What do reactions to peregrine falcons, tapirs, crows, cicadas tell of S’poreans’ links to nature?

SINGAPORE – Within the span of a month, Singapore’s wild residents have made headlines with a frequency befitting a city where nature thrives.

From the welcoming of four bumbling peregrine falcon eyasses (chicks) in OCBC’s Chulia Street headquarters to news on the resumption of shooting house crows, a task force to deal with cicada swarms in Tampines Changkat and a rare appearance of a Malayan tapir, encounters with wildlife have dominated the collective consciousness.

Yet, the public’s response to these encounters has been different. The falcons were treated as celebrities and the tapir wowed at, but crows and cicadas were regarded as neighbourhood nuisances to be managed, silenced or removed.

The differential treatment highlights the tricky relationship that Singapore residents have with wildlife, in that the more charismatic creatures – especially those that do not encroach into our living spaces – tend to earn our affection.

Wildlife that “trespass” into human territory, however, are scorned as pests. Some animals, like the otters, are starting to straddle both categories.

As the Government pushes forward with its vision of designing a City in Nature – or a city that can reap the benefits of green spaces while co-existing with their wild inhabitants – residents too must change their perceptions.

It is no longer tenable to expect only the charismatic aspects of the wild to be kept while discarding the parts that inconvenience our urban sensibilities. After all, without the hungry caterpillar, there cannot be the beautiful butterfly.

The protective instinct we feel towards some wildlife is best exemplified by the cyclist who spotted a rare Malayan tapir and posted about it on Facebook on March 19. In a move that balanced awe with caution, he declined to reveal the exact location of the monochrome mammal that is considered to be at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

The fear was well-founded, given that sightings of rare birds are known to draw in flocks of wildlife photographers to the site, not all of whom may practise ethical photography habits.

People are understandably curious about rarely sighted wildlife. In March, the National Parks Board and OCBC Bank unlocked a new frontier of engagement with people with the launch of a livecam for Singapore’s only known pair of breeding peregrine falcons.

The feed allowed residents to observe intimate scenes from the raptors’ life cycle, including the feeding and nurturing of chicks that were previously out of sight for the average citizen. These birds often nest in tall structures, such as cliff faces or buildings, making it difficult to glimpse their young.

The public was so captivated by that whenever the camera feed went dark due to technical glitches, the family’s fans would inquire on social media about its return. Even when a stream of poop ejected by one of the chicks mucked up the live stream, the internet laughed it off. Instead of disgust, they lauded the culprit as a marksman worthy of a spot in the Singapore Armed Forces.

For a species regarded as valuable, Singapore residents were willing to look past its biological messiness. But such charity is often not extended to the Republic’s urban birds, such as crows or pigeons.

However, for Singapore to truly become a city in nature, it is key to understand how each species plays a role in the ecosystem.

For example, the Asian koel is a native bird which helps to control the population of non-native house crows by taking over their nests. Yet, the cuckoo has been regarded as an irritant by some for its loud, persistent call that birthed its Singaporean nickname – the “uwu” bird.

Even in geopolitically fraught times, biodiversity appreciation still has its merits, noted forest ecologist Shawn Lum in a March 9 lecture organised by the Institute of Policy Studies.

The former Nature Society Singapore president of 15 years compared caring for a healthy ecosystem to maintaining a home. If infrastructural repairs are put off for too long, the house eventually becomes unliveable.

The live stream that showcases the messy living habits of the peregrine falcons, faecal obstructions and all, is a welcome development.

By watching the chicks and their parents, the public can witness first-hand how the raptors control local animal populations, as they feed not just rats and Javan mynas, but also kingfishers and waterhens, to the hungry chicks.

While the falcon live stream is an excellent tool for inculcating an appreciation of nature, they are just one part of a longer educational journey that needs to take place to prepare residents to co-exist with wildlife.

A true appreciation requires everyone to have a deeper literacy of how human behaviour influences wildlife.

Animals that clash with humans like pigeons, house crows and long-tailed macaques often do so not because of a flaw in nature, but due to human intervention.

When wildlife is fed, whether through intentional offerings or poor waste management, their populations can surge artificially, throwing the ecological balance out of sync. These animals could wind up associating humans with food, leading to conflicts that cause residents to demand their removal.

In the end, our success as a City in Nature should not be measured solely by how many peregrine falcon chicks survive to adulthood, but how we care for the ecosystem that safeguards the future for us and every animal.

This involves the maturity to co-exist with the noise and the grit that comes with a thriving ecosystem.

Correction note: In an earlier version of this story, it was wrongly reported that the peregrine falcon camera was launched in late-February. The camera was launched in March.