Mandai Wildlife Group celebrates another baby boom with almost a thousand newborns in 2024 

There is more (wildlife) to love at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve as Bird Paradise, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Singapore Zoo collectively welcomed 998 babies across 143 species in 2024. This milestone surpasses the previous year’s record, which had set the highest number of births and hatchings in the past decade. 34 of the species are listed as threatened under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, including critically endangered species like the woylie and vulnerable species such as the giant anteater and West Indian manatee.

Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy CEO and Chief Life Sciences Officer, Mandai Wildlife Group, said, “Every birth in our parks reflects the dedication of our animal care and veterinary teams, as well as the success of international breeding collaborations. With each new arrival, we reinforce our commitment to maintaining sustainable populations in our parks and contributing to long-term conservation efforts.”

Of the 143 species successfully bred by Mandai Wildlife Group last year, 23 are part of internationally managed breeding programmes like the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s (EAZA) Ex-situ Programme (EEP). These programmes aim to maintain genetically healthy and sustainable populations of species under human care while supporting conservation efforts in the wild. Mandai Wildlife Group actively participates in over 190 programmes such as the EEP, with some of its animal care team members leading species management efforts as programme coordinators.

Bundles of Joy at Singapore Zoo 

Singapore Zoo celebrated the births of five slender-tailed meerkat pups – twins residing at the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia and triplets at Wild Africa. The sprightly pups mark the first births of the species since 2019. Adding to the list of crowd charmers is a female Linne’s two-toed sloth named Hope, and three oriental small-clawed otters.

Another highlight was the arrival of Putri, a proboscis monkey whose name means ‘princess’ in the Malay and Indonesian languages. The second offspring to parents Malaka and Jeff, Putri can often be seen playing with her brother Bayu or clinging to her mum at the proboscis monkey habitat. Proboscis monkeys are listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with wild populations declining due to habitat loss from deforestation for timber and oil palm plantations. The primate family also grew with the arrival of two Goeldi’s monkeys – the first infants in nine years – along with four ring-tailed lemurs and two emperor tamarins. The Goeldi’s monkeys and ring-tailed lemurs give a boost to their species’ EEP.

In the realm of reptiles and amphibians, the endangered golden mantella and black-legged poison frog were among the key breeding successes. These species require highly specific water conditions for reproduction, and the animal care team achieved a breakthrough by studying and fine-tuning optimal water parameters. They also simulated natural seasonal changes such as adjusting temperatures and humidity to improve breeding successes. In a crucial step, eggs were carefully retrieved for assisted hatching, to maximise chances of survival. As a result, the tally of golden mantella hatchlings reached 31 – the highest in three years.

Another key breeding effort focused on the Chrisangi leaf insect, a species native to Singapore, to establish an assurance colony as a safeguard against extinction and support conservation efforts.

A Season of New Life at Night Safari 

2024 saw a bounty of fawns at Night Safari. Among the additions were three Malayan sambar deer, five barasinghas, and a male hog deer, all of which have settled into their free-ranging habitats along the Safari Tram Adventure route.

The arrival of three Turkmenian markhor kids also marked a milestone as the first offspring for the species in five years. Markhors, with their wide hooves, are perfectly adapted to the rocky, mountainous terrains which they inhabit in the wild. Guests onboard the Safari Tram Adventure can spot the young markhors balancing gracefully on rugged surfaces just millimetres wide, offering a captivating sight.

Meanwhile, keepers also welcomed a male woylie at the Tasmanian Devil Trail. This is the fifth joey of this critically endangered species born at Night Safari since 2021. The joey, which initially stayed close to its mum after birth, is now growing bolder, curiously exploring its habitat and engaging in enrichment activities.

Reasons to Rejoice at River Wonders 

At River Wonders, two special additions to the EEP – a giant anteater pup and a West Indian manatee calf – have captured the hearts of guests. Solana, the fifth pup born to Zapata and Iapura, has transitioned to a solid diet of ant eggs and boiled eggs. As she continues to get used to the presence of keepers, the playful young one often climbs onto mum’s back for comfort. Meanwhile, the shy West Indian manatee calf at the Amazon Flooded Forest has formed a friendship with a young female born in 2023. The two can often be seen grazing together. The latest calf, like her buddy, was bottle-fed by the aquarists and tended to round-the-clock as no nursing behaviour was observed from its mum.

In other joyous news, River Wonders successfully bred the endangered Lake Titicaca frog in the same year it was first exhibited. The blue discus, a tropical fish native to South America, continues to thrive with 80 new members joining the school.

A Flurry of Hatchlings at Bird Paradise 

Bird Paradise had a busy year with numerous hatchings from high conservation value species like the golden parakeet and yellow mantled chattering lory. To ensure their survival, eggs that were neglected or abandoned in the aviaries were safely retrieved and incubated at the Breeding and Research Centre. Newly hatched chicks are placed in a specially controlled environment, where they are hand-raised and gradually exposed to fluctuations in temperature and humidity, preparing them for release to the aviaries.

Other notable hatchings included first-time hatchings for Mandai Wildlife Group, such as the blue-winged leafbird, Madagascar teal, and Meller’s duck as well as the first Nyasa lovebird and green honeycreeper hatchlings in over seven years. Keepers at Winged Sanctuary minimised their presence around the green honeycreepers as the chicks grew, only leaving food in the aviary at 6am each day.

Bird Paradise also celebrated its first-ever penguin hatchlings with two gentoo penguin chicks born to first-time parents Riki and Peach, and one to parents Citrus and Enzo. The oldest, though relatively shy, has made friends of her own while the second, the only male, has gained a reputation as the most vocal and demanding. The youngest is the most adventurous of the trio. All three chicks have begun to sport adult plumage and can be seen waddling around their habitat, with their parents following closely behind.