Latest news with #LKCNHM
The Star
28-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
Only breeding pair of peregrine falcons in Singapore hatch two chicks for first time
SINGAPORE: The only pair of breeding peregrine falcons in Singapore in April hatched two chicks that fledged earlier this month, which means they are able to fly and leave the nest. This is the first record of the peregrine falcon – a bird of prey renowned for its speed – having chicks or eyasses in Singapore. In a statement on May 28, the National Parks Board (NParks) said the chicks were successfully hatched on April 6 and April 9. The falcons, native to Singapore, may be the country's rarest breeding birds, it added. The falcons were first observed to have nested at the OCBC Centre in Chulia Street in April 2024. Their latest clutch of eggs was laid between late February and early March this year. The older chick fledged on May 18, but was found on the ground a day later. The younger chick was also found on the ground on May 21. Both chicks were taken to the NParks Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation for health assessments, where X-ray results showed no fracture. The older chick was put back into its nest on May 20, and the other chick followed suit on May 23. Both fledglings closely match each other and their father in size, which suggests both are male, NParks said. Male peregrines, also known as tiercels, are smaller than the females, typically by about a third. The peregrines tried to breed before but previous attempts were not successful, leading to the abandonment of two eggs at their nest site in 2024. To help the falcons in their breeding efforts, the NParks team worked with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) at NUS Faculty of Science, Mandai Wildlife Group and Mandai Nature. OCBC supported the research project through the Garden City Fund, an NParks-registered charity. NParks said the peregrine eggs were retrieved with the help of robotics researchers from SUTD, who opted to use a device consisting of a telescopic pole and a claw controlled by cables on the ground. The device is called Ernest – an acronym for Egg Retrieval and Nesting Enhancement Support Tool. The eggs were sent to LKCNHM, where researchers concluded that the eggs were likely abandoned because of shell damage. To provide a more suitable material for the falcons to nest on, the research team installed a nesting tray with loose gravel at the nesting site on Nov 22, 2024. A CCTV camera system was installed to allow researchers to monitor the progress of the falcons' breeding cycle. A second nesting tray and CCTV system were set up on the opposite side of the building, facing Chinatown, on Jan 11, 2025 after the research team found that the falcons were using the recess on that side. During the installation of the second nesting tray, five older abandoned eggs and two newer eggs were found. The older eggs were donated to LKCNHM, while the newer ones were moved to the nesting tray. While the male falcon was initially observed to incubate the eggs in the nesting tray, the female did not attend to them, and the eggs were eventually abandoned. On Jan 24, the SUTD robotics team was again deployed to retrieve the two abandoned eggs, which were located three times deeper inside the recess area, and higher than the first retrieval site. The eggs were sent to Mandai Wildlife Group for further examination and incubation at the Bird Paradise Breeding and Research Centre. They were removed after eight days – one due to degradation and the other due to a lack of development. Both eggs were found to be infertile. Dr Daniel Calvo Carrasco, assistant vice-president of veterinary healthcare at Mandai Wildlife Group, said: 'Infertile eggs can result from a variety of factors, including lack of or deficient copulation by a young and inexperienced male, as well as potential nutritional or health-related issues.' A second clutch of three eggs was laid in mid-January, but these were later eaten by the female falcon. The research team said possible reasons for this behaviour include a stressful incubation environment due to the hard, concrete surface and food scarcity. Between late February and early March, a third clutch of three eggs was laid on a nesting tray in the recess facing the Singapore River, which researchers felt could be the falcons' last attempt at breeding for the season. Later, both parents were seen incubating the eggs. After the first chick hatched, the new parents quickly became busy with capturing prey and feeding it regularly. It was fed six times on the first day, NParks said. When the second chick hatched, the male falcon was observed on multiple occasions bringing food back and passing it to the female parent to feed the chicks. At other times, the female falcon also hunted to feed the chicks. The third egg did not hatch and was later sent to LKCNHM for further research. On April 30, when the chicks were about three weeks old, they were retrieved from the nesting tray for ringing – a process where small rings are attached to the chicks' legs for future identification. The chicks were also measured and had blood and other samples collected. The measurements will be compared against those taken from other nestlings elsewhere to determine if their development is on track. The samples will allow researchers to assess the chicks' health. The chicks were later returned to their parents in the nesting tray. The research team also placed temperature and humidity sensors in both recesses on the sides of the OCBC Centre to observe if there are preferences in nest site selection based on these factors. They will also be reviewing CCTV footage to find out the types of prey caught by the falcons. Dr Malcolm Soh, principal researcher at the NParks Wildlife Management Research branch, said: 'By studying their breeding patterns and foraging preferences, we can develop more effective conservation strategies to support their successful adaptation to Singapore's urban landscape.' On May 23, the older fledgling was seen with its parents in One Raffles Place and again on May 24 at a higher perch, showing improved flight and elevation. Despite their improving flight ability and confidence, the fledglings may still find themselves on the ground, NParks said. If anyone spots the fledglings on the ground, they can contact the NParks Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600. - The Straits Times/ANN
