SINGAPORE: Nearly 1,000 animals were born or hatched at four of Singapore’s wildlife parks last year, providing an added boost for species under threat.
A total of 998 newborns from 143 species were collectively welcomed at Bird Paradise, Night Safari, River Wonders and the Singapore Zoo, said Mandai Wildlife Group on Thursday (Mar 27).
This is higher than the 970 babies across 128 species recorded in 2023, which the group previously said was the highest tally of births and hatchings in the past decade.
“With each new arrival, we reinforce our commitment to maintaining sustainable populations in our parks and contributing to long-term conservation efforts,” said Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy CEO and Chief Life Sciences Officer of Mandai Wildlife Group.
The group said in a media release that 34 of the species recorded in 2024 are listed as threatened under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
This includes critically endangered ones like the woylie and vulnerable species such as the giant anteater and West Indian manatee.
Of the 143 species successfully bred last year, 23 are part of internationally managed breeding programs like the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s Ex-situ Programme.
These initiatives aim to maintain genetically healthy and sustainable populations under human care while also supporting conservation efforts in the wild, according to the release.
