Where can you see a Bornean orangutan baby, endangered electric blue geckos, an endangered baby female pygmy hippo, a jaguar cub, a male white rhino calf or even a king penguin chick? Singapore of course! In 2017, four wildlife parks — Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo — reported 540 animal births and hatchings, over a quarter of them belonging to threatened species.
Singapore Zoo welcomed a Bornean orangutan baby Khansa in April. Khansa’s birth came at a crucial time for the species, just months after Bornean orangutans were uplisted from endangered to critically endangered status. In the RepTopia exhibit, two critically endangered electric blue geckos hatched in December. Electric blue geckos are among the most threatened in the world due to their popularity in the illegal pet trade. The zoo also welcomed Abina, an endangered baby female pygmy hippo in November while a jaguar cub joined her days later. Other baby stars to steal the limelight were Squish, a flamingo with dainty blue shoes, Oban, Singapore Zoo’s first male white rhino calf in white years, and Maru, a king penguin chick.
Tip: You can head to Singapore from India to see the baby animals for yourself! There are various flights all over the country that head to Singapore.