River Safari Singapore’s Kai and Junior set off on a historic journey to become the first two manatees in over a century to arrive in Guadeloupe as pioneers for the world’s first manatee repopulation program.
The pair departed from Singapore at 4:50 a.m. on Aug. 8.
At a farewell ceremony the day before, Mike Barclay, group CEO of Mandai Park Holdings, presented a special flight comfort kit consisting of the manatees’ favorite treats—high fiber pellets—to Laurence Beau, deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of France in Singapore, symbolically signifying the handing over of River Safari’s two male manatees to Guadeloupe, a French territory in the Caribbean.
The journey to Guadeloupe took 34 hours, and Kai and Junior traveled 19,600 kilometers across the globe before finally arriving on Aug. 9 at 1:30 a.m. (local time).
Under the Antillean manatee repopulation project spearheaded by the National Park of Guadeloupe, 15 manatees from zoos around the world will be sent to their historic home in the Grand Cul-de-sac Marin, a protected bay that measures 15,000 hectares and will shield the manatee collection from boating traffic by way of an enforced no-entry zone. In addition to age and temperament considerations, genetic diversity is also key in the selection of the founding group. The future offspring from the initial 15 manatees will be reintroduced to the wild, eventually repopulating the Caribbean region. Kai and Junior from River Safari will be the first arrivals for the landmark project.
Barclay said, “As operators of four world-class wildlife parks – Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari, and Singapore Zoo – we are committed to offering the best possible care to the animals under our charge. Aside from maintaining a healthy living collection to educate and inspire an appreciation for wildlife among our park guests, we are also committed to breeding assurance populations for threatened species and, where possible, reintroducing them back into the wild. We are happy to have the opportunity to contribute towards repopulating part of the manatees’ historic range in the Caribbean, where they have not been sighted in over a century. Projects like this allow us to do our bit to protect and conserve the world’s biodiversity.”
In the last 20 years, more than 10 manatees were bred under human care in River Safari and Singapore Zoo. Among them, Kai and Junior have been selected for the repopulation program in Guadeloupe as they have reached sexual maturity, and are best pals inside the aquarium. Their relative young age also makes it easier for the pair to adapt to a new environment. Kai was born on Oct. 8, 2009 and Junior was born on Feb. 2, 2010.
Due to Kai and Junior’s massive weight, River Safari’s team of aquarists, keepers, and vets took extra care as they placed the pair into traveling crates for transportation. These crates were lined with thick sponge to ensure that Kai and Junior would remain comfortable throughout the journey, and also to absorb water that has to be periodically sprayed on the manatees to keep their skin moist. As an added measure for the manatees’ comfort, the National Park of Guadeloupe and River Safari opted for a chartered flight for Kai and Junior to minimize travel time.
Two veterinarians from the National Park of Guadeloupe and River Safari’s Deputy Head Aquarist, Keith So, accompanied Kai and Junior throughout the 34-hour journey. Kai and Junior’s favorite aquarist at River Safari, Doris Su, departed for Guadeloupe on a separate passenger flight earlier to help ensure they settle down well in their new environment.
Manatees are currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their numbers have declined in the last century due to hunting pressures, entrapment in commercial nets, and collisions with propellers and motorboats.