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ICYMI: These Cuties Were Born In Our Wildlife Parks This Year
Despite the general chaos of 2020, this year wasn't all bad. While we've been grappling with COVID-19 and social distancing measures, our animals at Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) parks have seen the arrival of several newborns. Check out these adorable babies which (almost) make this year worth it.
1. Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo
Name: None yet
Gender: Male
Born: 4 February 2020
First up, meet this adorable, as-yet-unnamed tree kangaroo joey, who was born to proud parents Nupela and Makaia in early February this year. Starting out the size of a jellybean, the joey has graduated to spending more and more time out of Mama Nupela's pouch – and roughhousing with mummy instead!
2. Red Ruffed Lemurs (yes, more than one!)
Names: None yet
Gender: Unknown
Born: 22 February 2020
Born to proud parents Bosco and Minnie, these tiny lemur twins are a true miracle birth – especially considering the last red ruffed lemur to be born in Singapore Zoo was their father Bosco, who was born here 11 years ago.
On top of that, getting red ruffed lemurs to reproduce is notoriously tough, as they only mate once (!) per year, during which the females are only fertile for one out of the few days that they're sexually receptive.
Name: Bintang
Gender: Male
Born: 28 June 2020
He may be young, but this cutie has already stolen our hearts. Aptly named Bintang, which means "star" in Malay, this tapir is the first male calf born at Night Safari in almost a decade. Over the last few months, Bintang has grown from an adorable baby to an adventurous calf who enjoy taking dips in the kiddy pool and exploring the great outdoors of his exhibit (under the watchful eye of Mama Satki, of course).
4. Celebes Crested Macaque
Name: Joyo
Gender: Male
Born: July 2020 (Exact date unknown)
This close-knit family of Celebes crested macaques recently welcomed baby Joyo into their troupe. Joyo, whose name is an Indonesian moniker meaning "victorious", joined Mama Dewi, Papa Doni, big bro Agung and (honourary) aunt Ria in early July, just as crowds began returning to Singapore Zoo after the end of Circuit Breaker. These social creatures form tight family units, and Joyo can often be seen snuggling with Dewi and Ria during grooming sessions.
Name: None yet
Gender: Male
Born: August 2020 (Exact date unknown)
Manatees are the epitome of ugly cute, and this nameless newborn calf is no different. Born to River Safari icon Canola, who was also born here in 2014 and hand-raised by River Safari aquarists, the male calf has recently begun eating solid foods, preferring sweet potato leaves and cabbage above other veggies.
6. A lot of birds
Last but not least, our feathered friends at Jurong Bird Park have thrived this year, with over 100 chicks hatching since the start of 2020. This includes hatchlings from various endangered species such as blue-eyed cockatoos (last hatched in Singapore four years ago), red-fronted macaws, yellow-backed chattering lories (eight of them, in fact!), white cockatoos and black-faced spoonbills.
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