Green Trails Podcast
Visit to Punggol: How human-wildlife conflict can be mitigated
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Synopsis (headphones recommended): Green Trails is a four-part environment podcast special for 2024 where The Straits Times hits the ground with experts.
In this fourth episode, our trails won’t be entirely green. Instead of a nature park or a green space, we head over to an urban place surrounded by buildings and construction noise.
The new neighbourhood of Punggol Northshore recently saw some monkey business, with troops of long-tailed macaques spotted at construction sites and even eating at a void deck of an HDB block.
Long-tailed macaques outside a construction site next to 436A Northshore Drive on Sept 17, 2024.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
To find out how residents can responsibly live in a macaque hotspot, ST journalist Shabana Begum speaks with co-chief executive of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) Anbarasi Boopal, and president of the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) Andie Ang.
Strolling along Punggol Settlement and the promenade opposite Coney Island, the conversation turns to other wildlife in our midst – from the common palm civets that tend to sneak into private houses, to the ever-present junglefowls.
ST’s podcast team recording the Green Trails Podcast at Punggol Settlement, on Oct 1.
ST PHOTO: ELSA GOH
Animals in urban areas being culled is never a clear-cut decision, as Ms Anbarasi says: “Removal (of animals) is always not a solution. And where do we draw the line, right?
An advisory sign on what to not do when encountering monkeys found along the promenade.
ST PHOTO: ELSA GOH
“We are okay with hornbills, but we’re not okay with other birds.”
At the end of the day, even urban areas in Singapore can be green trails.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:10 Why is Punggol a monkey hotspot?
4:45 Monkey see, monkey don’t do
11:08 When otters and civets visit homes
14:30 Is culling the best way to reduce bird numbers?
17:08 What to do when you encounter a snake
Read ST’s previous commentary about co-existing with wildlife: https://str.sg/tYpq
Find out more about macaques in Punggol: https://str.sg/ephc
Listen to other Green Trails episodes:
Ep 1: Visit to Sungei Buloh: How Singapore can better host migratory birds - https://str.sg/BrqS
Ep 2: Visit to East Coast: How reclamation will shape up against rising sea levels - https://str.sg/mRG8
Ep 3: Visit to Windsor Park: Can insects in SG’s backyard be foraged? - https://str.sg/4V6nQ
Host: Shabana Begum ( nshab@sph.com.sg
Trail producers: Hadyu Rahim, Fa‘izah Sani, Amirul Karim & Elsa Goh
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive Producers: Lynda Hong ( lyndahong@sph.com.sg ernest@sph.com.sg audreyt@sph.com.sg
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
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