Mandai Nature

Happy !

Hornbills are some of nature's most dedicated parents. During the nesting season, the mother hornbill seals herself inside a tree cavity to lay eggs and raise her chicks, while relying entirely on her mate to bring food to her. They stick to this unique routine until the chick is ready to fledge.

Sadly, deforestation is making it harder for hornbills to find these perfect nesting spots. Without hornbills, our forests would miss out on an important seed disperser. Many plants wouldn’t grow, leading to imbalances in the forest and affecting countless other species that depend on these plants.

Let’s spread the word about how crucial they are to our forests so we can help protect their future.

📸: Kalyar Varma

🐒 what the Raffles’ banded langur, Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, and proboscis monkey have in common?

They are all colobine monkeys! These fascinating primates have a unique ability to digest leaves and seeds 🍃 that many other monkeys can’t. Sadly, these amazing “leaf monkeys,” particularly those native to Southeast Asia, are at high risk of extinction.

But here’s some exciting news: 25 August has officially been designated as Colobine Monkey Day by the IUCN ! 🎉 This special day is dedicated to raising awareness and support for the conservation of colobine monkeys.

Let’s come together to spread the word and champion these incredible primates.

📸: Mandai Wildlife Group, Sabrina Jabbar, Le Khac Quyet

In recent years, many industries operating in tropical rainforests – some of the most biodiverse regions on our planet – have embraced more sustainable practices, including committments to zero deforestation.

But what does that look like on the ground? It means designating “High Conservation Value (HCV)” areas within company-owned land for protection.

Find out how these HCV areas can be lifelines for threatened species and how teaming up with conservation groups can supercharge efforts to safeguard our planet’s biodiversity.

Read more here: https://www.zsl.org/news-and-events/feature/how-companies-can-support-conservation-tropical-agriculture-and-forestry

How Companies Can Support Conservation in Tropical Agriculture and Forestry Landscapes | The Zoological Society of London Companies can significantly contribute to conservation in tropical forest habitats by implementing effective biodiversity monitoring and management, ensuring conservation areas within company lands serve as crucial refuges and corridors for wildlife.

We recently had the pleasure of hosting our Patron, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, at Bird Paradise!

During the visit, we shared about our key conservation initiatives in Singapore and across the region, as well as exciting plans for the future.

President Tharman also stopped by Bird Paradise’s Winged Sanctuary to see Sam, the park’s resident Philippine eagle (can you spot Sam in the photo below)? 🦅

📸: Mandai Wildlife Group

📢[OUT NOW] Our 2023/2024 Impact Report is out! 📢

What an incredible year it has been! As a conservation organisation, we're all about making a real difference for species and communities in Singapore and Southeast Asia. None of this would be possible without our amazing partners, our passionate team and supporters.

👉 Swipe to see some of the highlights, and don't forget to check out the full report to read about our biggest accomplishments over the past year: https://bit.ly/MNimpactreport2324

Highlights from the 5th International Horseshoe Crab Workshop in Singapore in June!

Organised by the IUCN SSC Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group and Nature Society Singapore, the event gathered over 170 experts and conservationists from various NGOs, schools and research institutions over five days to share knowledge and develop strategies to protect these little-known species that inhabit our coastlines 🌊

As part of efforts under the IUCN SSC Centre for Species Survival: Southeast Asia, which is hosted by Mandai Nature, Roopali Raghavan, our Head of Terrestrial Conservation and Conservation Planning, co-led the red listing and conservation planning sessions. Using the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group Assess to Plan approaches, participants worked on developing a conservation action plan for three species of Asian horseshoe crabs – including the coastal horseshoe crab and mangrove horseshoe crab, both found right here in Singapore!

It was an inspiring week of collaboration and commitment to safeguarding these fascinating creatures.

📸: Nature Society SingaporeNature Society Singapore

Happy ! 🐯

Today, we shine a spotlight on one of the most endangered tiger species globally – the Malayan tiger. Found in the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula, but habitat fragmentation for human development and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade have decimated populations in recent years.

Get directly involved in tiger conservation efforts and make a positive impact by joining CAT Walk Plus, a citizen science programme in Malaysia by our conservation partner MYCAT

Register for the programme here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSet2H5Uf4M_84-Axk9J15whharC7B-46JxLJLSR3ZNifgi3Qw/viewform

📸: Mandai Wildlife Group

✨Celebrating a heartwarming conservation milestone in Cambodia! 👏 👏

Last Friday, we witnessed the inauguration of a new breeding facility at the Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Centre (KKRCC), commemorating its expansion of its conservation breeding and head-starting programmes. As part of the ceremony, 20 Critically Endangered southern river terrapins were also released into their natural habitat along the Sre Ambel river. 🐢 🐢

A big congratulations to our conservation partner, WCS Cambodia, who has been working closely with the រដ្ឋបាលជលផល Fisheries Administration and local communities to carry out conservation efforts on ground - with them, these achievements were possible, together!

