Singapore zoo to send manatees to Guadeloupe in repopulation bid

National Park of Guadeloupe employee Sébastien Rives hand-feeds Kai and Junior, who will be part of a manatee breeding program that aims to bring the marine mamals back to the waters of Guadeloupe. Photos: Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Singapore zoo River Safari will be sending two manatees to Guadeloupe to become part of the world's first repopulation program for the vulnerable marine mammal.

According to Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which manages River Safari, the Antillean manatees Kai and Junior will become the first manatees in more than a hundred years to arrive in Guadeloupe, where they will be part of a breeding program that aims to bring back the Caribbean islands' manatee population.

"An important cultural symbol locally, the West Indian manatee species has been extinct in the waters of Guadeloupe since the beginning of the 20th century as a result of excessive hunting activities," said WRS in a statement.

The breeding program will involve 15 manatees from different zoological facilities. However, Kai and Junior will be the first to arrive at the protected bay of Grand Cul-de-sac Marin, where boats are barred from entering. (Boats pose a serious risk to manatees, which can be seriously injured or even killed when they are hit by boats or cut by the propellers.)

Manatees to be born as a result of this breeding program will be reintroduced to the wild.

River Safari aquarist Hafiz Rahmat conducts canvas conditioning for Junior to prepare him for the long-haul journey from Singapore to Guadeloupe.

River Safari reports that Kai, born in October 2009, and Junior, born in February 2010, are "almost inseparable", often feeding and swimming together. They were chosen to be part of this program because they have already reached sexual maturity.

The WRS expects the flight to Guadeloupe to take over 30 hours, with several pit stops in between. Kai and Junior will be transported in open-top crates lined with thick sponge that will absorb the water to be sprayed on them throughout the flight to keep their skin moist.

Kai and Junior will be hoisted into the crates using canvas, so ahead of the date of travel aquarists are already conditioning them to become used to the material so that they will be comfortable with it when they are transferred into the crates.

Manatees are listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. — BM, GMA News