This cowrie (Cypraea ovum?) is dedicated to the departed divine bovine, who is now probably schtrumming the schtrings on the S-bahn before a whirlwind tour of Germany and hopover to Wilmington where she will chew her way through study the strange and succulent seafood of the Western Atlantic. Unfortunately, the cow managed to escape my ducky hugs and received instead ersatz tugs from the lost leaf monkey. Less lucky though is this cowrie found within shadow's reach of the cable car tower (formerly Pulau Selugu). These snails were once highly prized as de facto currency in civilisations from China to the Congo but are now mere trinklets or at best collectors' items for marine-minded molluscans. Unlike most snails, whose shells become weathered and worn, cowries extend their colourful mantle over the outer shell to keep it free from encrusting matter and damage, retaining a shiny gloss throughout their lifetime.
Singapore once played host to nearly 20 species of cowries, but now a mere 10 or so are thought to persist following the widespread reshaping of the island's natural shoreline into seawalls and waterfront homes. An interesting statistic dug up by my duck revealed that this country leads in Asia, nay the world! in having just 5.5% of its total land area as protected natural areas, compared to the region's 8.3% and the global average of 10.8%. No figures for marine or littoral habitats are available, but it's not unlikely that we are world beaters in this sphere too. And with the forthcoming reclamation of Sentosa's coral-lined coast from Pulau Selugu to the frontage of the Underwater World, a further benchmark in environmental disregard will surely be achieved on top of the necessary sacrifice to be borne by the isle's shrinking woods. In the pursuit of prosperity, there are no sacred cowries...
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