Our Chairman, Robin Hu, CEO, Dr Sonja Luz and Senior Manager, Delaney Eng represented Mandai Nature at the inauguration event and release of these turtles as well. With the latest release, a total of 206 turtles have now returned to the wild, and we hope they can once again thrive in the waters of the Sre Ambel!

📷: WCS Cambodia

Cambodia’s Lower Mekong Delta, a remarkable system of rivers, swamps and lakes, is a biological treasure trove of flora and fauna, including threatened species like the sarus crane that forage in the wet grasslands.

Mandai Nature is proud to support Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust WWT's efforts to protect, restore and revive these extraordinary landscapes. To date, the WWT team has planted nearly 16,000 seedlings 🌱 to restore 13 hectares of flooded forests, which will provide valuable fish nurseries for local communities. They also work closely with nearly 300 farmers 👨🏻‍🌾to encourage a switch to more sustainable crops which reduces usage of chemical fertiliser and improves soil quality.

Learn more about WWT’s work in this interactive feature into the heart of Cambodia’s wetlands!

A journey into the heart of Cambodia’s wetlands A journey into the heart of Cambodia’s wetlands Earlier this year, Daphne Kerhoas, WWT’s Senior Project Manager in Cambodia travelled to the Cambodian Lower Mekong Delta. She was visiting our projects in the protected wetlands of Boeung Prek Lapouv and Anlung  Pring. This is her story... We arr...

there are 67 species of snakes recorded in Singapore alone? 🐍🐍

In celebration of World Snake Day today, let's show love to our slithery friends everywhere!

Delaney Eng, our Senior Manager for Local Biodiversity, shares her personal experiences that have led her to develop a soft spot for these often-misunderstood reptiles, and delves into the psychology behind the fear of snakes.

Read the article here on the Our Wild Neighbours blog: https://bit.ly/worldsnakeday2024

📷: Delaney Eng

The IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (ASTSG), hosted by Mandai Nature, gathered in full force for the first time in person last month in Yogyakarta, Indonesia!

The agenda kicked off with a public seminar at Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, featuring photo exhibitions and discussions on songbird trade and conservation efforts by the specialist group members and government representatives.

The specialist group members also held a 3-day workshop to update their workplan for the next 8 years. They concluded the trip with a visit to Jatimulyo village, on the outskirts of Yogyakarta, to witness the successful outcomes of a community-based bird conservation project! 🐦🐦

📸 Check out some snapshots from the trip!

🌍 Happy !

Today, we celebrate one of the world's rarest and most threatened large mammals. Although the elusive saola has not been captured on camera since 2013, experts believe it still roams the Annamite Mountains of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Our conservation partner, the Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation, is leading the charge to find any remaining Saola in the wild. Field teams are trekking through rainforests, analysing dung samples for saola DNA, recreating saola tracks from casts of hoof prints and establishing the first-ever scent dog detection team!

Follow Saola Foundation for Annamite Mountains Conservation for updates on their epic search of the saola.

Photo credits: Toon Fey, Souksamlan Laladeth/ Saola Foundation

As part of the NSS ESN 3rd Biodiversity Race 2024 organised by Nature Society Singapore's Every Singaporean a Naturalist (ESN) citizen science and nature education programme, nearly 160 students from primary and secondary schools set out across Singapore's nature parks to put their observation skills and local biodiversity knowledge to the test! 🦋 🐦🐸🦀🐞

These keen-eyed students made an impressive 967 observations of 118 species in just 3.5 hours! Congratulations to these young naturalists and keep up the good work!

Check out this news coverage of the race: https://str.sg/viz-race

Photos: Nature Society Singapore

🎧 LISTEN: Species in Singapore seem to be making a remarkable comeback in recent times, but why?

A recent sighting of the Critically Endangered Raffles’ banded langur on an eco-link bridge suggests that this species is expanding its habitat range. Additionally, a recent study predicts that its population will double in the next 15 years.

Discover how and why some species are defying extinction odds on this episode of the Climate Conversations podcast on CNA.

Climate Conversations Podcast: Why are extinct species coming back in Singapore? For a long time, experts thought some endemic creatures had became extinct. Experts explain why some primate and bird species have been showing up.

