Latest news with #JavanGibbon
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- AsiaOne
New camping experience in Mandai starts in August, here's what Colugo Camp has to offer, Lifestyle News
Three parks, two tours, one stay — that's Colugo Camp in a nutshell. The new permanent campsite, located in the eastern cluster of Mandai Wildlife Reserve, is looking to offer guests a different way to reconnect with nature and appreciate wildlife. Previously, trips to attractions in Mandai, like the Singapore Zoo or Night Safari, typically ended after just a few hours. But with Colugo Camp, guests can now enjoy an overnight glamping experience in any of their 20 safari-style tents, with each tent accommodating up to four guests. Base itineraries consist of a minimum 2D1N stay, with prices starting from: $550 for two pax $700 for three pax $800 for four pax Guests can also extend their stay at the same nightly rate. The camp will be open to the public on selected days from Aug 8 onwards, and AsiaOne got a sneak peek of what guests can expect during a media preview on Thursday (July 24). Clement Tan, Mandai Wildlife Group's deputy vice president of sales and experience development, kicked things off by sharing that Colugo Camp is part of a broader transformation at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. He said: "There are many more [attractions] to come, two more indoor attractions [such as] Exploria and Curiosity Cove, Rainforest Wild Africa along with the second permanent campsite, Crocodile Camp. "All these will be introduced in the upcoming months." Specifically, he noted that Colugo Camp will only broaden stayover options available to visitors while also appealing to a wider range of visitors and occasions. The glamping experience At the media preview, the breakfast served mirrored what guests will enjoy during their stay. The international buffet featured scrambled eggs, baked beans and turkey bacon while those looking for local delights can enjoy a hearty plate of nasi lemak. Generally, the breakfast items were decent without being particularly mind-blowing. A standout, however, was the wildlife-friendly Owa Coffee. Grown in Central Java, shade coffee is grown to ensure the preservation of forest canopies and its inhabitants like the endangered Javan Gibbon. Even as a non-coffee connoisseur, I found the Coffee Latte satisfying and the experience was made better by knowing the cuppa's environmental backstory. Meals are served at the communal dining hall, which comfortably seats up to 80 guests. The space also doubles up as a chill-out area where guests can unwind before and after their daily activities. Each 20 sq m tent offers scenic views and is equipped with a queen-sized bed, a bunk bed, fans and air-conditioning. So there shouldn't be any worries about dealing with the uncomfortable tropical heat! The warm wooden tones and nature-inspired motifs also add to the ambiance. Something to note is that the tents do not come fitted with refrigerators so pack accordingly. Shared toilet and shower facilities (with family and wheelchair-friendly options) are located nearby, with basic toiletries such as shampoo, shower gel and hair dryers provided. A Mandai Wildlife Reserve facilitator mentioned that lucky guests may even encounter native wildlife like the long-tailed macaques and baby wild boars during their stay. Your best chance of coming across them would be around sunset so do keep a lookout as you head to the Dining Hall for your evening meal. Apart from meals in the form of dinner, supper and breakfast, the standard 2D1N stay also includes admission to the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and an exclusive early entry to River Wonders. The free-and-easy entry to the zoo begins upon check-in in the evening. After an early dinner, guests are taken on a facilitated visit to Night Safari: Creatures of the Night, which includes a chartered Safari Adventure Tram with live commentary. A late-night bite back at the Dining Hall follows, before guests head back to their tents for some shuteye. The next morning begins bright and early (don't forget to catch the sunrise) and guests can enjoy an exclusive entry to River Wonders, which includes a guided tour of the park. At the media preview, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to experience this guided tour, which we found educational and engaging. Whether it was learning about electric eels or simply watching manatees float by, the experience was brought to life by an enthusiastic facilitator who definitely made the tour fun and informative. Ending one's stay with a guided tour was also a great way to close off one's Colugo Camp experience. Not only are you likely to walk away from the entire experience feeling refreshed, you might also have picked up a thing or two about the natural environment and the animals who call it home. Address: 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826 Upcoming camp dates: Starting Aug 8, refer to their website for more info [[nid:718477]] amierul@
Arab News
20-06-2025
- Science
- Arab News
In Java, Indonesian conservationist leads efforts to protect endangered silvery gibbons
