Connor Jackson

Bengal Tiger Singapore Zoo Report

What Role Does The Singapore Zoo Have In Conserving The Bengal Tigers?
The Problem
Endangered Animals or plants whose numbers are so few they are in danger of becoming extinct. Extinction The complete disappearance of a species. The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been classified as endangered in 2010 and the total population is estimated to be less than 2,500 and their numbers are decreasing, none of the Tiger Conservation Landscapes within the Bengal tiger's range is large enough to support an effective population size of 250 adult individuals. These tigers are hunted by poachers for a number of reasons; their fur is worn as expensive clothing, also their body parts are used in Chinese medicine and food. Tigers in general are a protected species all over the world however; this does not stop illegal poaching of these creatures. The added the pressure from poachers is causing their numbers to decrease rapidly. How is the Singapore Zoo helping to preserve these endangered animals and what are they doing in an attempt to increase their numbers?

Possible Solutions
Modern zoos have an important role to play in conservation. They help protect, preserve and restore wildlife and their habitats. Zoos bear the responsibility of educating the public and creating awareness for the dwindling numbers in the animal kingdom. In line with these aims, Singapore Zoo is one of the most successful conservation parks in the region. The Singapore zoo has two methods of conservation; on site conservation - where they protect endangered plants and animals in their natural habitat, and off site conservation removing these animals/plants from their natural environment and placing them under human care for their safety and survival. Keeping endangered animals such as Bengal tigers in zoos keep them safe from poachers and hunters that they could come across in the wild, it also provides them with a constant intake of

Connor Jackson

Bengal Tiger Singapore Zoo Report

food that they might be difficult to obtain in the wild due to human landscaping and decreasing numbers of their sources of food as they are either eaten, their habitats are destroyed or they are driven away by humans to make space for things such as housing or farmland. In the Singapore zoo Bengal tigers are bred with each other due to their small number and scarcity. These tigers may contain a white gene which is recessive to normal colour, these in rare cases causes the offspring to be white in colour, these white tigers are also present in the zoo however, these tigers are usually only bred with each other to maintain the white characteristic. The colour of the stripes on a tiger varies due to the influence and interaction of other genes. Bengal tigers are a subspecies of tiger and can breed with normal orange ones to produce healthy fertile tigers. In an attempt to add variation a method of breeding called out crossing is used between Bengal tigers and normal tigers, the white tigers are bred with Bengal tigers, because this white gene is recessive the offspring that are then bred still have a chance (25%) of producing white tigers but also a 25% chance of producing offspring with both dominant genes, making them unable to reproduce white tigers. The remaining 50% will be carriers of the white gene.

Economical & Social Implications

Overall upkeep, feeding, and providing an area that is big enough to keep such large animals is very expensive, especially as the cost of land in Singapore is extremely high, these animals also need specialist medical healthcare and can be costly if the animal were to fall sick of an illness or disease. Also in terms of breeding, if the zoo wishes to maintain the variety of the gene pool, Bengal tigers may need to be mated with white tigers from other areas, this is a very expensive method of breeding however, Bengal tigers are a very popular attraction in zoos all over the world due to the scarcity and beauty of these animals, while the costs may be expensive, in the long term it could lead to an increased amount of people visiting the zoo. This is not only beneficial to the zoo itself but this main attraction and many people coming to see these tigers will result in an increase of awareness to the public about the very small number of Bengal tigers, and also how they face the threat of poaching and hunting for medicines, this could lead to a decrease in poachers and hunters due to the lower demand for these characteristics that these tigers posses and in the future, as the numbers hopefully rise, it may be encouraged to bring the Bengal tigers back into the wild or in a wildlife preserve.

