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Wildlife
of Ubin
Ubin
is a treasure house of wild plants and animals. Some of these are
rarely seen on the mainland, but are still common on Ubin. Some highlights
include:
Otters
have been spotted on Ubin!
Monkeys (Long-tailed macaques) are also still present
on the island. Although most are shy, one has recently taken
up residence at Ubin Town.
Several hornbills are resident on Ubin. This fantastic
bird is no longer regularly seen on the mainland.
Straw-headed bulbul a wondrous song bird that is endangered
by trapping for the caged bird trade. Still commonly heard on
Ubin, this bird not common on the mainland.
Red junglefowl the wild ancestor of our domesticated
chickens still roam the wild places of Ubin.
Wild boar these creatures are abundant on Ubin, probably
due to the elimination of predators that used to keep their
numbers in check. The most famous wild boar is of course Priscilla
of Chek Jawa. Unfortunately, she died in 2004. |
Smooth otter photo by MPhil |
Other
more ilusive creatures sometimes sighted off Ubin are dugongs
and dolphins.
In the past tapirs lived on Ubin, and the island has been visited
by elephants swimming over from Johor in 1990.
There were also rumours of a tiger on Ubin in 1997.
Share
your findings! If you spotted any interesting wildlife,
do leave a record of it in the NParks Sightings Record Book
at the NParks Info Kiosk on Ubin, right next to the Ubin Jetty.
Or share them with groups trying to develop records. For vertebrates,
you may also send your sightings to Kwok Wai who runs the Wildlife
Singapore website on non-bird vertebrates of Singapore. |
Seen
a pangolin? Seen roadkills or live pangolins
on Ubin?
pls email Norman asap g0403021@nus.edu.sg
what
is a pangolin?
who is Norman?
why
is this study important? |
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Ubin
is also home to some magnificent trees, many of which are worthy of
Heritage Tree status.
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Giant
mangrove tree photo
by KP Tan
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Gallery
of Ubin flora and fauna
Back to exploring Ubin
Links
Plants
Animals
Other
wildlife events/issues
- Pulau
Ubin: The Last Wild Frontier about the elephant that crossed
the Straits of Johor to land on Ubin on Pulau Ubin Special in
Nature Watch, Jul-Sep 1995, Nature Watch is a magazine of the
Nature Society (Singapore)
- It's
a zoo out there
on
November's Pulau Ubin Stories blog: November's family used to
stay on Ubin and she shares her stories about tapirs, wild boars
and other fantastic animals found on Ubin.
- The
Ubin Tiger - April 1997 on
November's Pulau Ubin Stories blog:
"Tiger Talk Taken Seriously By Singapore Authorities" Reuters
World Service 29 April 1997
References
- Chua
Ee Kiam, Pulau Ubin: Ours to Treasure, Simply Green, 2000
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