Eagle catches heron at Pasir Ris Park and other wildlife sightings in Singapore

Singapore's urban and green environment is home to a rich abundance of beautiful wildlife that we don't often see. In our Wildlife Around Singapore series, we share interesting flora and fauna that have been sighted around the island.

Bus driver stops to let python cross road

Bus driver Avtar Singh said in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group that a large python crossed his vehicle's path on North Buona Vista Road around 4am. He immediately stopped and got out to help the snake cross the road safely.

Singh said the python initially went under his bus after he applied the brakes, but the snake came out after around three minutes and continued on its way. Netizens thanked him for ensuring that the snake didn't get squashed by other vehicles.

Eagle hunts heron at Pasir Ris Park

Wildlife photographers Jayaprakash Bojan and Dan Ng shot amazing footage of a changeable hawk eagle hunting a grey heron at Pasir Ris Park. The video was part of a documentary about animals found in Pasir Ris Park, which has a rich mangrove forest ecosystem nestled in its midst.

Jayaprakash and Dan uploaded the video about the changeable hawk eagle on Instagram yesterday, but you can watch the full documentary on their Youtube channel here.

Double pangolin sightings

We previously wrote about a very close encounter with a pangolin in the forest. Somehow, a couple more netizens in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group have encountered the rare creature within a week of each other!

Dev shared a video of a pangolin he bumped into one morning at Upper Peirce Reservoir Park. The little fellow climbed down a gate before ambling into the undergrowth.

Another netizen Warren was walking his dog at night when he came across a pangolin who was stuck on a road divider. He was worried for it, so he followed it and helped it to cross safely by stopping cars on the road. The pangolin made it safely into the bush by the road.

Palm civet family's night out

Chun Kit shared a video in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group of a family of common palm civets feeding on a pigeon in western Singapore.

Squirrel mating drama

Clare shared an amusing scene she witnessed in the Nature Society Facebook group. She had encountered two plantain squirrels mating in a tree in Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West. However, according to her, a third squirrel interrupted them and "seduced" the female away with a "kiss".

Crabs that climb trees

Did you know that crabs can climb trees? Netizens in the Nature Society Facebook group shared pictures of tree climbing crabs in the mangrove forest.

There are several species of tree climbing crabs in Singapore. These crabs feed on the forest floor, but during high tide, they climb onto tree trunks and branches and remain motionless; this behaviour is thought to help them avoid predators both above and under the water.

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