We had an incredible time sharing how the Mandai Wildlife Reserve serves as a "living classroom" for wildlife science and conservation at the inaugural Mandai Research Symposium! 👨‍🏫 🔬

148 secondary and tertiary students attended the Symposium at Bird Paradise this month. Colleagues from Mandai Wildlife Group and Mandai Nature, along with other prominent Singapore-based researchers, came together to discuss their efforts in protecting wildlife through science. They shared insights on various projects happening around the Mandai Wildlife Reserve and in Singapore, and on species such as the Singapore freshwater crabs and hornbills. Participants also got to enjoy a guided tour of Bird Paradise’s aviaries and public spaces, gaining valuable insights into the park’s conservation, animal care and sustainability efforts.

Check out our team in action during the Symposium!

📸: Mandai Wildlife Group

🚨 RED ALERT: More than half of the world’s mangroves are at risk of collapse, according to the first global mangrove assessment for the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

Mangroves cover 15 per cent of the world’s natural coastlines. They play a crucial role in preventing coastal erosion 🌊, regulating the climate by storing carbon 🌡 and providing habitat for a rich diversity of plant and animals 🦀 🐟.

However, mangroves today are under threat from deforestation, development, pollution and dam construction. We must act now to protect and restore these vital ecosystems.

Read more about the findings here: https://bit.ly/3wHiPS5

Photo: IUCN, Planet Indonesia

🌳Happy ! 🌳

These lush, vast ecosystems act as the “lungs” of our planet, regulating our climate, serving as carbon sinks, housing over half of Earth's biodiversity, and providing cultural richness to many indigenous communities.

Let's come together to celebrate and take action to preserve the world's rainforests. Our everyday choices — what we buy, where we spend our time and money, and the causes we speak out for, can carry significant influence and impact.

Here are some actions you can take:
🌿 Choose sustainably sourced products or those made from recycled materials (Tip: Look for paper or wood products certified by organisations like the Forest Stewardship Council)
📣Learn about the ongoing environmental issues and help to raise awareness about the importance of rainforests
👣Reduce your carbon footprint - take public transport, avoid fast fashion, and even just turning down the temperature on your air conditioning to save energy

📸: Wildlife Alliance

Happy International Horseshoe Crab Day!

out of the four extant horseshoe crab species found in the world, two of them - the coastal horseshoe crab and mangrove horseshoe crab - are found right here in Singapore?

Join us in celebrating these elusive “living fossils” as Singapore hosts the 5th International Horseshoe Crab Workshop 2024 this week. Co-hosted by Society Singapore and the IUCN Species Survival Commission Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group, the workshop gathers conservationists from around the globe to share knowledge and develop practical conservation plans for these incredible creatures.

Stay tuned for updates!

Transforming conservation leadership for women in Southeast Asia 🦸‍♀️💪 💪

Organised by the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP), the ASAP Women in Conservation Visible Leadership Programme is dedicated to building the skills, confidence and influence of women conservationists in Southeast Asia.

The 2024 programme kicked off with a four-day retreat in Cambodia in May, where 15 participants met with trainers and coaches from Visibility Co in person for the first time. Through bonding sessions and workshops, they forged connections with one another and explored ways to articulate their leadership vision.

Following the retreat, participants will continue the remainder of the programme online. We look forward to this year's cohort graduation in November!

Learn more about the ASAP Women in Conservation Visible Leadership Programme: https://bit.ly/visible-leadership

📸: ASAP

Good news from the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra! 👏👏

Our partners at Universitas Andalas have launched the Conservation Education Programme!

The programme will see student researchers live amongst the local Mentawai communities for two months, engaging in talks and activities to raise awareness of Mentawai's endemic biodiversity.

We're proud to partner with Universitas Andalas on this initiative to nurture and empower the next generation of Indonesian biologists and conservationists. 🤝 Let's continue our journey to safeguard Mentawai's precious wildlife together.

📸: Universitas Andalas

We rely on our natural world for our every need - but the degradation of our ecosystems threatens wildlife and the communities that depend on these natural spaces for their livelihoods.

It's not too late to make a difference. This , let's commit to taking global action to restore and safeguard our planet's critical habitats like rainforests, mangroves, and freshwater bodies 🌳🏞️⛰️ 🌏

📸 YANI, Planet Indonesia

🔎 How many native Singapore species can you identify in the photos? 🔎

Mandai Nature and Mandai Wildlife Group recently co-organised biodiversity surveys to document the status and diversity of and that call the Mandai Wildlife Reserve home.

With the help of more than 50 staff and volunteers from the nature community, we recorded 19 reptile and amphibian species, as well as 57 bird species across four wildlife parks – Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise – and public spaces at Mandai Wildlife West. These included the red-tailed racer, painted bronzeback 🐍, chestnut-bellied malkoha and banded woodpecker 🐦‍, to name a few (did you manage to get any right?)

Surveys like these help our conservationists assess local wildlife populations in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, and contribute to protection and management strategies implemented around our wildlife parks!

📸: Ivan Kwan, Chan Jie Yi, Carmen Choong

Thank you for an eventful last weekend! 🙏

We were heartened to see visitors of all ages stop by our booth to learn more about how conservation field work is being carried out by our colleagues at Mandai Nature and Mandai Wildlife Group. Our booth also drew visitors who were curious about our “replica” bamboo stem which was part of our showcase on protecting native bamboo bat populations in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who visited the Festival and dropped by our booth over the weekend! ✨✨We hope to see you at next year’s !

The annual in Singapore is back! 🌳🐒🦋🐍🍃

Join us at Punggol for a weekend packed with fun activities, workshops, and booths. Learn about Singapore’s rich biodiversity and interact with the various nature organisations working hard to preserve our natural heritage!

🗓️ 25 & 26 May 2024
🕙 9:00am – 7:30pm
📍 One Punggol, 1 Punggol Drive, Singapore 828629

Make sure to swing by Mandai Nature’s booth and discover what conservation is all about!

What does it take to save a species?

One critical step is conducting a Population Viability Analysis (PVA) which assesses the risk of wildlife population decline or extinction under different conditions, providing crucial data for conservation efforts.

In April, Roopali Raghavan, our Head of Terrestrial Conservation and Conservation Planning, co-facilitated a 4-day PVA workshop in Philippines for these iconic birds of prey – the Philippine eagle!
🦅🦅

Led by the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group, this workshop brought together experts to shape a National Conservation Plan for one of the world’s rarest birds of prey. Exciting progress for the future of the Philippine eagle!

📸: IUCN SSC CPSG, Philippine Eagle Foundation

Celebrating the first-ever in Singapore this week!

On 15 May, we organised one of over 80 satellite events world wide, in support of raising awareness and driving action around species recovery.

The internal staff event saw team members from Mandai Nature and Mandai Wildlife Group sharing with colleagues about how both organisations are helping to “reverse the red” by applying the IUCN “Assess, Plan, Act” conservation framework to protect some of Southeast Asia’s most Critically Endangered species.

Check out these highlights from our satellite event!

📸: Mandai Wildlife Group

The Singapore Terrestrial Conservation Plan (STCP) has officially launched!

The STCP is the result of a ground-up collaboration by nearly 40 conservationists and scientists. The publication presents actionable recommendations for the conservation of the terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity in Singapore.

Recommendations include:
✅ Restoring and rehabilitating degraded habitats like Bukit Brown in Singapore
✅ Enhancing the ecological connectivity of terrestrial and aquatic species
✅ Legislating environmental impact assessments for projects

Let's come together to celebrate this milestone and commit to protecting our local biodiversity! Read the full STCP here: https://sg-tc-plan.weebly.com/

📸: Kannan Raja

It’s 🐸 and time to shine a spotlight on our frog friends!

From the Bleeding toad in the mountains of West Java, to the Gigante wrinkled ground frog in the limestone karst caves of the central Philippines, these remarkable creatures play crucial roles in their ecosystems. But like many amphibian species in Southeast Asia, they face threats particularly from human activity, which is fast encroaching on their natural habitats.

Researchers from organisations like IPB University and Project Palaka are acquiring data on these species and establishing breeding programmes to boost populations under human care. And we’re proud to support initiatives like these through the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership, which aims to halt species extinction in Southeast Asia.

Learn more about these species and the ongoing conservation actions to protect remaining populations:
Bleeding toad: https://speciesonthebrink.org/species/bleeding-toad/
Gigante wrinkled ground frog: https://speciesonthebrink.org/species/gigante-island-frog/

📣Exciting news alert! 📣 A Raffles' banded langur was recently sighted for the first time on the Eco-link@BKE, a wildlife bridge in Singapore.

Dr Andie Ang, our Head of Primate Conservation and Singapore Programmes, was on MONEY FM 89.3 to shed light on the significance of this sighting, and the importance of ecological connectivity for conservation efforts.

But wait, there's more! 🐒 We were delightfully surprised in February this year with the sighting of a precious new addition, indicating the healthy growth of the local langur population!

🎧 Tune in to Dr Ang’s interview here:

Saturday Mornings: Dr. Andie Ang on this weeks' historic sighting of a Raffles' banded langur in Singapore - Glenn van Zutphen on Saturday Mornings with Neil Humphreys (9am - 12pm) Saturday Mornings host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host, award-winning author Neil Humphreys talk with Dr. Andie Ang, Head of Primate Conservation & Singapore Programmes at Mandai Nature about the first-ever sighting of a Raffles’ banded langur on Eco-Link@BKE, . She says it's a positive sign that th...