Conservation

Earth’s natural resources include air, minerals, plants, soil, water, and wildlife. Conservation is the care and protection of these resources so that they can persist for future generations. It includes maintaining diversity of species, genes, and ecosystems, as well as functions of the environment, such as nutrient cycling.

Continued human population growth has led to unsustainable rates of consumption of our natural resources, resulting in a loss of Earth’s biodiversity. The main factors driving biodiversity loss include habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species, over exploitation, and pollution.

The local story of the Banded-leaf Monkey presents an excellent case-study of how human developments can affect threatened populations of flora & fauna.

The Raffles' Banded Langur (aka Banded-leaf monkey) is an endangered species primate found in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). In fact, recent genetic studies have indicated that the population in Singapore genetically varies from those found in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia & hence is considered to be a new sub-species! Only an estimated 60 individuals live in our forests today.

Construction of the Bukit-Timah Expressway (BKE) in 1983 divided the population of banded-leaf monkeys by cutting through the forest. Only a few individuals were isolated in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) while the others were in the CCNR.

It is reported that the last surviving member of the BTNR population was a pregnant female. Though highly arboreal by nature, the purportedly depressed pregnant female banded leaf monkey gave itself to wild dogs in the area and was mauled to death.

This sad incident seeks to remind us of the importance of conservation and how human actions can potentially lead to irreversible damages to wildlife populations.