Encounter with a poacher’s trap at Changi
Posted by BESG on 8 May 07, Tuesday
Contributed by KC Tsang & Fang Sher Chyet
On morning of 6th May 2007, KC Tsang and Amy came across a poacher’s trap while out strolling at Changi Point (left). “…and at about 0800 hrs came across this poacher’s trap. It has an Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) inside to act as a decoy, and the trap has two compartments in which to trap the unwitting bird. It was suspended about twenty feet above ground from a branch of the tree.
“The trap is located at the bottom left hand corner of the Changi Beach Club, if you are facing the sea from the club house. Below the trap is a Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa) in a cage.
“So what can anyone do about this?”
Oriental White-eyes are still a popular cage bird among the Chinese and the Malays. The latter call the bird mata putih, meanging white eye. Does this attempt at trapping the bird indicates that there is a well-organised syndicate at large as suggested earlier? The bird is getting common and actively breeding (1,2,3). Trapping it should be strongly discouragerd.
As in our earlier posts on Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) (1, 2), the public should contact the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) during office hours as follows :
AVA Wildlife Regulatory Branch: Ms Lye Fong Keng (6325 7349); Mr Gerald Neo (6325 7290); or Ms Yvonne Low (6325 7626).
However, Fang Sher Chyet has written: “The problem with AVA is that they are not working on Sat and Sun, and most of these poachers are active during the weekends. I have e-mailed them poacher activities at Jalan Halus with poacher’s photo and traps (above), but I did not hear from them even after follow-up e-mails. Till today, I still see poachers (sometimes 4 or 5) at Jalan Halus.”
Images by KC (top) and FSC (bottom two).
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Categories: Illegal-Irresponsible
Comment by Birdie boy
Made Wednesday, 9 of May , 2007 at 10:05 am
Just to clarify one thing. The bird in the cage is a Red Whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) and not a Hill Mynah (Gracula religiosa). =)
Birdie boy
Comment by Ding Li
Made Friday, 11 of May , 2007 at 4:11 pm
I think to get things done you would have to pop a handwritten letter to the relevant minister, addressed to the minister himself. Nothing gets done by emails, worst so if it is just addressed to the lower hierarchies, i realised that the hard way.
Comment by Forest Ang
Made Friday, 10 of August , 2007 at 9:40 pm
I once talked to a poacher (in Kedah) and he told me he supplied the birds to a bird park in Penang. Well, if there are demand, there will be people willing to poach. Boycott bird parks and pet shops - that is the only solution to save birds!
Comment by sam
Made Thursday, 23 of August , 2007 at 7:35 pm
To all those who are against poaching of birds wat identification do the birds in wild hve Example if my costly jumbol flies away dun tel me i dun hve any right to trap them back after spending so much cash on it.if e authorities are serious abt this better they should start tagging birds which are being sold in shop etc etc As that is e only proof pple can tel that e bird they tryin to trap is theirs….I jus hope e relevant pple wil look into this or keep in touch thanks
Comment by WaiWai
Made Sunday, 26 of August , 2007 at 9:50 pm
Sam, why on earth would you want to cage a bird in the first place? Let alone pay a bomb for it, or to recapture it after it has regained its freedom?
Comment by sam
Made Monday, 25 of February , 2008 at 12:05 pm
MR WAI WAI i suppose u nvr rare and pet or wat before tats y u askin me this question why dun u ask e zoo to release all its animals instead ofcaging them
