Sunday, November 17, 2019

Mandai Wildlife Bridge to help animals safely cross the road

Source Website: https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/mandai-wildlife-bridge-help-animals-safely-cross-road
By Cheow Sue-Ann, sueannc@sph.com.sg, The New Paper, 06 November 2019 at 06:00 am


The Singapore Zoo will soon feature a new overhead bridge linking two slivers of forest on either side of Mandai Lake Road.
PHOTO: The Singapore Zoo will soon feature a new overhead bridge linking two slivers of forest on either side of Mandai Lake Road.
Picture posted by Audrey Tan, Environment Correspondent, The Straits Times on 06 November 2019 at 11:32 am SGT
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEVbOO1ycFisSbPCQbhVQeZMb1ikE14dcvJ0uLNV-FgHZ8amqyoOOEQKxCM6CtdptifElxkbR_reVy3yaETgby5wLnwZrqMwxSFwuij5a6zdltRvXpJF9JxpFL88cxAc3erDTITi0pUk/s1600/nm-mandai-0611.jpg
https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/articles/2019/11/06/nm-mandai-0611.jpg
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/wildlife-bridge-to-help-animals-safely-cross-mandai-lake-road-will-open-in


The Singapore Zoo will soon feature a new overhead bridge linking two slivers of forest on either side of Mandai Lake Road.

But the 140m-long Mandai Wildlife Bridge will be catering only to animals to help them cross the road safely. It will be operational next month.

Work on the bridge started in June 2017, and it was officially unveiled by developer Mandai Park Holdings (MPH) yesterday.


The bridge is the latest in a slew of measures that MPH has put in place to reduce the incidence of roadkill.
PHOTO: The bridge is the latest in a slew of measures that MPH has put in place to reduce the incidence of roadkill.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Picture posted by Cheow Sue-Ann, sueannc@sph.com.sg, The New Paper on 06 November 2019 at 06:00 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP2ufikMzxEq5aOVP-BMt0FnwBlF4rE0uiX1pj-_dAuLUmeFxQrSxVdWD8Wl7SYFXYXCpWaFWFVSw2sjvlezd2kM9SeZbm220YSYDa3LylAxT4NnHV-6EjHXvulkK8qTG3xyCHzpLsVE/s1600/nm-mandai2-0611_0.jpg
https://www.tnp.sg/sites/default/files/styles/rl780/public/articles/2019/11/07/nm-mandai2-0611_0.jpg?itok=lpGzxx3w
https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/mandai-wildlife-bridge-help-animals-safely-cross-road



The bridge is the latest in a slew of measures that MPH has put in place to reduce roadkill while works for a hub of five wildlife parks are under way.

The vegetation cover is also useful for animals such as the shrew-faced ground squirrel to move across the landscape, said Dr Lee Hui Mien, vice-president for sustainable solutions at Mandai Park Development (MPD).

Dr Lee also stressed that the design of the bridge is intended to emulate a natural forest and will include a diverse range and size of foliage to ensure that animals feel safe while crossing the bridge.


An artist's impression of the Mandai Wildlife Bridge, which allows animals to cross over Mandai Lake Road safely.
PHOTO: The vegetation cover is also useful for animals such as the shrew-faced ground squirrel to move across the landscape, said Dr Lee Hui Mien, vice-president for sustainable solutions at Mandai Park Development (MPD).
Picture posted by Cheow Sue-Ann, The New Paper on 06 November 2019 at 06:00 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzaFPpdL3A6FNlxeUCaeUjxVNs4rmWJuMrfr6nZKNOIje3bnKrq5eC_ToYrW5s3sI5ZfySJ271TpfHGGDE3SlO4cV9dqAXVQQIdBZbjOb1NmKiX1_GXJQINuLFXSb6rCocGIF4vMzuqY/s1600/np_20191107_sczoo07la7s_5236674_1.jpg
https://www.tnp.sg/sites/default/files/styles/image_embed/public/articles/2019/11/07/np_20191107_sczoo07la7s_5236674.jpg?itok=LgF5kNfL
https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/mandai-wildlife-bridge-help-animals-safely-cross-road


MPD assistant vice-president for sustainable solutions Chua Yen Kheng said that the bridge will facilitate ecological connectivity and diversity by ensuring that the two slivers of forest are connected.

Ms Chua said that the bridge is not being built in "direct response" to the roadkill incidents found in the Mandai area and that many countries also used wildlife bridges to improve connectivity.

This can help in the movement of animals and encourage diversified breeding and feeding, improving the genetic diversity of both plant and animal species.

In February last year, a leopard cat, Sambar deer and pregnant wild boar were found dead in the Mandai area.

