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Source:
www.zoo.com.sg |
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SINGAPORE ZOO FURTHER BOOSTS GLOBAL PRIMATE
CAPTIVE BREEDING EFFORT WITH BIRTH OF ENDANGERED SUB-SPECIES |
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Singapore Zoo, with the largest collection
of primate species in the world, has further contributed to the global
captive breeding effort of primates. |
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Since the start of this year, it has bred a
total of six baby primates, and the latest additions are a proboscis
monkey born on July 10 and a second-generation Douc langur born on
August 18. |
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Other additions included a cotton-top
tamarin, a Bornean orang utan and a white-faced saki monkey. All except
the white-faced saki monkey are classified as endangered by the World
Conservation Union, or IUCN. |
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Ms Fanny Lai, Executive Director of
Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, said: ¡°The births will boost the global
captive population of these rare primates. Captive breeding is a
cornerstone of the Zoo¡¯s mission to promote bio-diversity and
conservation. We will continue to use our expertise in husbandry
practice and zoological science to encourage the breeding of endangered
species at our parks.¡± |
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Most number of primate species bred at
Singapore Zoo |
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Among the primate collection at the
Singapore Zoo, the orang utan has bred the most number of offspring. |
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To date, a total of 32 orang utans has been
bred successfully. The latest addition is a baby Bornean orang utan,
born to parents Binte and Mitra. |
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To facilitate the breeding of endangered
animals, many of the orang utans have been sent to various zoos in
Malaysia, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India as part of
the worldwide animal exchange programme. |
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Another significant primate birth is that of
the Douc langurs, one of the most colourful and attractive primates with
almond-shaped eyes and delicate facial features. |
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Douc langurs are found in the
rainforests of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Singapore Zoo is
currently the only institution outside their country of origin to
display and breed them. |
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To date, a total of 13 successful
births have been recorded in Singapore. A male Douc langur was
born to parents Kongcha and Ciki in May this year, and another
baby born to Kongcha and Nhon on August 18. The sex of this latest
addition has yet to be determined. |
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Manis and Victo |
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Another interesting feature of the new
births are the parents of the baby proboscis monkey born in July.
Parents Manis and Victo are two of the most prolific primates in
the Zoo. |
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Manis has given birth to six babies
while Victo is now the father of five offspring. The newborn
proboscis monkey named Intan has a deep blue face and sparse
almost black fur which will change to the adult colours at about
three to four months, although its face continues to have a bluish
tinge until it is about a year old. |
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Birth of Rare Cotton-top Tamarin |
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In February, the Zoo bred a male baby
cotton-top tamarin, one of the most endangered primates in the
world. It is estimated that there are less than 1,000 of such
primates in the wild and about 1,800 in captivity. |
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Typical of this species, other adults
in the group have been taking turns caring for the baby, which
attaches itself on the adult¡¯s back for support. |
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All the babies are out on exhibit in
their respective habitats. |
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About Bornean orang utans |
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The world¡¯s second largest ape and
largest tree-living mammal, the orang utan also means ¡°man of the
forest¡± in Malay. It has long arms and short legs, and mature
males have a huge throat sac which produces calls to attract
females and keep rival males away. |
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Bornean orang utans have a darker
colouring than their Sumatran counterparts. The population of
Bornean orang utans is estimated at 55,000. Each year, hundreds of
young orang utans are captured and sold as illegal pets. |
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About proboscis monkeys |
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Both genders have distinctive, large,
fleshy noses, but the nose of the male is larger and more
pendulous. The nose swells and turns red when the monkey is
enraged or excited. The proboscis monkey eats mainly leaves. They
are found only in Borneo in the wild. There are currently 10 male
and four female proboscis monkeys at Singapore Zoo. |
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About Douc langurs |
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Douc langurs have beautiful golden
faces framed by a white ruff, which is considerably fluffier in
males. The eyelids are a soft powder blue. The tail is white with
a triangle of white hair at the base. |
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The baby Douc langur has short, downy
grey hair, with a dark stripe down the back, and a black face with
two pale stripes beneath the eyes. As it grows older, its
colouration darkens while its face lightens, achieving adult
colours at 10 months. The baby has a gestation period of 165-190
days. Females mature at four years, and males at four to five
years. |
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About white-faced saki monkeys |
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Living in trees, the white-faced saki
monkey is fast moving and shy, hence very little is known about
their behaviour in the wild. It moves about by leaping and jumps
of 10 metres have been recorded. |
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The baby is born after a gestation of
about 170 days and clings to the mother for the first couple of
weeks. It is independent by six months. White-faced saki monkeys
live to about 14 years of age in the wild, but up to at least 20
years in captivity. |
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About cotton-top tamarins |
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Cotton-top tamarins are one of the
smallest and most endangered primates. Seventy-five percent of
their original habitat has been lost through deforestation.
Cotton-top tamarins generally live in groups of two to 12 in the
wild. |
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In captivity, females can give birth
to twins every 28 weeks; in the wild, babies are born once a year.
Fathers, brothers and sisters are all observed carrying infants on
their back. The early infant care experience is critical for
future reproductive success as prenatal care in cotton-tops is not
instinctive but learnt. |
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If an animal is hand-reared or is
removed from its family prior to carrying infants on its back, it
will not successfully rear its own young. |
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ISSUED By : Wildlife Reserves
Singapore |
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Source:
www.zoo.com.sg News Release 30
Aug 2006 |
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FrontPage Edition: Sat 9 September 2006
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