The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (abbreviation: BTNR) is a 1.7-square-kilometre (0.66 sq mi) nature reserve near the geographic centre of Singapore, located on the slopes of Bukit 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 in Bukit Panjang. The nature reserve is about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the Downtown Core, Singapore's central business district (CBD).
Together with the neighbouring Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) in close proximity, it houses over 840 species of flowering plants and over 500 species of fauna.[1] Today, it is one of the largest patches of primary rainforest left in Singapore. The forest reserve was formally declared as an ASEAN Heritage Park on 18 October 2011.[2][3]
Etymology
The name Bukit 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 the Malay language, while Timah means tin. It is directly translated to English as "Tin Hill".
The hill served as a granite quarry for many years, but since the mid-1900s, all operations of which has since been abandoned and converted into recreational areas and even filming locations.
History
In 1882, Nathaniel Cantley, then Superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, was commissioned by the Government of the Straits Settlements to prepare a report on the forests of the settlements. On Cantley's recommendation, several forest reserves were created on Singapore island over the next few years. Bukit Timah was one of the first forest reserves established in 1883.
All the reserves were worked for timber with the exception of Bukit Timah Reserve.[4] By 1937, the forest reserves were depleted under economic pressures for development. However, three areas, including the Bukit Timah Reserve, were retained for the protection of flora and fauna under the management of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
In 1951, further protection of the reserves were provided by the enactment of a Nature Reserves Ordinance and the establishment of a Nature Reserves Board for the administration of the reserves, now designated as nature reserves, which total some 28 square kilometres in area.
The primary activities at Bukit Timah are strolling, running and hiking. There are also smaller groups of people who rock-climb and abseil at the Dairy Farm quarry as well as mountain biking. There are specially-allocated mountain-bike trails around the area and Bukit Timah Mountain Bike (MTB) Trail[5] 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.[6][7] The red trail is also rated as "easy" and is 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long.[6][7] The green trail is rated as "moderate to difficult" and is 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long.[6][7] The yellow trail is rated as "difficult" and is 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long.[6][7] The red, green and yellow trails all end at the hut at the summit of Bukit Timah hill.[7]
The park has been designated with the code 9V-0007 by the international Parks On The Air award program, and so is regularly 'activated' by Amateur Radio operators using portable equipment.
The crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis), a species of monkey, is common in the reserve.[8] 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.[6] Feeding the monkeys is prohibited, and visitors are urged to avoid staring at, baring teeth at or otherwise disturbing or threatening the monkeys.[6][8] Monkeys are not the only mammals in the park. Other mammals include the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica), Malayan colugo (Galeopterus variegatus), plantain squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) and slender squirrel (Sundasciurus tenuis).[8] The colugos, which are generally nocturnal, can sometimes be seen clinging to trees during the day.[8] Bukit Timah is the only place in Singapore where the red-cheeked flying squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus) is found.[8]
Raffles' banded langur monkey (Presbytis femoralis) was once found in Bukit Timah but the last individual from the Bukit Timah population died in 1987.[9] The government hopes that the Eco-Link@BKE will allow the Raffles' banded langur to repopulate Bukit Timah from Central Catchment once the vegetation matures.[10]
In 2011 the National Parks Board and the Land Transport Authority announced a plan to construct an ecological corridor, the Eco-Link@BKE, at the Bukit Timah Expressway to connect Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with the nearby Central Catchment Nature Reserve.[12] Construction was completed in late 2013.[13] The Eco-Link is an hourglass shaped bridge passing over the expressway, permitting wildlife to pass between the two reserves.[12] Trees and shrubs native to Singapore are planted along the bridge, which provide food for the animals.[13][14] The reserves had been separated since the expressway was built.[12] After monitoring its effectiveness for a few years, the National Parks Board intends to consider opening the bridge to the public for guided walks.[12][15]
^"Eco-Link@BKE". National Parks Board. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
^"Central Forest". Important Bird Areas factsheet. BirdLife International. 2014. Archived from the original on 28 November 2001. Retrieved 18 March 2014.