I have crossed paths with the horseshoe crab numerous times in my life. Since young, I have come across them along the northern shores, some in good shape, while others badly entangled in illegal driftnets. In school, I learnt about the incredible value of their blue blood in the medical field (for the detection of bacterial infection). And through the Internet, I realised that they are facing threats in Singapore, be it habitat destruction or death from gillnets.

For this reason, I signed up for this horseshoe crab rescue and research activity at Kranji Mudflats, to hear directly from expert Lester on the current state of horseshoe crabs and learn interesting facts I have never heard of. In particular, we focused on the mangrove horseshoe crab, which is the predominant species of horseshoe crab living at Kranji Mudflats. It can be differentiated from the coastal horseshoe crab – the other species in Singapore – by checking its tail: the mangrove horseshoe crab has a smooth tail, whereas the coastal one has spikes growing along its tail.

While waiting for the coast guard to open the gate for us, Lester gave us an informative talk on the mangrove horseshoe crab and the mudflat it lives on. We learnt cool facts such as the males having big bicep muscles which they use to latch onto the females during mating, and that there can be one male latching onto multiple females or multiple males on one female during meeting. We were also told that any horseshoe crab with a width below 7.5cm is considered a juvenile, while those above can be sexed.

After the coast guard opened the gate for us, we stepped onto the sloshy mudflats to look for any horseshoe crab we could find, which we would measure and record down the measurements in a Google docs. Every bit of this data will be going to fill the missing data currently needed to give horseshoe crabs a IUCN conservation status. Once our mangrove horseshoe crabs are given an official status by the IUCN, it becomes easier for Nature Society, other NGOs and policymakers to justify their protection and implement relevant policies. Yet, a hurdle to be overcome is the fact that horseshoe crabs are more closely related to insects than actual crustaceans. Thus, putting in place a law to protect horseshoe crabs would possibly mean that other laws protecting insects need to be implemented too, which may sound absurd.

With the decline of horseshoe crab numbers in recent years (as Lester puts it, horseshoe crabs used to carpet the mudflat while today we see far less concentration of them), it is evident that we need to take action to conserve them. As resilient as these living fossils may be, no animal can withstand the annihilation of their homes at an unprecedented speed. Hopefully more people will step up to volunteer for the collection of horseshoe crab data which can serve as a stronger ground of argument in the future – one person’s small contribution can go a long way.

We reached Bukit Batok Nature Park at around 730pm, and met Uncle Tony at the benches beside the carpark. When I arrived, he had already started telling tales of the conservation landscape and history of environmental protection in Singapore. After a short discussion, we set off, torch in hand, looking for the big 3 nocturnal mammals: colugo, flying squirrel and the civet cat.

Along the way, Uncle Tony gave us arguably one of the most informative lecture on the various plants growing in the park vicinity. I have been to Bukit Batok Nature Park many times, but I have never noticed the nuanced differences between the many flora species there. In particular, Uncle Tony introduced us to the Sea Apple plant, a species that’s supposed to be growing along coastal areas but doing perfectly fine inland. We also learnt how to identify cinnamon, rubber and durian trees from their leaves. The flora that stood out for me is the Banyan Fig, spreading wide and far using its roots and creating massive structures.

While we did not manage to see much fauna aside from a rogue chicken, we did manage to catch a glimpse of some interesting insects and arachnids. The bug-eyed katydid greeted us at the carpark, and the Olios huntsman showed up along the ridges.

All in all, it was a most refreshing experience for me, who has lived in the area for as long as i can remember. If I have the chance, I would definitely meet Uncle Tony again and listen to his amazing tales of the unique plants growing in Bukit Batok Nature Park!