| Bukit Timah Nature Reserve | |
|---|---|
| Hutan Simpanan Bukit Timah (Malay) 武吉知馬自然保護區 (Chinese) புக்கிட் திமா நேச்சர் ரிசர்வ் (Tamil) | |
_-_img_12.jpg) Steps leading to the hut atop the summit of Bukit Timah. | |
 Interactive map of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve | |
| Type | Nature Reserve |
| Location | Bukit Timah Hill, Singapore |
| Nearest town | Bukit Panjang |
| Coordinates | 1°21′10″N103°46′42″E / 1.35278°N 103.77833°E /1.35278; 103.77833 |
| Established | 1883; 142 years ago (1883) |
| Operated by | National Parks Board |
| Status | Open |
| Website | www |
TheBukit Timah Nature Reserve (abbreviation:BTNR) is a 1.7-square-kilometre (0.66 sq mi)nature reserve near the geographic centre ofSingapore, located on the slopes ofBukit Timah Hill, the country's highest natural peak standing at a height of approximately 165 metres (541 ft), and parts of the surrounding area, located actually inBukit Panjang. The nature reserve is about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from theDowntown Core, Singapore's central business district (CBD).
Together with the neighbouringCentral Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) in close proximity, it houses over 840species of flowering plants and over 500 species offauna.[1] Today, it is one of the largest patches of primaryrainforest left in Singapore. The forest reserve was formally declared as anASEAN Heritage Park on 18 October 2011.[2][3]
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The nameBukit Timah is borrowed from the tallest hill found in the area of the same name, which is also the tallest geographical location in all of Singapore.Bukit means hill in theMalay language, whileTimah means tin. It is directly translated to English as "Tin Hill".
The hill served as agranite quarry for many years, but since the mid-1900s, all quarrying operations have been abandoned and the area converted into recreational and even filming locations.
In 1882,Nathaniel Cantley, the Superintendent of theSingapore Botanic Gardens, was tasked with assessing the forests of the Straits Settlements. His recommendations led to the creation of several forest reserves, including Bukit Timah in 1883. While most reserves were exploited for timber, Bukit Timah was preserved. By 1937, many reserves were depleted due to development pressures, but Bukit Timah and two other areas remained protected for their flora and fauna. In 1951, the Nature Reserves Ordinance established formal protection for these areas, which were then managed by the Nature Reserves Board. Today, under the National Parks Act and managed by theNational Parks Board, these nature reserves continue to safeguard Singapore's indigenous flora and fauna.
The primary activities at Bukit Timah are strolling, running and hiking. There are also smaller groups of people whorock-climb andabseil at the Dairy Farm quarry as well asmountain biking. There are specially-allocated mountain-biketrails around the area andBukit Timah Mountain Bike (MTB) Trail[4] is located within the Reserve. The 6.5 km MTB trail loop around Bukit Timah Hill and stretched between Hinhinde Park and Dairy Farm Road. The trail represents a tropical rocky terrain with extended technical climbs and difficult descents at short intervals. For MTB Map trail rating, it is largely made up of black diamond sections with intermittent blue square sections. There are also short alternative double black diamond sections.
The Reserve is popular among athletes training for mountain-climbing. There are a number of hiking trails. The blue trail is rated as "easy" and is 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi) long, ending overlooking Hindhede Quarry.[5][6] The red trail is also rated as "easy" and is 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long.[5][6] The green trail is rated as "moderate to difficult" and is 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long.[5][6] The yellow trail is rated as "difficult" and is 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long.[5][6] The red, green and yellow trails all end at the hut at the summit of Bukit Timah hill.[6]
The park has been designated with the code 9V-0007 by the internationalParks On The Air award program, and so is regularly 'activated' byAmateur Radio operators using portable equipment.
Some of the common plants there are therattan,figs, andmacaranga. Two meninjau trees (Gnetum gnemon) stand near the visitor center.[7] 18 different species ofdipterocarps live in the reserve, including the seraya (Shorea curtisii) andDipterocarpus caudatus.[7]Fan palms (Licuala ferruginea),leaf litter plants (Agrostistachys longifolia) thorny rattan andferns are also common.[7] Fern species includestaghorn fern (Platycerium coronarium) andbird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus).[7]Lichens and fungus, such asbracket fungus are also found.[7]
Insects found within the reserve includemillipedes,carpenter bees, and many different types of bird, insects and spiders.[7] Common insect species includecicadas andgiant forest ants (Camponotus gigas).[7] Common spider species include thegolden orb-web spider (Nephila pilipes) and theSt Andrew's Cross spider (Argiope mangal).[7]
TheSingapore freshwater crab (Johora singaporensis) is indigenous to Bukit Timah.[7]
Reptiles in the reserve include thereticulated python (Python reticulatus), theparadise tree snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) and thecommon sun skink (Eutropis multifasciata).[7]
Thecrab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis), a species of monkey, is common in the reserve.[7] The monkeys also enter the area surrounding the park and are common enough that there are concerns that interactions with people will alter their behaviour.[5] Feeding the monkeys is prohibited, and visitors are urged to avoid staring at, baring teeth at or otherwise disturbing or threatening the monkeys.[5][7] Monkeys are not the only mammals in the park. Other mammals include theMalayan pangolin (Manis javanica),Malayan colugo (Galeopterus variegatus),plantain squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) andslender squirrel (Sundasciurus tenuis).[7] The colugos, which are generally nocturnal, can sometimes be seen clinging to trees during the day.[7] Bukit Timah is the only place in Singapore where thered-cheeked flying squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus) is found.[7]
Raffles' banded langur monkey (Presbytis femoralis) was once found in Bukit Timah but the last individual from the Bukit Timah population died in 1987.[8] The government hopes that theEco-Link@BKE will allow the Raffles' banded langur to repopulate Bukit Timah fromCentral Catchment once the vegetation matures.[9]
Thegreater racket-tailed drongo is one of the most common birds at Bukit Timah (Dicrurus paradiseus).[7] The drongos often follow monkeys through the forest and eat insects that are exposed by the monkeys' actions.[7] Other bird species include theAsian fairy bluebird (Irena puella), thered-crowned barbet (Megalaima rafflesii) and thecommon emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica).[7] Bukit Timah is one of only two places in Singapore where the red-crowned barbet is found, the other being theCentral Catchment Nature Reserve.[7] The reserve, along with the adjacent Central Catchment Nature Reserve, has been identified byBirdLife International as the Central ForestImportant Bird Area (IBA) because it supports populations ofvulnerablestraw-headed bulbuls andbrown-chested jungle flycatchers.[10]
In 2011 the National Parks Board and theLand Transport Authority announced a plan to construct an ecological corridor, theEco-Link@BKE, at theBukit Timah Expressway to connect Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with the nearbyCentral Catchment Nature Reserve.[11] Construction was completed in late 2013.[12] The Eco-Link is anhourglass shaped bridge passing over the expressway, permitting wildlife to pass between the two reserves.[11] Trees and shrubs native to Singapore are planted along the bridge, which provide food for the animals.[12][13] The reserves had been separated since the expressway was built.[11] After monitoring its effectiveness for a few years, the National Parks Board intends to consider opening the bridge to the public for guided walks.[11][14]
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