Singaporean wildlife parks welcome highest number of offspring in decade

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) — At least four wildlife parks in Singapore welcomed a record number of new offspring last year, according to data released on Wednesday by a self-funded wildlife reserve organization.

The Mandai Wildlife Group told Anadolu that Bird Paradise, Night Safari, River Wonders and Singapore Zoo "collectively welcomed 970 babies across 128 species in 2023."

It was the "highest tally of births and hatchings here in the past decade," said the statement.

The group welcomed the first baby animal in January last year at Singapore Zoo with the birth of a Celebes crested macaque, the fourth born to 18-year-old female Dewi.

"The young macaque is named Adi and can be seen at Primate Kingdom with his family, playing with coconut leaves and dipping in their pool on hot days," said the group.

"Found only in North Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Celebes crested macaque is among the world's 25 most endangered primates, with fewer than 6,000 individuals left in fragmented habitats today," said Mandai.

Mandai supports the Indonesian-based conservation project, Selamatkan Yaki, to preserve this species.

Deputy CEO and chief life sciences officer at Mandai Wildlife Group, Cheng Wen-Haur, said, "Every new addition to our wildlife family is special, as each birth and hatching contributes towards nurturing healthy, sustainable populations of species under human care."

In 2022, the group had reported the birth of around 900 offspring.

The group said 19 species are in internationally managed breeding programs, including the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's ex-Situ Program.

"Such programs are key in saving species from extinction, and Mandai Wildlife Group currently participates in over 160 programs," it said.

"We work closely with our counterparts from the international zoo community, sharing research and participating in breeding programs to achieve this goal. Many of the species we breed also significantly impact biodiversity preservation and wildlife protection," said Cheng.

According to Mandai, many more crowd charmers and young stars were welcomed last year, including a kangaroo couple, Makaia and Nupela, who welcomed their second joey, Susu. Susu's name means "milk" in Tok Pisin, a Papua New Guinean language, and in the local Malay language.

The group said Nupela is a doting mother who was "match-made" with Makaia by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Global Species Management Plan. She raised both her joeys successfully with minimal support from her keepers.

"The year was also bountiful for African painted dogs, who added a litter of eight to their growing pack in September," it added.