CNA
08-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Singapore's only natural history museum plans expansion as it marks 10th anniversary
SINGAPORE: The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) may soon need to expand amid a growing collection and rising visitor numbers. However, there are no plans to move from the current location within the National University of Singapore, said Associate Professor Darren Yeo, who heads the museum. Instead, the museum intends to enlarge its existing space and adjoining property, he noted. 'Now it's about trying to find the funding to build up the connecting building we have here, once we have more space… that will allow us to expand our temporary exhibitions and allow our gallery to be a bit more dynamic,' added Assoc Prof Yeo. 'If we were able to expand, (we would be able) to have more or bigger exhibition halls." He said more space can be allocated for the museum's growing amount of research and collection from surveys and expeditions conducted with local and regional partners. The biodiversity museum, which turns 10 this year, houses more than a million natural history specimens, including birds, insects and reptiles. It has welcomed more than 650,000 visitors since it was established in 2015. Visitor numbers also hit a record high of over 88,000 last year, a sign of growing public appeal for its exhibits. Assoc Prof Yeo believes the greater exposure of natural history among the public has led to more people visiting the museum. BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS The only museum dedicated to natural history in Singapore on Tuesday (May 6) marked its 10th anniversary with two exhibitions and a new book. The book and exhibition were launched by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, Ms Jane Ittogi. The book, titled Archipelago Of Islands: Natural And Other Histories Of Singapore, pays tribute to Scottish naturalist William Jack, who described Singapore as an 'Archipelago of Islands' during his visit in 1819. Jeslynn Teo, one of the book's authors, hopes the publication will offer a fresh perspective on Singapore's history. 'Usually, people would think of Singapore as a single mainland city rather than an archipelago. (We are in fact) an archipelago of… 54 islands,' said Teo, an executive at the museum's Biodiversity Histories unit. She added that Singapore consisted of up to 79 islands in the past, but changes over the centuries have resulted in a loss and gain of biodiversity, leading to a total of 54 islands today. The museum is also holding an exhibition, A Decade of Discovery, which will run for a year until May 2026. It showcases the LKCNHM's origins, and its current role in protecting and displaying the natural heritage of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Ms Esther Parn, a gallery and exhibitions manager at LKCNHM, said the museum will also showcase interesting specimens and findings from expeditions conducted over the years as part of the anniversary celebrations. 'We (will) also talk about the RIMBA expedition to Sarawak, so there are some specimens from there as well,' she said, referring to a collaboration between the LKCNHM and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to document the rich biodiversity of Sarawak and improve wildlife conservation management, among other things. Apart from in-house celebrations to mark 10 years of operations, the LKCNHM has also announced an exhibition to be held in conjunction with Science Centre Singapore. The museum added that this year-end showcase will look at extinctions and dinosaurs over 400 million years of Earth's history. BRINGING SPECIMENS HOME, DIGITALLY The LKCNHM is also expanding its digital collection. The Singapore in Global Natural History Museums Information Facility (SIGNIFY) project is an effort by the museum that created a digital biodiversity archive. Its aim is to digitally reunite the 'thousands upon thousands of natural history specimens' collected from Singapore long ago but are now scattered across the world, said LKCNHM's biodiversity histories lead Martyn Low. SIGNIFY works with natural history museums and repositories globally to digitise historically important specimens from Singapore, document them for the Singapore context and facilitate their research. Mr Low added that the SIGNIFY team works to digitise specimens at high resolution for everyone to freely access online. Many of these specimens were collected by naturalists and explorers across different time periods, when Singapore did not have a museum dedicated to natural history, he said. Mr Low added that they form a very rich part of Singapore's biodiversity history. One such specimen that the project has digitised is the Hope's longhorn beetle, or Remphan hopei. This beetle is the first species of insect from Singapore to be given a scientific name, according to SIGNIFY. A type specimen, or a sample that defines the species, of this beetle is currently located at the Natural History Museum in London. 'If the specimen is in London… only observed in London and studied in London, it is divorced from where it was first collected and where it used to live,' said Mr Low. He explained that if it was digitised and brought back to its original habitat, people can better understand what Singapore's natural history was like. As part of Singapore Art Week 2025, SIGNIFY placed a digital specimen of the beetle at a rainforest area in Bukit Timah, where Mr Low believes it was possibly collected in the past.
