PM Lee Hsien Loong pays tribute to Singapore's 'Nature Man' Subaraj Rajathurai

Singaporean wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai is well known for his passion and knowledge of nature, and for being an outspoken advocate for Singapore's native wildlife. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Two weeks after the death of Singaporean wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook to post a tribute to him.

In his post on Wednesday (Nov 6), Mr Lee said Mr Subaraj's death was a "great loss to nature lovers in Singapore".

He wrote: "I was privileged to meet him a few times, and enjoyed our conversations.

"He had a remarkable knack of spotting animals hidden in natural surroundings, and a great love for nature. His passing is a great loss to nature lovers in Singapore."

Mr Subaraj, 57, died of a heart attack while taking a nap at his home on Oct 22.

He is well known for his passion and knowledge of nature, and for being an outspoken advocate for Singapore's native wildlife. He worked as a consultant in many development projects in Singapore, helping the authorities strike a balance between development and conserving Singapore's wildlife spaces.

He is survived by his wife, Madam Shamla Subaraj, and his two sons, Serin and Saker.

Dozens from the nature community attended his funeral on Oct 23 clad in green as a homage to him.

In his Facebook post, PM Lee included a picture he took last year of a monkey on a tree in Chestnut Nature Park.

"There must have been many more animals closer by and better hidden that I missed, that Subaraj would have been able to point out," Mr Lee said.

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