Visit Singapore Zoo: Singapore Zoo A "breeding ground"!

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Singapore Zoo A "breeding ground"!

Under the effort of new breeding methods, 2 white rhinos, rare animals threatened with extinction, were born at the Singapore Zoo in 2004.

One was named Mandela after South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela and the other Sudi, which means "luck" in Swahili, a language used in Africa where white rhinos are found.

Mandela was born in October and Sudi December 2004. The calves each weigh about 40 kilograms and are about 70 centimetres in height.

Sam Alagappsamy, the zoo's curator, said the world's white rhino population stood at 11,700.

While their numbers are the highest among the five species of rhinos, he said they were still being threatened by poaching, illegal trade, war and habitat destruction.

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