Connor Jackson

Bengal Tiger Singapore Zoo Report

The area in which the Bengal tigers are housed in the Singapore zoo occupy an area of 1170 square metre, this typical captive environment does very little to satisfy the needs of the Bengal tiger, and usually results in behavior considered to be abnormal. This concept of abnormality has proven very difficult to define since many believe such behavior may be an adaptation by the animal to help it cope with the environment. These animals are considered dangerous and if threatened could result in severely harming, or killing humans, providing them in a safe and secure environment keeps both humans and the Bengal tigers safe, although due to their few numbers there are few encounters with these animals in the wild. The Role Of the Singapore Zoo & Possible Solutions Before releasing an animal into the wild, a panel of experts come together collaboratively and evaluates the survival capabilities of the animal. Eg: the Bengal tigers in the zoo itself are fed a combination of pellets and water that has been mixed with a calcium power, and every few days a piece of meat. If these tigers were then released into the wild, they will be unable to hunt for their food. In the near future the zoo is planning on releasing a few of these tigers into the wild, as these tigers have spent their whole lives in zoos, preparing them for the wild has to be taken in stages. The Bengal tigers diet will be changed slightly, instead of having a plain piece of meat, the meat will still have skin of the deer still intact, also they will be fed limbs of animals, such as horses leg, up to a full carcass, these carcasses will contain bones so they will not need to be fed the calcium powder in their water. Building up the feeding process will take some time, and the final stage is where a live animal e.g. a deer will be released into the Bengal tiger area, and they will have to hunt for it in a closed environment. According to the zoo keeper some Bengal tigers will naturally have their instincts kick in and will excel in hunting whereas some will find it difficult and struggle Harriman. (Harriman has worked in the Singapore for many years and has a vast knowledge of the zoo and even conducted the lecture about the zoo and its role in conservation) This complicates the decision of releasing the Bengal tigers into the wild however, these Bengal tigers in the Singapore zoo are breeding very well and are providing so much offspring that they need to be given a method of contraception in order not to overflow the zoos. This is good as an increase in the number of species will be more promising in reintroducing them into wildlife. [Tigers are obligate carnivores. They prefer hunting large ungulates such as chital, sambar, gaur, and to a lesser extent also barasingha, water buffalo, nilgai, serow and takin. Among the medium-sized prey species they frequently kill wild boar, and occasionally hog deer, muntjac and Gray langur. Small prey species such as porcupines, hares and peafowl form a very small part in their diet. Due to the encroachment of humans into their habitat, they also prey on domestic livestock.] - Wikipedia

Connor Jackson

Bengal Tiger Singapore Zoo Report

The Bengal tigers are given medicine and vaccinations to prevent a hand full of diseases; Prokoleptics, worms, tuberculosis (vaccinations) and are given contraception due to the high breeding capability of tigers in general. Every month the tigers weight is recorded and faecal samples are collected and tested. If any tigers are showing signs on illness a veterinarian is consulted immediately. The Bengal tigers are not commonly aggressive to each other as their housing area is big enough for male tigers to claim their own space. When I Tiger becomes very old, major surgeries are not usually done (a common one is a hip plate) as it is high risk, it is only done as a last resort if the animal is under pain.

Social & Economical Implications While getting the Bengal tigers fit for the wild can be a difficult task, their numbers are not a concern as they breed very well in captivity however, reintroducing them into the wild has social implications the reason for their numbers decreasing so rapidly was due to their fur and various body parts in medicine, it is doubtful that the demand for these furs and limbs have decreased, and due to the scarcity of these animals in the wild, could have in fact increase, making it clear that there is a high potential danger for these animals to be released in the wild. An ideal method would be to buy land and make a wildlife reserve, Singapore zoo is currently buying land around South East Asia to do this however it is expensive, and although they do receive money through donations and fundraising as well as government grants this is an economical problem as land can be expensive. Benefits and risk The benefits of having these wildlife sanctuarys is that animals may roam freely, and it will be as close to their natural habitat as possible, but other animals (prey) also need to be present and also the ratio of Bengal tigers to prey need to be taken into consideration. Another benefit

Connor Jackson

Bengal Tiger Singapore Zoo Report

of the sanctuary will be that many species can be place in their such as species of birds/fish and other mammals. Evaluation From the evidence I have found both on the internet and research at the zoo itself it is clear that the Singapore zoo take conservation seriously, this is a very good quality for a zoo to have. Reintroducing these Bengal tigers is possible however I have not found sufficient information on how long the stages of feeding take place and no tests have been conducted on the Bengal tigers ability to learn their hunting skills and the percentage of tigers who learn their hunting abilities well. Ideally the Singapore zoo should purchase a piece of land to transform into a wildlife sanctuary, this is a possible solution only with sufficient funding and whether the panel of people who will determine the survivability of these tigers in the wild, and the tigers capability to learn these core survival skills.

Bibliography
http://www.zoo.com.sg/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_tiger www.worldwildlife.org/ www.blackpineanimalpark.com www.tigersincrisis.com/

Muhammad Harriman (Singapore Zoo Worker) 2012