Singapore's wildlife parks delivered big time in 2022, welcoming close to 800 births and hatchings at Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park collectively.
There's more to celebrate too. The new additions represent 126 species altogether, and among these, 38 species are listed as threatened under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Singapore's wildlife parks also welcomed 21 first-time births, including the Linne's Two-toed Sloth and critically endangered Burmese Star Tortoise.
Here are some pictures and highlights from last year's brood.
Citron-crested Cockatoos
Jurong Bird Park closes with a bang with the successful hatchings of two critically-endangered Citron-crested Cockatoos. Born within a month of each other, the two chicks were lovingly hand-raised at the park's Breeding and Research Centre (BRC) and now reside at Bird Paradise. In the wild, Citron-crested Cockatoos are threatened by illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss.
Burmese Star Tortoise
Say hello to the first Burmese Star Tortoise to be born at the Singapore Zoo. Check out its distinctive black domed shell marked by distinctive yellow patterns. Considered critically endangered in the wild, it is only just making a slow comeback.
Giant Anteaters
A win for River Wonders, Giant Anteaters Zapata and Beanie welcomed their first pup – the park's fifth anteater birth. This species is known to be difficult to breed, and only has a single offspring a year after a gestation period of about six months. The new pup is currently still off-exhibit, spending time with mom.
Southern Three-banded Armadillo
Over at the Night Safari, the Southern Three-banded Armadillos Rocha and Rolar became proud parents to a female baby. She's now starting on her adult diet of vegetables, mealworms and ant eggs and will soon make her debut later in 2023.
Linne's Two-toed Sloth
Singapore Zoo welcomed another bundle of happiness in the form of its first baby Linne's Two-toed sloth. It's currently still clinging to its mum, Indigo, and will only leave her belly when it reaches nine to 12 months old. You can catch a peep at the park's Fragile Forest.
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