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Trio seen allegedly poaching for shellfish and crabs at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/trio-seen-allegedly-poaching-shellfish-and-crabs-sungei-buloh-wetland-reserve

Kayaking at Sungi Buloh Reserve where there's crocodiles? Still dangled his feet in the water? Come on! SINGAPORE - Nature photographers, who were expecting birds, otters or even crocodiles on an outing to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, were surprised to spot people instead on a leisurely kayaking trip. Canoes and kayaks are not allowed in the nature reserve, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Mr Ben Lee, founder of Nature Trekkers, said he saw a couple and a young child kayaking in the reserve on Sunday. The avid nature guide and photographer was conducting a photography session there when he saw the trio row into the reserve in the afternoon. "I managed to capture some shots of (them) with my long-range telephoto lens camera before they rowed... out of the reserve," the 52-year-old told The Straits Times on Monday. After a trip into the reserve, the trio spent about 45 minutes relaxing near a river bank, while having a picnic on the kayak, Mr Lee said. He added that the man dangled his legs in the water as he ate. "The brackish mangrove river... is infested with crocodiles and one will never know if any of these crocodile will make a surprise grab on the man's leg," he said in an e-mail to The Straits Times. He spotted three crocodiles on his outing on Sunday, Mr Lee said, but he could not get clear photos of them as they were lurking in the water. The area is home to a number of wild saltwater crocodiles. Male saltwater crocodiles generally grow to 5m from snout to tail, and weigh about 450kg. Last April, a 400kg giant, probably one of the largest to have roamed wild here in decades, was found dead on the Kranji Reservoir grounds. It is believed to have been killed by poachers. Mr Lee sent The Straits Times two photos he took of crocodiles he had spotted on Saturday. He wrote in the same e-mail: "It would be unimaginable if (the canoe) were to capsize... as the canoeists were not having life jackets on or safety equipment..." Mr Lee emphasised to The Straits Times over the phone that he felt the authorities should put up signs to warn unsuspecting canoeists and kayakers that they should not row into the reserve. Besides putting their own lives in danger, they could also disturb the animals, he added. Mr Subaraj Rajathurai, director of Strix Wildlife Consultancy, stressed that the reptiles will not attack humans unless provoked. "But feet dangling in the water could look like fish, which is a crocodile's natural prey," he warned. When contacted, the National Parks Board (NParks) said it was aware of the incident. Said NParks' deputy director of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Mr How Choon Beng: "NParks officers noticed two adults and a child kayaking within Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on Sunday afternoon. "When advised by our officers, they were cooperative and immediately left the boundaries of the Reserve." He also reminded visitors to keep within the designated land trails when visiting the reserve.

The real McCoy, not some large monitor lizard claimed to be one swimming in some Pasir Ris river not too long ago. From STOMP: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...ngei_buloh.html Posted on 16 May 2012 Wild crocodiles spotted at Sungei Buloh A STOMPer spotted two wild crocodiles resting at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in the span of a week. Also known as estuarine or saltwater crocodiles, they have been spotted several times at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, although these sightings are not common. They are considered indigenous to the region and can grow up to a length of 8m long, with a diet consisting mostly of fish. Crocodiles are often confused with Malayan water monitor lizards, which are shy, non-venomous reptiles that sometimes make an appearance in large canals. The STOMPer wrote: "This 1.3 metre crocodile was seen resting last weekend at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. "Another crocodile, more than 2 metres long, was also seen basking in the sun earlier in the day."

The wonderfully long and fast 8 lane (4 both ways)jurong buloh was closed off except for one lane on each side of the road this morning as there was a fatal accident. Trailer head without trailer was smashed in the front across the central lane divider. A pickup it crashed into was totaled with a dead person covered lying across 2 lanes. Human body parts was seen along a 20meter stretch of road. Its time for TP to do something with these trailer guys...