A STOMPer prefers the rich fauna that he encounters on the Durian Loop off Bukit Timah Road, to the manicured lawns of the Botanic Gardens.
In his email:
"The Botanic Gardens with its manicured lawns and artificial gardens, though beautiful, do not impress me.
"I find it more fascinating to walk through the Durian Loop near the Murnane Service Reservoir at Jalan Kampong Chantek.
"Here I come across a rare spider, a rare butterfly or a rare snake occasionally."
I found this jackfruit on the forest floor. It's half-eaten by birds and monkeys. They have devoured the yellow pulp, leaving behind the seeds. Soon the rotting smell will attract flies.
After a heavy shower, some young rambutan fruits have fallen to the ground. The monkeys avoid them because they are unripe.
Some durians have fallen before maturity due to the downpour. A young monkey bit into the thorny fruit and promptly abandoned it when it found no juicy flesh. The best connoisseurs of durians are the fast-moving squirrels who have an uncanny nose for the best-tasting durians. If you find a durian with holes and jagged edges, it's probably the work of a squirrel that has taken the first bite. The durian is also probably the best-tasting of the lot.
A forest path with its steps damaged by the constant pounding of tropical rainstorms.
