If you need some good, wholesome news to kickstart the week, here's one from the River Safari. Anyone who has visited the popular wildlife reserve in Mandai has probably been mesmerised by the adorable manatee family. These West Indian species are known to range from Brazil north to Mexico and the southeastern United States, including the Caribbean islands. But these gentle creatures have since called the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) home since 1994 – and are now welcoming a brand new addition to the family.
WRS announced today via Facebook that Canola, a River Safari icon and first-time mother, gave birth to a healthy male calf. In fact, Canola was also the first baby to be hand-raised by aquarists in the park, which makes this birth even more significant for the Reserve. And though they may seem adorable, a newborn manatee can weigh up to 18kg. The calf is yet to be named.
Here's a tiny bit of trivia: Canola was quite a handful as a baby herself – she was not observed to suckle naturally so she had to be bottle-fed a special mixture of puppy formula and goat milk, infused with canola oil – which is how she got her name.