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A multi-pronged, collaborative approach to wildlife conservation

We refer to the letters “Why zoos should house more rare land animals” (Feb 7) and “Zoos endanger future of rare animals” (Feb 9).

WRS currently supports 20 regional projects for 24 threatened species, including iconic species such as the orang utan, Asian elephant and Tonkin snub-nosed monkey. Photo: WRS

WRS currently supports 20 regional projects for 24 threatened species, including iconic species such as the orang utan, Asian elephant and Tonkin snub-nosed monkey. Photo: WRS

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

We refer to the letters “Why zoos should house more rare land animals” (Feb 7) and “Zoos endanger future of rare animals” (Feb 9).

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), the parent company of Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo, together with the international community of modern zoological institutions, contributes to wildlife and biodiversity conservation by engaging and connecting the public to wildlife, scientific management of threatened wildlife within our living collection, as well as participating in field conservation projects.

Managing threatened species in WRS’ living collection can help fulfil a few conservation needs, including having “ambassador animals” for public education, providing research opportunities not feasible in the wild, and functioning as assurance colonies of captive bred animals as a contingency against extinction.

Many larger threatened land mammal species are managed as a part of a wider and coordinated regional or global captive population. These animals are ethically and sustainably sourced, with the majority being captive bred and exchanged with other zoological institutions.

For highly threatened species such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, conservation strategies are developed through joint decisions of multiple expert groups. Unless all stakeholders agree that it is in the best conservation needs of the species to be held in a zoo, the species will not enter our collection.

In Singapore, the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund (WRSCF) has funded nearly 20 local conservation and research projects since its inception in 2009, including the Sunda pangolin, the Singapore freshwater crab and the banded leaf langur.

WRS also works with local wildlife authorities and animal welfare organisations on rehabilitating and repatriating injured and displaced local wildlife. We currently supports 20 regional projects for 24 threatened species, including iconic species such as the orang utan, Asian elephant and Tonkin snub-nosed monkey.

Collectively, WRS parks provide wildlife experiences for more than four million visitors annually. The parks engage visitors by raising awareness on the plight of threatened wildlife as well as empowering them to fight these threats.

Apart from exhibit interpretation, keeper talks and animal presentations, we conduct conservation communication campaigns, such as last year’s campaign against the alarming mass killing of rhinoceros in Africa to meet East Asian consumption demands. This year, we will roll out a campaign on the wider unsustainable industrial-scale illegal harvesting of wildlife.

To achieve the desired conservation outcomes, WRS collaborates with local and regional government authorities, field wildlife researchers, academia, conservation organisations (such as International Union for Conservation of Nature and TRAFFIC), animal welfare groups and other zoos.

No single group on its own is able to resolve the complex problems threatening our wildlife.

Modern zoological institutions such as WRS, with our mass appeal to engage the public, scientific proficiencies in managing captive wildlife for demographic and genetic sustainability, and professional readiness to collaborate with other experts in their respective disciplines, possess a unique, indispensable and vital role and responsibility in wildlife conservation.

WRS and our parks are well poised and ready to continue with the collaborative approach in our efforts to conserve threatened wildlife and biodiversity.

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