Two rare species of giraffes brought from India make public debut at Singapore Zoo

Singapore: Two young male giraffes of a rare species which were brought from India made their public debut at Singapore Zoo on Thursday.

The one-year-old duo named Balaji and Adhil, adopted by investment holding company Kuok Singapore Limited, were brought from Mysuru Zoo as part of an animal exchange in May, The Straits Times reported.

The half-siblings share the same father but have different mothers.

Their journey to Singapore involved a 22-hour interstate road trip and a seven-day sea voyage, zoo operator Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) said.

The two Rothschild”s giraffes, placed at Singapore Zoo’s Wild Africa park, belong to one of the most endangered subspecies of giraffes. Fewer than 2,000 of the Rothschild”s subspecies are left in the wild.

Transporting the giraffes to Singapore was a challenge for WRS as there was a lack of suitable air freight due to the pandemic.

“As there was a limited window period to ship the fast-growing youngsters before they outgrew all forms of transport, the team explored the option of surface transport,” the WRS said.

Parmasivam Ramasamy, Curator of herbivores at WRS, said, “We are very excited to welcome these gentle giants to Singapore Zoo, and have since introduced them to our resident father-and-son duo, Marco and Jubilee. The current giraffe exhibit has ample space for the four, and we have added water troughs and salt lick blocks in preparation for their debut.”

The giraffes have an expected lifespan of 20 to 25 years in captivity.

The Mysuru Zoo has had an animal exchange partnership with WRS since 2010. Animals that have been brought to Singapore include sloth bears and lion-tailed macaques.