It is not just an exotic animal hospital, but also a genetic Noah's Ark. The Singapore Zoo's new $3.6 million animal hospital and research centre will be a repository of tissue samples taken from various rare species, so researchers can study how to breed them.
Research has just started with the National University of Singapore and some United States-based institutions.
Opened by President S R Nathan, the Wildlife Healthcare and Research Centre is equipped to treat more than 1,500 cases each year.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Friday, March 10, 2006
Green on bear will be History
The bulky Arctic beasts - usually clad in a thick coat of snow-white hair - have started turning green.
A zoo spokesman ended speculation that the animals had been spray-painted in camouflage colours.
The green colouring is apparently the work of algae which have found a new home in the bears' translucent hair shafts.
"The harmless algae is the result of Singapore's warm and humid climate," spokesman Tan told the Press.
Two bears at the zoo have been afflicted by the algae so far - Sheba and her 13-year-old son, Inuka.
Sheba was treated first, the spokesman said.
Her coat was bleached with a hydrogen-peroxide solution a fortnight ago and is returning to its original colour.
Inuka has to endure the bright green splotches on its back, legs and ears until it is treated, too.
Polar-bear hairs usually appear white because they reflect the light around them.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
The Singapore Zoo is Expanding!
The Singapore Zoo is expected to operate a wildlife healthcare and research centre by 2007.
The centre aims to be the first world-class diagnostic and treatment facility.
This will help the institution enhance its research in the breeding of zoo animals.
These are all in line with the Singapore Zoo's conservation efforts to breed endangered animals.
Since the beginning of this year, the zoo has successfully bred over 60 animals, 30 percent of which are endangered species.
The latest endangered new-born animal at the zoo is the Pygmy Hippo.
Less than two weeks old, zoo keepers will have to wait a couple more months before they can identify its gender.
Such new additions are significant to the Singapore Zoo because it shows the environment is conducive for the animals to reproduce.
Singapore Zoo's executive director, Fanny Lai, said: "One of the important things is we want to inspire people to be closer to nature. So nothing better than to display the animals in their natural habitat.
"But in order to display the endangered animals, it's important that we exchange our species with other institutions so that we don't capture them from the wild.
"And when we exchange with other zoological institutions, we also expand their gene pool, so there wouldn't be in-breeding.
"The ultimate thing is we bring the animals to the people for recreation, education and conservation."
The zoo is also home to other endangered species like the Falabella, which are miniature horses.
A two-month-old baby is the first miniature horse born at the Singapore Zoo.
At the primates section, the Douc Langurs are highly endangered leaf-eating monkeys from Vietnam and Laos.
And a little one, which is about two months old, is one of the latest additions to this group of 15.
Currently, the Singapore Zoo has more than 3,000 animals on display.
The centre aims to be the first world-class diagnostic and treatment facility.
This will help the institution enhance its research in the breeding of zoo animals.
These are all in line with the Singapore Zoo's conservation efforts to breed endangered animals.
Since the beginning of this year, the zoo has successfully bred over 60 animals, 30 percent of which are endangered species.
The latest endangered new-born animal at the zoo is the Pygmy Hippo.
Less than two weeks old, zoo keepers will have to wait a couple more months before they can identify its gender.
Such new additions are significant to the Singapore Zoo because it shows the environment is conducive for the animals to reproduce.
Singapore Zoo's executive director, Fanny Lai, said: "One of the important things is we want to inspire people to be closer to nature. So nothing better than to display the animals in their natural habitat.
"But in order to display the endangered animals, it's important that we exchange our species with other institutions so that we don't capture them from the wild.
"And when we exchange with other zoological institutions, we also expand their gene pool, so there wouldn't be in-breeding.
"The ultimate thing is we bring the animals to the people for recreation, education and conservation."
The zoo is also home to other endangered species like the Falabella, which are miniature horses.
A two-month-old baby is the first miniature horse born at the Singapore Zoo.
At the primates section, the Douc Langurs are highly endangered leaf-eating monkeys from Vietnam and Laos.
And a little one, which is about two months old, is one of the latest additions to this group of 15.
Currently, the Singapore Zoo has more than 3,000 animals on display.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
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