Increase in the Demand of Tiger Parts in 2010

I chanced upon this article when my brother picked up My Paper a week or two ago. Apparently, sale of tiger parts in Singapore and many parts of Asia soared in the year of tiger because people deemed it to be an appropriate gift and not to mention the declination of the population has well increased its value. Thailand, China and India has been named as main sources of supply.

There is no scientific evidence that tiger parts contain medicinal value: the penis is believed to be an aphrodisiac and the tiger bone tonic wine believed to be able to cure rheumatism. The paws and pelts are sold as decorative items. Their claws, teeth and fur are openly sold as jewelry.

Tigers are the largest of all big cats, and also one of the most beautiful animals on this planet. However, they are also among the most threatened and vulnerable species on Earth. All subspecies of tigers are listed as endangered on IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). There are 9 subspecies of tigers where 3 have already become extinct in the past 70 years. Out of the remaining 6, South China Tiger and the Sumatran Tiger are listed as critically endangered. Current tiger population is possibly at 3,200.

Tigers are one of the most culturally important animal in the world. They are only found in Asia and it is our pride to have them. In many cultures and nations, tigers symbolizes strength, power, and majesty.

Many governments have stepped in to combat poachers by pledging millions of dollars to fund efforts to save tigers in the wild. Reintroduction of tigers into reserve parks were carried out successfully by the Indian government, and thanks to the Russian government on vigorous anti-poaching efforts, the population of Siberian tiger has recovered and stabilized. Although still listed as endangered, the population of the Siberian tiger has rose from 40 in the 1940s to about 400 in the wild currently.

Let's take the opportunity of the year of tiger to learn more about the 'King of the Jungle'. I have always believe that it is only human that we know what we have learned, and we will only love what we know. If we do not respond to the plight of wild tigers, we will witness the loss of one of the world's most irreplaceable natural wonders of our lifetime.

Reena

Endangered animals get new lease of life in Singapore

By Philip Lim (AFP) – 29/01/2010

SINGAPORE — Sporting spiked hair and silver earrings, Samuel Tay hardly looks like a typical midwife.

The 25-year-old zookeeper beams with quiet pride as he watches over his "babies" -- row upon row of snakes bred for Singapore's popular zoo.

"These are my kids. Why do I need kids when I have so many already?" he told AFP, gesturing to tanks where newborn reptiles, including some from highly endangered species, receive tender loving care.

From jaguars and chimpanzees to Komodo dragons and manatees, heavily urbanised Singapore is gaining a reputation as a successful nursery for some of the world's rarest animals.

With a breeding programme for 315 species, around one in six of which are threatened, the Singapore Zoo is seeing a steady stream of locally born additions to its collection, currently numbering more than 2,500 animals.

Tay, a zoologist by training, is one of Singapore's frontline warriors in the battle against animal extinction, and visitors from around the world help fund the campaign.

The Singapore Zoo and its attached Night Safari, dedicated to nocturnal animals, each welcomes more than a million visitors a year.

Last year, 142 animals were born in the zoo, 32 of which were threatened species, officials said.

Experts from Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), the operator of the city-state's zoo, night safari and bird park, do not rely on Mother Nature for results.

"We are very pragmatic, in the sense that if we need to make things happen, we will go all out to make things happen," said the group's assistant director of zoology Biswajit Guha.

The latest star of the programme is a baby Komodo dragon hatched in December -- the first born in an Asian zoo outside the giant lizard's native Indonesia.

The hatchling was the culmination of three years of effort by zookeepers watching over every step of its parents' courtship and mating to make sure everything went as planned, said Tay.

"It's always supervised contact, we never leave them alone together," he said.

This interventionist approach is extended to other creatures at Singapore's wildlife attractions, including the Jurong Bird Park, another major tourist draw.

"We don't take a wait-and-see approach. We will give it a certain amount of time for the animals to decide for themselves if they do want to mate, but if things don't go right, then we usually come in," Guha said.

Aside from making enclosures look and feel like native habitats, cutting-edge technology and scientific methods are deployed to make sure animals mate with the best possible partners at the most opportune time.

They include matching viable females with genetically superior males using semen analysis and monitoring the females' fertility cycles through regular ultrasound tests -- something that not all zoos can afford to do.

"Diagnostic facilities are not cheap," noted senior veterinarian Abraham Mathew. "You need the manpower and you need the expertise to do this. All zoos actually want to do this type of work, but whether they can do it or not would depend on their management," he said.

A mobile ultrasound machine used by the zoo costs around 20,000 Singapore dollars (14,200 US) and includes an expensive probe that allows veterinarians to accurately check female animals' fertility out in the field.

Such resources have helped make the city state a breeding hub for threatened animals, said Guha.

Zoo staff hope a pair of pandas to be loaned by China will produce offspring in the coming years.

"For us, captive populations form an insurance population, so it is our objective to make sure that there are sustainable numbers in captivity," Guha said.

CC updates! :D

Hey guys, it's me again, updating this precious cc family blog(: There has been quite a buzz going on in CC recently, so here are some updates!

1) some of the 09 Docents from various stations have decided to seek permission from the zoo management to include sharks and tigers conservation into CC station for the whole of the CNY period (till Feb end). To know more about tigers conservation and facts, you can visit HERE for more information.. We're still collating information and waiting for the management's response!
For those who are very passionate and have the time to join us in this conservation projects (not restricted to CC docents only), please join us! Click HERE to leave us a message on the wall OR simply speak to us on our tagboard (scroll down, at the right hand column) :D

2) please join "Wildlife Reserves Singapore" on Facebook! It's quite an efficient platform to learn about more about the animals you love! Click HERE to join! If you love animals and your docents job, here's the best place to get the updates of things which most visitors will not know (from behind the scenes!!!) :D

3) PP station has some newborn primate babies and some of them are endangered species in the WORLD! Pictures follow..Lion-tail macaque (above) - the most endangered macaque in the world. Don't they look like lions with their mane-stuff around the faces?

Black and white Columbus monkey

The baby is pure white in colour! As they grow older, they will turn into black and white, just like their mum and dad in the pictures!!

Family

Black Howler Monkey (female). The female is yellow to light brown in colour for their hair. As for male, theirs is black in colour. See the picture below for the baby!


Baby black howler monkey is also light brown in colour! Wonders which colour it will turn into when it grows up!

*pics courtesy of Tristan Huang from PP (09 Docents). Thank you Tristan for your willingness to share your pictures and knowledge! (=

cheers,
Angel

Endangered and elusive Tsushima leopard cat captured in Nagasaki, Japan

press here for a closer look!