'Mermaid' born at zoo, a first in Asia

Endangered manatee bred successfully in captivity

By Chang Ai-lien

SINGAPORE has its own baby 'mermaid', the first to be born in captivity here and in Asia.

The week-old baby manatee swims alongside mum, Eva, an eight-year-old. -- TERRENCE TAN

The manatee, the doe-eyed sea mammal which sailors of yore are said to have mistaken for mermaids, was born at the Singapore Zoological Gardens here recently.

The male manatee calf, which is just 75 cm long, was spotted swimming alongside its mother, Eva, last week in the manatee and sealion enclosure at the zoo.

Adult manatees can grow up to 4 m long and weigh 1,600 kg.

Eight-year-old Eva mated more than a year ago, and keepers realised she had become pregnant. She grew much bigger and heavier.

Senior keeper Ben Fernandez said he knew the birth was imminent last week, when 'she moved differently and started flapping her tail as if she was in pain'.

He said: 'We kept a close watch, and when we came in on Tuesday morning, she had just given birth.'

He believes the father is 10-year-old Turbo, one of two adult males in the enclosure.

Manatees are shy and docile. They feed on aquatic plants, chomping on up to 68 kg of greenery every day.

Peeping out of the sea to inhale, the gentle giants were probably the inspiration for legends of sirens or mermaids, as their scientific name sirenian suggests.

They are highly endangered, with only about 2,600 left worldwide.

'They are killed at a faster rate than they can reproduce,' said zoo executive director Cheng Wen Haur.

He added: 'It's not an easy species to breed.

'The first birth in Asia marks our ability to breed them in captivity and we are delighted that our care for this precious animal has been rewarded.'

You cannot go swimming with the zoo manatees, but from Saturday, enthusiasts can dive with a kin of the manatee, Gracie the dugong, at Underwater World in Sentosa at $70 per dive.