JAKARTA: It was deep in the heart of an Indonesian rainforest in West Java that Rahayu Oktaviani, known as Ayu, first heard the 'song' of the Javan gibbon. She had her first encounter in 2008 while visiting the Mount Halimun Salak National Park for an undergraduate research project that required her to obtain a voice sample of the primate. After waiting patiently for two weeks, coming in and out of the forest, she finally heard a Javan gibbon make its distinctive call. She recalled how the sound she described as melodic and haunting had created a hush, as it echoed throughout the forest. 'It's like the most beautiful song that I ever heard in my life. It's so amazing,' Ayu told Arab News. 'They are non-human primates, but they can have like this beautiful song that can make all of … the creatures in the forest just keep silent.' In the 17 years since, Ayu has dedicated her life to protecting the endangered animals, which are also known as 'silvery gibbon,' or 'owa jawa' locally. A vast archipelago stretching across the equator, Indonesia is a top global biodiversity hotspot and home to over 60 species of primates, about 38 of which are endemic to the country. 'Maybe a lot of people know about the orangutan, about the rhino, about the tiger, but how about the overlooked species, just like, for example, the Javan gibbon? Not so many people know about them,' Ayu said. Fewer than 2,500 Javan gibbons remain in the wild today, according to an estimate by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. About half of them live in the 87,000-hectare Mount Halimun Salak National Park, where Ayu and her team have laid the building blocks for grassroots conservation of the endangered species. The gibbons rely on a continuous canopy for movement and foraging, making them particularly vulnerable to forest fragmentation and habitat degradation. As around 55 percent of Indonesia's 270 million population lives in Java, the survival of the endemic species found only in the island's forests is threatened by deforestation and illegal animal trafficking. 'With the situation in Java, where only like 10 percent of the natural forests are remaining, it means the forest itself should be intact. The forest itself still needs to be there not only for the Javan gibbons, but also for the other species that need this habitat for their lives,' Ayu said. In 2020, she co-founded the conservation nongovernmental organization Kiara to expand efforts to save the Javan gibbon, believing that a key aspect in protecting the species was to engage the local community. When she started out as a primatologist, spending much time in the forest to study the gibbons, Ayu did not realize that she was neglecting the very people who lived alongside the primates. She recalled a question a villager posed at the time, a woman named Yanti, who was curious as to why Ayu always went to the forest but rarely stopped by the village. 'That's a really casual and simple question, but it kept me thinking about what I've been doing so far. Is there something that I've been missing?' Ayu said. Yanti's query eventually led her to realize that she needed to do more with the community. 'We want to build together with the communities, where actually the gibbon can be something that they can be proud of,' she said. 'Community engagement is 100 percent the core for conservation because without community, we cannot do everything.' Ayu has employed people from Citalahab, a small village enclave located within the national park where locals make a living working in tea plantations or as rice farmers. Eight of them now work in the field alongside Ayu and her team to monitor the gibbons in the wild. With Kiara, she also established the Ambu Halimun initiative, which involves 15 local women between the ages of 17 and 50 in ecoprinting workshops and financial literacy training. In April, Ayu won the prestigious Whitley Award, which recognizes achievements in grassroots conservation, to advance her work in protecting the Javan gibbons. With 50,000 British pounds ($67,000) from the award, Ayu plans to scale up her programs with Kiara to mitigate threats from human activities and to protect the gibbons' habitat. This includes developing a data management system to enhance park-wide conservation efforts, training the park rangers in biodiversity monitoring techniques, and guiding conservation strategies. The 38-year-old, whose role models are 'the Trimates,' primatologists Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas, has faith that humans can live in coexistence with wildlife. 'Actually, if we put aside our ego, we are part of the ecosystem itself. We are not separated from the ecosystems, so it means we have to have more balance with nature,' she said. 'And to do that, we also have to respect what else (is) actually living together with us in these ecosystems.' Ayu said the Whitley Award served as good momentum to raise awareness about the species she loves dearly, the Javan gibbons. 'I believe not so many people are aware of the existence of the Javan gibbon, so it's the right momentum to share the love for the Javan gibbon and make people care about it,' she said. 'Because how can you care about the species if you know nothing about them?' With the award and the coverage that it garnered internationally, Ayu is also hopeful about inspiring a new generation of conservationists from Indonesia. 'I think women also play a good part to be conservationists in the future … It's also about … regeneration: the importance of nurturing the new generation of conservationists and primatologists from Indonesia, especially because we need more and more people who work in this field.'
