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Manatee transfers were subject to strict risk assessment procedures

We thank Mr Darren Chan for commending our efforts to protect the West Indian manatee species from extinction (“Do more to ensure wildlife transfers are successful”; Oct 14).

River Safari staff preparing one of the manatees for the repopulation project in Guadaloupe in August. The decision to send Kai and Junior for this project was taken only after careful deliberation by Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s in-house experts, says its Deputy CEO Cheng Wen-Haur. TODAY file photo

River Safari staff preparing one of the manatees for the repopulation project in Guadaloupe in August. The decision to send Kai and Junior for this project was taken only after careful deliberation by Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s in-house experts, says its Deputy CEO Cheng Wen-Haur. TODAY file photo

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Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy CEO and Chief Life Sciences Officer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore

We thank Mr Darren Chan for commending our efforts to protect the West Indian manatee species from extinction (“Do more to ensure wildlife transfers are successful”; Oct 14).

Providing a high standard of welfare and care for our animals and seeking to ensure the long-term survival of species in the wild are the prime objectives of Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the wildlife parks we operate. We achieve these objectives by collaborating with like-minded organisations.

The decision to send Kai and Junior to take part in a pioneering breeding programme was taken only after careful deliberations by our in-house experts.

All our animal transfers are subject to a stringent risk assessment to maximise the chances of a positive outcome for the animals. In the case of Kai and Junior, these included:

•An assessment of the Guadeloupe carer team and their physical facilities that Kai and Junior would be cared for to the standards we require.

•Seeing that the National Park of Guadeloupe has conducted years of environmental monitoring to ensure the environment is safe for the manatees.

To help Kai and Junior adapt more easily to a new environment, we flew two of our aquarists to Guadeloupe; one of them was on the same aircraft as the two manatees to constantly monitor their behaviour and vital signs.

The second aquarist — the manatees’ favourite — flew on a separate passenger flight. Both aquarists spent two weeks in Guadeloupe to ensure that Kai and Junior settled down comfortably post-arrival.

Before the manatees’ departure, the National Park of Guadeloupe had sent its aquarist to River Safari for a week to observe and understand the manatees’ personalities. Two experienced manatee vets from Guadeloupe were also in Singapore to escort the manatees on their journey.

We are saddened by Junior’s demise and are in close contact with Guadeloupe National Park to ensure the continued health of Kai.

We hope to learn as much as possible from this tragic loss so that the process can be improved upon, to allow this worthy manatee repopulation project a good chance of success.

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