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Over 700 animals, ranging from across 150 different species, were born or hatched at Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) attractions, including Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo, last year.

One of the year's highlights was the birth of a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan in September, the great-grandson of Singapore Zoo’s late icon, Ah Meng. The birth was the 40th by an orangutan at the Zoo, with many orangutans at the Zoo having been sent to zoological institutions in Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to facilitate breeding programs.

Throughout 2015, the Zoo also saw the birth of many critically endangered cotton-top tamarins, endangered Southern white rhinoceros and pygmy hippopotamus.

At Jurong Bird Park, the year’s highlights include the hatching of two Bali mynahs and eight Luzon bleeding-heart doves. The former is considered to have been a particularly special moment as it is thought to be the first time Bali mynah chicks have been hand-raised. The park is said to be working closely with Avilon Zoo and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines and Begawan Foundation in Bali to increase the birds' off-site numbers.

Meanwhile, the Singapore River Safari welcomed a manatee calf in October in addition to the births of several capybara, a super-sized rodent native to South America and the hatching of unusual amphibians such as the fire-bellied newt, a species of small newt native to China.

At the Night Safari, the birth of Malayan sambar deer, Malayan bearded pig, binturong, hog badger, and the endangered Burmese brow-antlered deer represented a boost in the Southeast Asian animal population.

Commenting on the success, Wildlife Reserves Singapore Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Life Sciences Officer Cheng Wen-Haur stated “captive breeding programs play an important role in conserving threatened animal species whose numbers are declining as a result of activities like habitat destruction and poaching.

"Some of them can be valuable assurance colonies against extinction in the wild, with the aim of ultimate release back to nature, while all of them are ambassadors representing their relatives in the wild.”

Recently appointed WRS Chief Executive Mike Barclay has also been outlining his three key objectives for the wildlife attractions.

Barclay, who had been Chief Executive of the Sentosa Development Corporation over the previous seven years, told local media that he hopes to bring stability to an organisation that has seen "too much change" in its senior management in recent years.

Barclay, who took up his post in October last year, is WRS' fourth Chief Executive in eight years, and told The Straits Times “one of my early messages to the (WRS) team is that when I go somewhere I tend to stick (around).

“But of course, the board has to be happy with my performance."

In taking up his new role, Barclay, who left Sentosa having more or less accomplished what he set out to do, aims to create a work environment that allows staff to develop their skills and reach their potential; to create more value for guests; and to renew the organisation’s focus on conservation in Singapore and South East Asia.

As he stated “if you create the right environment for people to prosper, they can do wonderful things."

In aiming to create more value for guests he plans to offer multi-park packages at a good price and introducing surprise programs, such as face-painting, during the weekends and public holidays.

Here he adds “the end goal should be that every weekend, there's something going on that (visitors) don't necessarily expect and it adds to the excitement - particularly of the children coming to our parks."

The third item on his list is to renew the organisation's focus on conservation in Singapore and South- east Asia, and to inspire visitors to protect the environment.

In addition to its work with orang-utans, WRS supports at least 15 conservation projects involving species such as banded leaf monkeys and freshwater crabs.

He concludes “we do a lot of conservation work, but we don't talk about it very much.”

Images: Singapore Zoo's infant orangutan, born in September 2015 (top) and the Singapore River Safari Cruise (below).

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27th July 2015 - PERTH ZOO ORANGUTAN ESCAPE LEADS TO PLANS FOR ENCLOSURE REDESIGN

16th July 2015 - WORLD’S TOP ATTRACTIONS NAMED IN 2015 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

15th July 2015 - NEW CABLE CAR SERVICE TO HELP VISITORS GET AROUND SINGAPORE’S SENTOSA ISLAND

7th September 2015 - SINGAPORE PLANS NATURE-THEMED PRECINCT

4th August 2014 - SINGAPORE RIVER SAFARI LAUNCHES NEW CRUISE ATTRACTION 

3rd July 2014 - SINGAPORE RESIDENTS ENJOY NEW ECO-GARDEN

14th March 2014 - SINGAPORE RIVER SAFARI WELCOMES 1.1 MILLION GUESTS SINCE APRIL 2013 OPENING

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