Rainforest Wild Adventure welcomes first okapi born in Southeast Asia雨林野生探险公司迎来东南亚首只霍加狓宝宝
Rainforest Wild Adventure in Singapore welcomes Southeast Asia's first okapi calf. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Published Sep 24, 2026, 12:55 PM
Updated Sep 24, 2026, 12:55 PM
Rainforest Wild Adventure in Singapore welcomed the first okapi calf born in Southeast Asia on July 27, now weighing 48 kg and gradually exploring its outdoor habitat.
The okapi is an endangered species native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a long gestation period of about 440 days and elusive calf behaviour.
Mandai invites the public to name the calf and celebrates its birth with themed offerings; the park also plans to introduce more species including sitatunga antelope and new lemurs by 2026.
SINGAPORE – Rainforest Wild Adventure on July 27 welcomed the arrival of an okapi calf, the first to be born in Southeast Asia.
Mandai Wildlife Group said on Sept 24 that the male calf, b orn to first-time parents Kisala, 7, and Xandor, 4, currently weighs 48 kg - more than double its birth weight.
It is housed with its mother in the Hidden Forest at Rainforest Wild Adventure East .
“We recently gave them access to their outdoor habitat, but the calf is still taking time to get used to his new surroundings,” said Cecilia Tang, a curator at Mandai’s Animal Care department.
“We’re allowing him to explore and build confidence at his own pace, so it may take some time before visitors see more of him.”
The calf spends most of its time in the calving box. PHOTO: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP
The calf spends most of its time in the calving box.
PHOTO: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP
As the calf may retreat to the off-exhibit den, a “baby monitor” providing a live feed is available for visitors wanting to catch a glimpse.
Those who wish to learn more about the species can also join the daily Okapi Ranger talk at the park, held at 10.30am and 3pm .
The okapi, a highly elusive species closely related to giraffes , is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
They are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and are cared for by only a handful of zoos worldwide.
Okapis have one of the longest gestation periods among hoofed mammals, lasting around 440 days or 14 to 15 months .
Calves naturally spend most of their early days hidden and still to avoid being detected by predators, with mothers returning only a few times a day to nurse.
Mandai has invited members of the public help name the calf by voting on its social media pages.
They can choose from three names, inspired by African languages: Imara, meaning strong in Swahili; Mayaka, meaning pearl in Lingala ; and Kiah, meaning dawn, new beginnings, or start of the season in Swahili.
According to Mandai, the calf’s parents first came to Singapore under the EAZA Ex situ Programme (EEP), a coordinated breeding programme for threatened species.
“After Kisala was paired with Xandor, we observed changes in her appetite and body condition and began preparing for the possibility of a pregnancy,” said Tang.
“An ultrasound in July confirmed she was expecting a calf, which was an exciting milestone for the team.”
Guests can take an okapi souvenir home from the retail shop at Rainforest Wild Adventure East. PHOTO: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP
Guests can take an okapi souvenir home from the retail shop at Rainforest Wild Adventure East.
To celebrate the calf’s birth, okapi-themed offerings will be available across the Mandai precinct.
This includes an okapi-inspired cake, which will be available from October at selected dining outlets, and okapi souvenirs at the retail shop at Rainforest Wild Adventure East.
The sitatungas can be found in Rainforest Wild Adventure East. PHOTO: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP
The sitatungas can be found in Rainforest Wild Adventure East.
The red-bellied lemur can be expected at Lemur Land from November 2026. PHOTO: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP
The red-bellied lemur can be expected at Lemur Land from November 2026.
Aside from the okapi calf, Mandai also welcomed the sitatunga, a swamp-dwelling antelope, at Rainforest Wild Adventure.
Additionally, the park’s Lemur Land will progressively welcome more species, with the crowned lemur and red-bellied lemur expected to debut by November 2026.
Together, they will bring the total number of lemur species in the Madagascan-themed rainforest to four.