The ends of the bridge have been made slightly wider so animals will be funnelled towards them.

Hoardings have been installed along both sides of Mandai Lake Road to prevent animals from getting to the road.


Hoardings have been installed along both sides of Mandai Lake Road to prevent animals from getting to the road.
PHOTO: Hoardings have been installed along both sides of Mandai Lake Road to prevent animals from getting to the road.
Animals like mousedeer, civet cats and pangolins will have a safer way to cross Mandai Lake Road when the new Mandai Wildlife Bridge raises its barricades at the end of the month, in anticipation of its official opening in December. Tan Si Hui reports.
Picture posted by Cindy Co, CNA/cc(hs) on 06 November 2019 at 05:28PM - Safer animal crossings with new Mandai Wildlife Bridge
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYaLr8mWWPqICv5dai40TvXqg8w35TUYWpyS_OVWp1NzItklUw1SipzpIvJKUYjdAdgPuG_YEJQw3mplTZcHxxAARk03gpzkf9KE58lBF7Mxodtnrl_MiHSrzffyF4bV05A7Uu-7QmVA/s1600/mandai-wildlife-bridge-3.jpg
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/blueprint/servlet/image/12067750/16x9/1600/1064/425d82b7a8d38f73ac6cde70ac736397/bY/mandai-wildlife-bridge-3.jpg
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/safer-animal-crossings-mandai-wildlife-bridge-12068608
 

A map of the Mandai rejuvenation project.
PHOTO: A map of the Mandai rejuvenation project.
Source: Mandai Park Holdings
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/safer-animal-crossings-mandai-wildlife-bridge-12068608
Picture posted by Cindy Co, CNA/cc(hs) on 06 November 2019 at 05:28PM - Safer animal crossings with new Mandai Wildlife Bridge
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMckY1Yc8QBBXabidT-1VCENPhFfzgS4UkZveGmAFIMmPHdyClvzqwB6aP_RxYWjYxSiu9XFtx4SdSkWF6u-xMvosJAmBWcRJLO8kb4IJxFs73rGn4vpvxOiiwO1uypeZo_kTrI75sujo/s1600/mandai-wildlife-bridge--2-.jpg
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/12068632/0x0/2000/1415/7304823d1bdf4f4dbce5b53be9a2ad3c/GA/mandai-wildlife-bridge--2-.jpg
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/safer-animal-crossings-mandai-wildlife-bridge-12068608


CAMERA TRAPS
Dr Lee added that the bridge will also have six camera traps, to record the animals that make use of the bridge.

She said: "The cameras will allow us to monitor the usage of the bridge and inform us should we need to improve on the design."

She added that the data will also help with wildlife analysis and can contribute to academia and research.

While MPH has declined to comment on the cost of the bridge, Ms Chua said: "When there is a road cutting through a forest environment, there will be some impact. So if you want to improve connectivity in the area, this is definitely a worthwhile investment."


The bridge will eventually have more than 31,000 plants.
PHOTO: Psalm 50:10: “For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine.” A righteous person was said to be mindful of the needs of animals (Proverbs 12:10).
Picture posted by Poke Ball - Detective Pikachu
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd5nHie7UJczlRFVlj8cwggBOiIxzG7wnGfNYAgeualJfVxal3wfVFQRiqO0es0HQ4X2rYI02R39m4oMezFb5Vl9-em2kJZRJfY-X7pWDbrh4Zjhur3u8W8Qa2Be97WWdi-qHzZps7Wo/s1600/7cb95a39bf665751f18f44f58fe4e787.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7c/b9/5a/7cb95a39bf665751f18f44f58fe4e787.jpg
https://www.pinterest.es/pin/824651381751549171/

By Cheow Sue-Ann, sueannc@sph.com.sg, The New Paper, 06 November 2019 at 06:00 am
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Other stories

New Mandai wildlife crossing to be up by 2019, posted on Thursday, 27 July 2017
New Mandai wildlife crossing to be up by 2019, posted on Thursday, 27 July 2017
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/07/new-mandai-wildlife-crossing-to-be-up.html


Take a walk along bridge specially reserved for animals, posted on Thursday, 05 November 2015
Take a walk along bridge specially reserved for animals, posted on Thursday, 05 November 2015
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2015/11/take-walk-along-bridge-specially.html



Reference
[1] Cheow Sue-Ann, sueannc@sph.com.sg, The New Paper, Mandai Wildlife Bridge to help animals safely cross the road, posted on 06 November 2019 at 06:00 am, https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/mandai-wildlife-bridge-help-animals-safely-cross-road


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