Singapore Zoo welcomes two new Rothschild’s giraffes

Say hello to Balaji and Adhil. The Singapore Zoo welcomed the two young Rothschild’s giraffes on Thursday (Sep 30).  

The healthy pair of brothers were born in Mysuru Zoo in India. They arrived in Singapore in May and underwent a three-month quarantine, closely monitored by animal care and veterinary teams.

With fewer than 2,000 of their species left in the wild, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) hopes to maintain a healthy and sustainable population of animals under human care to conserve these species while educating the public on their endangerment. 

Balaji and Adhil went through a 22-hour inter-state road journey and travelled across the sea for a full week before safely arriving in Singapore on May 26. 

A thorough planning process was taken to minimise the risks and make the journey as smooth as possible to keep the young brothers happy and healthy. Two experienced WRS caretakers were sent to accompany the giraffes. 

Both the caretakers and giraffes have become familiar  with each other since they met a month prior to departure. The WRS caretakers were also fully equipped with supplies of food and medicine for the giraffes. 

“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 additional water troughs and salt lick blocks in preparation of their debut,” said Mr Parmasivam Ramasamy, Curator of Herbivores at WRS. 

The public can visit Balaji and Adhil at Singapore Zoo’s Wild Africa zone starting from Thursday.