Singapore. » Singapore Zoo

24-11-2006

yea, just become boss, lol

22-12-2006

Plans for a new Orang Utan exhibit are being finalised, with commencement of construction expected mid next year.

The new exhibit will feature 2 seperate islands, one for Borneans, the other for Sumatrans. Not sure if any other zoo currently displays orang utans in this fashion, but it will solve the problem of having to rotate our orangs on display.

The free-ranging orang display has been largely successful, with a couple of minor hiccups. Orangs are deviously smart and they learn to use sticks to break hot wires. So many more layers of wire have been added. There was one escapee, but the orang (young male) is used to people so he did not pose much threat. The keepers quickly coaxed him onto a buggy and moved him back into the den with very little fuss.

moats and monkeys....
22-12-2006

it certainly is a very ambitous plan - free ranging orangutans!

i like the sound of the new exhibit design. i'm very fond of "island" primate exhibits since they are a very effective way of removing the need for un-natural barriers. the downside to water is that since most priates can't swim, there have been plenty of drownings over the years with this typw of barrier. recently a gorilla drowned in the US, i believe one of dubbos juvenile siamangs once fell into the water crossing from one island to the next and drowned and it happened at melbourne zoo with one of the mandrills.

however the risk can be greatly minimised by design and there are ways bridging the visitors to the island for an up-close experience.

22-12-2006

most have some sort of eletric barrior as well, and around most moats now are cargo netting like set-ups for primates to hang on to,

i beleive dubo now has a few ropes, and also a large cargo net under the section of rope that moves the aniamls over the water, island to island

on mogo, there masterplan entails orangs on the island there with siamnags, but since siamangs are breeding so well, they prob wont. they have had 3 births in the 3 yrs they have been there, as well as the female is pregges again.

23-12-2006

We've been using islands for primates from the very beginning and we literally swear by it! The only exception are proboscis monkeys, their habitat has to be netted because they're not only good swimmers but love to dive-bomb from trees as well. All other primates at the zoo either live on islands or free-range.

I don't believe we've had any drownings, with the exception of a chimpanzee that was darted while trying to escape. She fell into a water body and drowned unfortunately.

Many of our primate moats (including chimps and mandrills) have hot wire barriers along the edges of islands to prevent the animals from straying too near the edge. The exhibit side is usually gently sloped or built with a shallow bank.

Because we have so many orangs (27 at last count) the free-ranging areas were created as an add-on to their current island exhibit. The 2 free-ranging areas allow up to 10 orangs to be out at any time. The island houses another 10 or so, the remaining stay in their dens until they are rotated on exhibit. The new exhibit is supposed to be large enough so that ideally all the orang utans can be displayed rather than stay in their dens. The free-ranging areas will remain even after the new exhibit opens. This new exhibit has been in planning for several years, thwarted a couple of times by budget cuts and management change.

Its kind of frustrating though that we create so many free-ranging habitats, yet the average visitor fails to notice the animals! They can walk right under a tree with orang utans swinging above and not notice. I guess most people are too used to zoo animals being in clearly-defined enclosures.

Critters Longhouse
26-12-2006

A new exhibit has just opened at the Singapore Zoo. Basically a small mammals house, "Critters Longhouse" exhibits a mix of different small mammals in diorama-style displays.

Species on display:
Red-handed Tamarin
Goeldi's Monkey
Golden-headed Lion Tamarin
Emperor Tamarin
South African Ground Squirrel
Prevost's Squirrel
Variable Squirrel
Black Giant Squirrel
Malayan Porcupine
Indian Spotted Chevrotain/Mousedeer
Leopard Cat

31-12-2006

^ Mods pls ban this dude, he's spamming my thread!

31-12-2006

now theres lurkers i have a problem with

31-12-2006

There is someone with to much time on their hands.

A spaming lurker the worst kind, from Russia too

09-01-2007

HI all,

I've uploaded several photos of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong BirdPark. Have a look, more to come.

Cheers,
Zooish

09-01-2007

Thanks for that Zooish, you had to show us the Giant Hornbill just to make our mouths water, hehe, keep them coming mate. ( more hornbills please)

11-02-2007

your last Hornbill photo is unreal, what a bird, ta

21-02-2007

You have even topped your last photo this time, i did not think that was possible!!!!. This is a wonderful looking bird, I think you love making our mouths water again and again, hehe. Thanks again Zooish.

21-02-2007

Glad you liked them photos.

If the import restrictions are lifted in the future, I'm sure it would be fairly easy for Oz to acquire hornbills from zoos in SE Asia.

On another note, construction has begun for the new Sun Bear exhibit and Sumatran Orang Utan exhibit at the Zoo. Should be completed by year's end. I have yet to see the architectural plans, might not get to either , so I'm really excited to see how they will look like.

The wait begins...

22-02-2007

Great, maybe they should just migrate make the whole lot easier.