NEW UPGRADED HABITAT FOR CHEETAHS AT SINGAPORE ZOO

Singapore Zoo's newly upgraded habitat for its cheetahs was officially opened by Mr S.Iswaran, Minister of State for Trade and Industry today. The revamped home offers the cheetahs, acclaimed as the fastest land mammal, more running space, and an unobstructed view for visitors from the tram route. The addition of a new glass-fronted observation hut allows visitors to potentially get nose to nose with the five-year-old cheetahs. The cheetahs, which belong to the southern African subspecies, are listed as Vulnerable to extinction according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“Cheetahs are facing extinction with an estimated population of only 12,000 left in the wild. We hope that with the opening of this newly upgraded habitat and the educational outreach programme which Singapore Zoo is undertaking this year-end school holidays, more people will be informed about the cheetahs’ plight and, more broadly, about the need for wildlife conservation,” said Ms Fanny Lai, Executive Director, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

The species is threatened in the wild as they are being squeezed out of their habitat because of human encroachment. Farmers often persecute them, as they are perceived as livestock predators, the cheetah’s natural prey having been replaced by cattle and sheep.

The new habitat will provide good mental stimulus for the cheetahs as there is a central lookout point which gives them a better vantage point from which to view their surroundings. Cheetahs favour flat land area to undulating land, and the newly constructed habitat is ideal for them as it incorporates a number of features that stimulate natural behaviour.

Built over a bigger area with better areas for running, the upgraded habitat of 817 sqm is almost three times bigger than the previous habitat of 284 sqm and took two months to complete.

Despite the numerous challenges to breeding cheetahs in captivity, Singapore Zoo successfully bred four cheetah cubs in 2002, after 29 years of trying. “I am pleased to say that this is truly a testament to the husbandry and expertise of our Zoo team. Not only is Singapore Zoo a wildlife park that visitors can enjoy, our track record for successful breeding also stands us in good stead in the world of wildlife conservation,” Ms Lai added.

In total, the Zoo has five cheetahs in its collection: three males, two of which are Singapore born and one brought in from Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa; and two females, one of which was born in Singapore and one brought in from the De Wildt Cheetah Breeding Centre in South Africa.

In addition to the upgraded exhibit, there is a complex of off-exhibit enclosures for the cheetahs and so we will be able to rotate our animals between a number of areas which will also provide them with extra stimulus as well as enabling us to restart breeding of the species in Singapore.