SINGAPORE – The hawksbill turtle, pixie dragonfly and Sunda pangolin are among 46 threatened plants and animals in Singapore that have been identified for recovery efforts to prevent their extinction.
In a statement on Saturday (Sep 3), the National Parks Board (NParks) revealed that the 46 species, comprising 31 plant species and 15 animal species, are classified as threatened under Singapore’s Red Data Book, and are found in isolated habitats where they are vulnerable to external threats.
The new targets were announced at the fifth Festival of Biodiversity at the Singapore Botanic Gardens by Senior Minister of State for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee.
“Singapore is a biophilic city, packed with biodiversity that we can celebrate and protect. And we have done so with active and comprehensive conservation efforts with close partnership with many passionate volunteers and (the) broader Singapore community,” he said.
The recovery efforts will span the next two to 10 years, and are being implemented to safeguard against the extinction of rare and endangered native species, NParks explained.
One animal that has been identified for recovery efforts is the Neptune’s cup sponge, a marine organism that was once thought to have gone extinct until it was rediscovered off the Singapore coast in 2011. Last year, the first transplantation of a Neptune cup sponge took place at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, where NParks hopes will increase opportunities for the sponge to reproduce sexually.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s first sea turtle hatchery will be set up on Small Sister’s Island as part of efforts to protect hawksbill turtles, another animal identified for recovery efforts.
In its statement, NParks also provided an update on the comprehensive biodiversity survey being conducted in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve that began in March 2015.
Several plant and animal species that were previously thought to be extinct, such as the Malayan porcupine and the slender walking catfish, have been discovered. Researchers have also discovered more than five potentially new spider species, the board said.
The survey is scheduled to be completed in March 2017.
The full list of plant and animal species identified for species recovery efforts are:
seanyap@sph.com.sg
