But what of the animals we can’t see?
Increased use of automatic motion-detecting
cameras (camera traps) has revealed
that more animals share our island than
previously realised. These rare animals are
scattered throughout our nature reserves and
on Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin.- The Malayan
porcupine, around 70
centimetres long and
distinctively spikey,
caused great surprise
when it was found
to be living on our
island. First rediscovered
on Pulau Tekong in 2005, it’s now known
to be shuffling its way through the larger
nature reserves of the country, albeit in
very low numbers. - The small leopard cat is Singapore’s
only remaining wild cat. The main
island contains an estimated 20 of these
beautifully dappled felines, while around
29 survive on Pulau Tekong. - Although it’s a mammal, the Sunda
pangolin’s scales made of compressed
hair make it appear like a reptile. Pangolin
scales and meat are sought after by
#9 Dolphin
Also in our southern seas are several species
of dolphin. Most common is the Indo-pacific
humpbacked dolphin, which varies in colour from
grey to almost white and even pink and has a small
triangular fin on its back. Its larger relative, the Indo-
pacific bottlenose dolphin, is grey in colour and has
a hooked fin.
Safari tips: Dolphins are seen on a
fairly regular basis around the Southern
Islands. They’re easiest to spot from
a boat, especially around the Sisters
Islands and St. John’s Island and may
sometimes be seen from the land at
Sentosa or Pulau Brani.poachers, and according to WWF Singapore,
they are the most trafficked animal worldwide.
Here, the animal’s greatest threat is habitat loss.- Standing up to two metres
tall, the mighty sambar
deer is Singapore’s largest.
Around 20 individuals
remain on the main island.
Its tiny cousin, the lesser
mouse deer, is only around
30 centimetres tall, and equally
reclusive. The greater mouse deer is only known
from Pulau Ubin. - Dugongs are marine mammals – sailors of old
apparently mistook them for mermaids. They’re
occasionally sited in the Johor Strait, grazing on
seagrasses while moving to other feeding sites.
Wildlife you probably won’t fi nd
CITY GUIDE 2018 235RECHARGE & UNWIND