Mandai Wildlife Group
发布于 2026 年 9 月 24 日下午 12:55
更新于2026年9月24日下午12:55
新加坡雨林野生探险中心于 7 月 27 日迎来了东南亚首只霍加狓幼崽，目前体重 48 公斤，正在逐步探索其户外栖息地。
霍加狓是刚果民主共和国特有的濒危物种，其妊娠期长达约 440 天，幼崽行为难以捉摸。
万代邀请公众为小牛命名，并以主题活动庆祝它的诞生；该公园还计划在 2026 年前引进更多物种，包括西塔通加羚羊和新的狐猴。
新加坡——7月27日，雨林野生探险中心迎来了一只霍加狓幼崽，这是东南亚出生的第一只霍加狓。
Mandai Wildlife Group 于 9 月 24 日表示，7 岁的 Kisala 和 4 岁的 Xandor 是第一次当父母，他们所生的雄性小牛目前体重 48 公斤，是出生体重的两倍多。
它和它的母亲一起生活在雨林野生探险东部的隐秘森林里。
“我们最近让它们有机会接触到户外栖息地，但小牛犊仍在适应新的环境，”万代动物护理部门的管理员塞西莉亚·唐说道。
“我们让他按照自己的节奏探索和建立自信，所以游客可能需要一段时间才能更多地看到他。”
小牛犊大部分时间都待在产犊箱里。照片：万代野生动物集团
小牛大部分时间都待在产犊箱里。
照片：万代野生动物集团
由于小牛可能会躲到非展区的小窝里，所以游客可以通过“婴儿监视器”观看实时画面，以便一睹小牛的真容。
想要了解更多关于该物种的信息的人还可以参加公园每天上午 10:30 和下午 3:00 举行的霍加狓巡护员讲解。
霍加狓是一种非常难以捉摸的物种，与长颈鹿关系密切，原产于刚果民主共和国。
它们被列入国际自然保护联盟（IUCN）红色名录的濒危物种，全世界只有少数动物园在照顾它们。
霍加狓是蹄类哺乳动物中妊娠期最长的动物之一，妊娠期约为 440 天，即 14 至 15 个月。
小牛犊在出生后的头几天里，大部分时间都躲藏起来，一动不动，以避免被捕食者发现，母牛一天只会回来几次哺乳。
Mandai邀请公众通过其社交媒体页面投票为小牛命名。
他们可以从三个受非洲语言启发的名字中选择：Imara，在斯瓦希里语中意为“强壮”；Mayaka，在林加拉语中意为“珍珠”；Kiah，在斯瓦希里语中意为“黎明”、“新的开始”或“季节的开始”。
据曼代称，这头小牛的父母最初是通过 EAZA 异地安置计划 (EEP) 来到新加坡的，该计划是一项针对濒危物种的协调繁殖计划。
唐说：“基萨拉与桑多尔配对后，我们观察到她的食欲和身体状况发生了变化，并开始为她可能怀孕做准备。”
“7 月份的超声波检查证实她怀的是小牛，这对团队来说是一个令人兴奋的里程碑。”
游客可在雨林野生探险东部的零售店购买霍加狓纪念品带回家。图片：万代野生动物集团
游客可以在雨林野生探险东部的零售店购买霍加狓纪念品带回家。
为了庆祝小牛的诞生，曼代区将提供以霍加狓为主题的各种商品。
其中包括一款以霍加狓为灵感的蛋糕，将于 10 月起在指定餐饮场所供应；以及在雨林野生探险东部的零售店出售的霍加狓纪念品。
在东部雨林野生探险区可以看到西塔通加羚羊。图片：曼代野生动物集团
在雨林野生探险东部可以找到西塔通加羚羊。
红腹狐猴预计将于2026年11月起在狐猴乐园亮相。图片：万代野生动物集团
红腹狐猴预计将于 2026 年 11 月在狐猴乐园亮相。
除了霍加狓幼崽，曼代还在雨林野生探险中心迎来了沼泽羚羊——西塔通加羚羊。
此外，公园的狐猴乐园将逐步迎来更多物种，预计到 2026 年 11 月，冕狐猴和红腹狐猴将首次亮相。
它们将使马达加斯加主题雨林中的狐猴物种总数达到四种。
万代野生动物集团