year. It will have travellators like those in the airport to ease the 620m walk.

Teacher Chai Jiamin, 27, welcomed the new moves. She used to play beach volleyball at Sentosa regularly, but said that on weekends, traffic congestion can get really bad.

However, other regulars like 26-year-old Benjamin Lau, who runs his own IT business, said replacing the free buses with a paid cable car will not benefit visitors.

He said: 'I don't think it's practical to invest in a cable car system when there are already free bus and trams serving Sentosa.'

SLG's Mr Lee added that another key reason that is driving Sentosa's search for new modes of transport is to minimise the system's emissions and carbon footprint.

Welcome to Singapore.