CNA
06-05-2025
- Science
- CNA
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum plans expansion as it marks 10th anniversary
As it marks its 10th anniversary, the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) plans to expand, amid a growing collection and surging public interest. Visitor numbers hit a record high of 88,000 last year. The seven-storey museum is home to over a million natural history specimens. Mr Martyn Low, biodiversity histories lead at the LKCNHM, shared more about the museum's efforts to archive Singapore's biodiversity and grow the country's natural history community.
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum celebrates 10th anniversary with exhibition, book
The book was co-authored by a team of researchers from the museum and also commemorates 60 years of Singapore's independence. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SINGAPORE – A deep sea expedition to the Indian Ocean and a year-long collaboration with the Science Centre on the region's natural heritage are on the cards for Singapore's one and only natural history museum, as it marks its 10th anniversary. The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), established in 2015, houses artifacts like animal, plant, mineral and fossil specimens collected over two centuries. It also serves as a hub for research on South-east Asia's biodiversity, education and public outreach. 'The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is rich in both legacy and youthful vibranc y . Our biodiversity collection traces back to the 1800s ... and continues to grow,' said Professor Darren Yeo, who heads the museum, at its 10th anniversary event on May 6. With over one million specimens in its collection – around double of what it began with a decade ago – he hopes to expand the museum space with a new floor. A new book and a special exhibition to mark LKCNHM's anniversary were also launched at the event by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was accompanied by his wife, Ms Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam. The book, titled Archipelago Of Islands: Natural And Other Histories Of Singapore, was co-authored by a team of researchers from the museum and also commemorates 60 years of Singapore's independence. The exhibition, A Decade Of Discovery: Stories From The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, will be open to the public from May 7 to May 3, 2026. The exhibition features three general sections on the museum's history, past and present projects it has undertaken, and what the future holds for it. Visitors will get to browse dry and wet specimens of fauna collected from the museum's past expeditions to Christmas Island, Sarawak, Malaysia, and Java, Indonesia, alongside digital and physical repositories of local and regional biodiversity data. 'Some of these artifacts aren't just scientific discoveries. The ones collected from the Christmas Island expedition, for instance, also carry historical significance due to Singapore's relationship to the island, and more importantly, our relationship with Australia,' said senior curator of crustacea and other marine anthropoda Jose Mendoza. Also on display are a collection of 409 species of ants native to Singapore; four novel species of snakehead, a predatory freshwater fish, from Myanmar that were discovered through the aquarium trade and field collections; and a firefly that inspired a local composition performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for Singapore's 56th birthday in 2021. Younger visitors can also enjoy a digital game panel simulating an expedition, where they will be able to sort oceanic fauna into categories and learn more about them. Some of the corals and shells from a vast collection donated by Dr Chuang Shou-Hwa, who headed the zoology department of the then University of Singapore from 1971 to 1977, are also showcased around the room. 'We hope that through this exhibition, people will see that Singapore has natural history and rich biodiversity that is worth protecting,' said lead curator Esther Parn. 'In fact, we just created a new department to explore aquatic sponges – a small handful of which are on display in this exhibition. It hasn't been widely studied, so we're hoping to be able to share our findings with the public soon,' she added. Prof Yeo said: 'The exhibition and book also represent the collaborative efforts of local and regional agencies, museums, universities and more, who have been a part of our journey… It is really something to be proud of, as Singapore's only natural history museum, and being able to drive awareness of biodiversity conservation.' The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum houses artifacts like animal, plant, mineral and fossil specimens collected over two centuries. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Research, with the knowledge and understanding it brings, is the natural extension to the museum's scientific collection, noted Prof Yeo, who specialises in freshwater biodiversity and ecology, aquatic invasions and freshwater decapod crustaceans. His team progressed to the second-phase of its Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey in 2024. A five-year survey in partnership with the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and National Parks Boards, it is Singapore's first large-scale initiative to assess and document the diversity of marine life in the waters of the Republic. As for the expedition in the Indian Ocean, a 20-man team from LKCNHM is set to 'explore seamounts, underwater mountains that rise from the seafloor and hold interesting biodiversity' in international waters there towards the end of the year, he added. The museum will also provide inclusive programmes and free admission to underserved groups, thanks to the recent establishment of its 'Gift of Biodiversity Heritage' endowment fund. It will match donations of up to $500,000 under this programme, to benefit charity groups and civic organisations that serve persons with special needs and migrant workers. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
