So i've heard from a little bird that one aardvark has recently arrived. Not sure when and how it will be displayed though. No work has started yet on an exhibit that could house an aardvark.
Wouldn’t the best exhibit for an aardvark currently be the servals’ savannah-themed enclosure along the East Lodge? Species rotation might happen initially, similar to the Cusimanses & meerkats.
I don't think the serval enclosure is designed to contain a large and powerful digger like the aardvark. Plus the enclosure is too small for an aardvark which is significantly heftier than a serval.
Would definitely be interested in the diet provided for it. Tho I suspect it’ll be similar to the insectivore porridge + possibly supplements of ants/termites in bottles.
It looks like each zoo has its own recipe for an aardvark porridge, but most used ingredients in my local zoos is grinded boiled meat, egg yolks, dried insects, dog food, boiled rice, carrots, banana (some add milk with honey). And part of daily food ration everywhere is mealworms.
The little bird was right ! A female arrived from Japan, together with a wattled crane destined to Jurong. Their respective mates (male aardvark and female crane) will soon follow. Because of the current limitations the aardvark will be at the Serval exhibit indeed, which will be adapted to the species. This will be a "phase I" of sorts for the species exhibit, which will be extended/ next year hopefully. The servals will be displayed for now at the Singapore Zoo, where the black-backed Jackals used to be (species has been phased out).
Ah yes, the wattled crane! @TheBirdMan by any chance, is this particular bird from Ueno Zoo? Curious if it might be the same one I saw during a visit last year
@Kifaru Bwana i've heard that WRS received 2 new male Indian rhinos, but i do not know of their origins.
WRS has posted on its FB page a short video of their new 5 year old female Aardvark from Higashiyama Zoo, Japan that is now on display at the former Serval exhibit at the East Lodge Trail. A trio of Spectacled Owls from Basel Zoo, Switzerland has also gone on display in a newly built aviary at the Fishing Cat Trail. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=427012095130976
There has been a flurry of exhibit changes along the Night Safari's walking trails recently. Here's a summary of the changes. Fishing Cat Trail - A new Spectacled Owl aviary has been added. It's the first exhibit of the trail. - A pair of Kinkajous have been added to the Southern Three-banded Armadillo exhibit. - A Giant Anteater has taken over the former Asian Small Clawed Otter exhibit and will soon be joined by a Capybara. Both are surplus animals from the River Safari (Amazon boat ride section). - A pair of Maned Wolves will soon take over the larger of the 2 Muntjac exhibits (relocated from River Safari's Amazon boat ride section). - Giant Flying Squirrels will move into the former Malayan Flying Fox aviary. Leopard Trail - Leopard Cats have moved in with the Small-toothed Palm Civets. - Spectral Tarsiers have taken over the former Slow Loris exhibit. - Barn Owls have taken over the Mangrove Walk aviary which previously held Flying Foxes. - Slow Loris have taken over the former Sunda Scops Owl/Collared Owlet exhibit. - Malayan Flying Foxes and Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bats (from Fishing Cat Trail and Mangrove Walk) have taken over the former Giant Flying Squirrel walk through exhibit. - Sunda Scops Owl, Collared Owlet and Yellow-striped Mousedeer have taken over the former Leopard Cat exhibit. East Lodge Trail - An Aardvark has taken over the former Serval exhibit. Wallaby Trail - The former Barn Owl exhibit and Morepork Owl exhibit are both closed for upgrading in preparation to house Kiwi.
The exhibit is not completed yet. I don't think WRS is in a hurry to open the exhibit, with practically zero foreign tourists and reduced operating capacity at the moment.
There's still a breeding moratorium. All the babirusa at Night Safari are kept in non breeding groups. A male and female pair are kept at the Zoo, but they are probably past reproductive age.
I believe Singapore Zoo did have 20+ babirusa and these were descendants from the wild imports from Indonesia. A valuable genetic lot and it seems like a waste of reproductive capacity (given what Zooish wrote here). Is Singapore Zoo part of the global ASP at all?
I cannot quite believe that. In the 1996/97 CBSG workshop Singapore Zoo was very much included. The zoo was to serve as a conduit between Europe and Indonesia. It still seems an absolute waste. BTW: Singapore Zoo is now a member of EAZA and it would seem the babirusa are included! (????)