6 Easy Ways You Can Help Protect Wildlife

We’ve talked plenty about Singapore being the ultimate mix of city life and nature - how robust our wildlife is, where to find wildlife, and even recent human-wildlife conflicts in Singapore. But how can we as everyday Singaporeans do to co-exist better with wildlife?

We’ve spoken to various wildlife experts and here’s what they have to say!

Meet Ivan from Nature Adventures SG. A wildlife specialist who's a full-time nature guide, and a part-time wildlife researcher.

His first and most important tip?

1. NEVER feed wild animals

“It may seem harmless, but feeding wild animals messes with their natural habits, causing them to become dependent, thus stopping them from performing important ecological roles such as spreading seeds or loosening soil when hunting for food. Feeding also indirectly encourages them to initiate interactions with humans which can turn dangerous. They become so used to being fed that they have learnt to expect something from humans. For example, you'll see that many macaques don't hesitate to snatch, bump, or claw something out of our hands!

Worse yet - being well-fed also means they have a lot of time on their hands (otherwise spent finding food), which then leads to having lots of opportunity to get in action and reproduce.

This not only affects the entire food chain, but also creates an even bigger influx of wild animals to urban spaces!"

Ivan's second tip is to...

2. Give them space

“Let them do their thing and not interfere with their routines. It's okay to watch or even take pictures of them from a safe distance, but don’t approach them for selfies, to pet them, to poke or disturb them - just leave them alone! If not careful, you’ll get yourself or people around you hurt.”

Meet Clarence from The Unexpected. He's a multifaceted entrepreneur who is also passionate about saving bees. He rescues bees and runs a bee farm experience. Bees are the most important species in the world, and he wants to share one super easy way everyone can play a part in to save them:

3. Share on social media

“Yes, something as basic as sharing articles and social media posts help so much. We’ve seen social media work wonders for turtles and single use plastics, for the BLM movement, and so much more. If people took some time to share about Singaporean wildlife, it would make a huge difference as more people learn and educate themselves.”

Note: Bee extermination is still a common practice in Singapore, and Clarence has been working hard to change the minds of those who call for exterminators when they discover bees on their property, and he needs our help to spread the word further!

Dominic, kayak fishing guide from Purehybridz talks trash. He's seen floating debris in the sea near Pulau Ubin the size of a hockey field! While much of it are swept in from other countries, we can definitely make a difference by being more mindful with how we handle our trash. How?

4. Clean up after yourself

“If you’re headed out for a picnic with friends, camping by the beach, or even a simple barbecue - make sure you don't leave any trash lying around. In fact, make sure your trash is properly wrapped and disposed of, else wildlife such as monkeys are able to tear through them easily and these trash eventually reach the sea!

If you’d like to be even more intentional,  you can bring a plastic bag with you during your outdoor adventures and just pick up any trash you may come across, or you can even participate in a community beach clean up!”

Xiao Yun, a wildlife guide and environmental educator from The Untamed Paths has a couple of wise parting words for us:

5. Just do your best

“Protecting wildlife is not just about tangible actions - it’s about how each of us do what we can in our current capacity. Some of us might find that all we can do is share an educational social media post, or sign a petition — and that's ok. Others might feel compelled to do more and participate more actively like a beach clean up, recycle more, or even join a community of people who are activists — and that's ok!"

Last but not least,

6. Practise 5 Gs (Gracious, Giving, Green, Grounded, and Grateful)

"An anti-thesis to Singapore's infamous 5 Cs, practising 5 Gs trains us to be more mindful of how we make life decisions. For example, if we practised gratefulness, we’re less likely to cave into consumerist culture and social pressures, buying and consuming less, less need to 'upgrade' our lives, all of which contributes to more carbon footprint which negatively affects wildlife and the environment."

Remember, we don’t need a handful of people protecting wildlife perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly.