Protecting the leopard cat
February 16, 2022
An interdisciplinary group of students - comprising Sean NG and TOH Weiyang (Year 3, Environmental Studies), Anna LOW (Year 2, Environmental Studies) and Janelle LEE (Year 3, Life Sciences) from the Faculty of Science, worked with Kellie LEE, a Sociology graduate from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – on a community project under the Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG) to raise awareness of Singapore’s wildlife and biodiversity. Kellie is a Wildlife Anthropologist who volunteers at SWAG.
As SWAG wanted to produce a documentary on the leopard cat, the team set out to film the leopard cat in the Night Safari and its natural habitats. They also interviewed environmental experts and worked with a Bengal cat breeder to explore the various challenges that the leopard cat faces in Singapore, such as how the demand for domestic Bengal cats correlates to the propagation of illegal wildlife trade of the leopard cat.
The team then put into practice their storytelling and editing skills to form a narrative on why leopard cats are critically endangered in Singapore. Their documentary was well-received and is now used by community partners as part of advocacy efforts for leopard cat conservation in Singapore.
Kellie said, “Many of us are caught up with the myth of urbanity - the idea that we live in a completely man-made space devoid of wilderness, forgetting that the land we stand on belongs to all biological and geological creatures. This documentary serves as a reminder that we share our home with all these wonderful beings. I am glad that the students’ efforts paid off and the documentary is making an impact.”
Sean, who describes the experience as a very positive one, said, “Each member contributed something different, with a great variety of experience and skillsets. All of us were united by a common cause …I learnt from various perspectives, which definitely shaped the vision of the final documentary throughout the process.”
The project was part of NUS’ Seeds of Good Programme (SOGP) which enables students to design and execute real-life community projects to bring about positive and meaningful impacts.
Watch their documentary here: https://youtu.be/hK6sLqdGGA8.
Adapted with permission from OCA source article.