The red junglefowl

Truth be told, I am not a garden person. Stepping into one to gaze at flowers isn’t my cup of tea. I’d rather be up to mischief somewhere else. Unless, of course, I am dragged to one. Which was “sweetly” the case here.

Turns out the 163-year-old Singapore Botanic Gardens, or simply the Gardens, is one of three gardens, and the only tropical garden to feature on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Now, sucker that I am for anything with a World Heritage stamp on it, if this isn’t another one off my bucket list, then what is.

So, while walking around and getting a masterclass on the various flora around the garden, what had me smacking my lips in delight was the fauna, or to be precise, one species – the red junglefowl.

This species is the wild ancestor of our very own domesticated chicken and is native to Southeast Asia, the northern Indian Subcontinent and Southern China. Not surprisingly, it lives in wooded and forested areas, parks, and urban green spaces, which, I presume, makes the Gardens the perfect place to call home. Both wild and domestic birds are considered to be a single species called gallus-gallus.

Don’t let the sight of them casually strolling around you, foraging for food fool you though. Because, unlike domestic chickens, this red junglefowl has absolutely no issues taking flight at the mere hint of trouble, or simply roosting up in the trees for a good night’s sleep.

While I am not sure if they are still considered locally endangered, it is not uncommon to see them loitering across many parts of Singapore today.

As for the fauna, we’ll worry about understanding and appreciating that another time.