26/05/2026
“The loss of Bukit Batok and Bahar on their own is already significant. Taken together, the future of the wildlife across our central and western forests—the island’s strongholds of terrestrial biodiversity—is subject to great uncertainty. It is possible that there will be complete loss of connectivity for some species, such as the critically endangered Sunda pangolin.
The ground-based and slow moving creature lives in undisturbed forested areas like, including those found in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (near Bukit Batok) and Nanyang Technological University (near Bahar). As the pangolin traverses the terrain in search of resources and potential mates, it needs to move between multiple forests, especially if these forest patches are already quite small, as in Singapore. If the physical connection between forests is broken, there is a higher likelihood that pangolins won’t be able to move between forests safely. They will become increasingly isolated, decreasing the likelihood of their long-term survival through insufficient food, suitable mates, or road hazards.”
Yi Feng, an “intertidal explorer, climate activist, ecologist and fiction writer”, issues a clarion call for all who worry about our shrinking wild spaces, from the forests to the intertidal zones. His essay combines everything from descriptions of the pangolin’s habitat to screenshots of URA zoning maps that reveal imminent developments, and interviews with people with an intimate knowledge of the government’s method of environmental engagement and consultation.
Because of its urgency, we’ve put it outside the paywall—please read and share, link in the comments section.
Photographs by Choo Yi Feng, Francis Seow Choen, See Yong Feng, and from Wikimedia Commons and Shutterstock
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