Singapore Zoo Singapore Zoo News 2011-2015

The Zoo turned 40 years old yesterday, and the Chairwoman of WRS commented that she would like to physically expand the size of the Zoo. In another news article, she also mentioned that the Zoo is doing a collection review with the help of "experts". No details are offered, but there was mention of new primate acquisitions from S.America and Madagascar in the pipeline.

Singapore Zoo hopes to expand current site | TODAYonline

 

2 Spotted Whistling Ducks hatched last month in Fragile Forest.
According to the zoo's page on White Tigers: "An orange Bengal tiger recently joined our tiger family. We're currently conditioning her in the white tiger exhibit on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 4.00pm – 6.00pm, to get her used to her new environment. During these times, the white tigers will not be on display."

 

I realise this has little to do with the actual Singapore Zoo/WRS, but they just posted this on their (WRS) facebook page, under the heading "Will wonders never cease."

http://news-hound.net/world-largest-tortoise-found-in-amazon-basin-800lb/

 

Unfortunately this story is a hoax.

 

Of course it is, apparently the photo is a still from a movie. WRS have now taken the story off their facebook page.

 

Does anyone agree with me that the wolverine exhibit at Frozen Tundra should be made into an arctic fox enclosure instead?

 

I am of the opinion a tropical zoo is grossly unsuitable for maintenance of both species (as is polar bears ...).

 

The exhibit is still too small for arctic foxes. Perhaps Sable might be a more suitable option.

 

And I am of the opinion that temperate zoos which experience long and severe winters are unsuitable for the maintenance of tropical species (Asian elephants standing in snow, seriously?). But that is a debate for another time and place.

 

I could not agree more (meaning the Polar Circle areas - Alaska - BC - Russia - Siberia - northern Japan).

BTW it is both ways climate change in overdrive and reverse.
We do not have to project possible changes if we take into account how elephants do in Alaska as do polar bears in the tropics. Case closed ..!

 

The Singapore Zoo will receive 25 River Terrapins from Cambodia to form an insurance population, according to an article in the latest Wildlife Times newsletter from WRS.

 

Visited a few weeks ago. The inside Tundra exhibits were pretty nice.
The Polar Bear exhibit although large was sadly underused as Inuka was stereotyping in one corner. Have never worked with Polar Bears and have heard they're one of the worst animals for stereotyping. That being said I didn't see much else for him to do in there. Maybe I was just there at the wrong time of day?

 

Inuka does the stereotypic swimming a lot, something picked up from the old exhibit (that corner of the pool he swims in circles now is literally the size of the whole pool in the previous enclosure). But I do notice that the land-based pacing has stopped in the new enclosure which is good.

Enrichment is done at different times of the day, and usually kept short so that Inuka doesn't get desensitized to it. Found a video posted on instagram showing one of the enrichment activities (hanging toys above the water). This activity also helps with Inuka's mild arthritis.

Instagram photo by @jojoeyjoget (jojoeyjoget) | Statigram

 

Any news on how the Indian rhino are doing?
Has the new female been introduced to the male?

 

A recent animal exchange has somehow gone unnoticed here …

Mysore and Singapore Zoos have exchanged several species. Mysore Zoo gained chimps and … bat eared foxes and in exchange Singapore received a male sloth bear and male lion-tailed macaque (the latter no doubt unrepresented elsewhere in the zoo world ..).

Link: Kimoni, Nkosi arrive at their new home - The Hindu

 

They've been introduced but no sparks yet. I guess the male is not a good breeding animal.

 

Singapore Zoo are tattooing their tortoises! See details here: http://www.zoochat.com/65/tattooing-tortoises-348058/#post731683

I didn't know Singapore Zoo had Ploughshares, are they confiscated animals and are they on display?

 

I wish they did! Would probably double the total species number though...

They (and the Marine Life Park) are associate members I think, so aren't included in the ZAA census. I imagine they would be in the SEAZA census if such a thing exists.

 

2 Sea lions died :
Sea lions? deaths spark concerns about level of care - Channel NewsAsia