Finlayson’s Squirrel Spotted In Tai Seng Wows Animal Lovers
Do you consider yourself someone with a great sense of fashion? Well pack up, because a squirrel has everyone beat in the beautiful coat department.
A man encountered the squirrel by chance at Tai Seng and snapped a photo of it.
The squirrel’s perfect furry coat and beautiful bushy tail amazed animal lovers on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group.
Keen-eyed observers identified it as a Finlayson’s Squirrel which is a non-native species to Singapore.
Finlayson’s squirrel spotted in Tai Seng
Mr Toh D-jin posted the photo to the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group on Wednesday (4 Oct).
The photo showed a squirrel clinging onto a thin tree. It wore a smooth dark brown coat of fur, with a white underbelly. Large adorable black eyes stared upwards.
Source: D-jin Toh on Facebook
Perhaps most stunningly, the squirrel’s curled bushy tail — tinted with a pinkish hue — caught the eye of the observer. Mr Toh described it as a “perfect pink ombré”.
The animal buffs in the Facebook group quickly identified it as a Finlayson’s Squirrel, a species not native to Singapore.
Source: Facebook
Mr Toh told MS News that after some research of his own, he came to the same conclusion.
These squirrels, native to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, apparently live in the Bidadari and Potong Pasir areas. However, Mr Toh mentioned that he photographed the squirrel in Tai Seng.
Source: Facebook
Invasive species compete with local animals
The find came as a surprise to Mr Toh D-jin, as he explained to MS News that his office area generally had “no sign of life”.
Sadly, he only captured that one gorgeous photo. As he tells it, the Finlayson’s squirrel was running up and down the tree non-stop. It only stood still for a second, just enough time for one precious picture.
The squirrel seems to be camera-shy and not one for the catwalk. Last month, a woman posted about how she waited for an hour to get two photos of another Finlayson’s squirrel.
Source: Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
Although adorable, the squirrel is indeed an invasive species with the risk of outcompeting Singapore’s native animals.
A TODAY article from 2014 reported that the Finlayson’s squirrel indeed has a stronghold in Bidadari and Woodleigh. However, local development in the said areas may drive the squirrels out to other parts of Singapore.
Ah, but such is our relationship with wild animals. Though invasive, the Finlayson’s squirrel possesses the power of ‘pretty privilege’, as it captures our hearts with its adorable eyes and perfect coat of fur.
As one netizen said, “not all animals are equally welcome in our already fragile ecosystem” — no matter how cute they are.
Source: Facebook
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Featured image adapted from D-jin Toh on Facebook and Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook.