Spotted in the wild

Despite having a total land area of only 719.2 sq km and undergoing rapid urbanisation, Singapore surprises with the diversity of its wildlife.

It is home to a wide variety of species, including some which are not commonly seen, such as the lesser false vampire bat and the Raffles' banded langur.

There are an estimated 23,000 to 28,000 species of terrestrial organisms and 12,000 to 17,000 species of marine organisms in Singapore.

"A healthy natural environment enhances our quality of life, improving our overall health and well-being as well as enriching our lives. In addition, wildlife aids in pollination and dispersal of seeds, thereby ensuring the long-term survival of our forests and native plants," said Dr Lena Chan, group director of the National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board.

"We are working to develop Singapore into a biophilic city, a city in a garden where nature is a part of our urban environment, where humans live harmoniously alongside wildlife."

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Straits Times picture desk would like to thank the following for their assistance in this project:

• National Parks Board
• Dr Andie Ang
• Herpetological Society of Singapore
• Dr Vilma D'Rozario
• Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres)
• Ms Xu Weiting and Ms Fung Tze Kwan, from the National University of Singapore Civet Research Team.

This article was first published on March 6, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.