info Announcement 1 of 3:

Our shows are operating at limited capacity as part of the necessary Safe Management Measures. We seek your understanding that once full, we will be unable to accept more guests.

info Announcement 2 of 3:

From 11-21 Mar 2021, Night Safari will be open every day from 7.15pm to 12am.

info Announcement 3 of 3:

Night Safari is open from Thursdays to Sundays, as well as eve of and on public holidays. Operating hours are from 6.30pm to 12am.

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Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group
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  • Sunda pangolin

Sunda pangolin

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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

7 years in the wild

More under human care

fruits

Diet

Ants and termites

Habitat

Habitat

Primary and secondary forest

range

Range

Southeast Asia

including Singapore

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The Sunda pangolins

Finicky eaters

Finicky eaters

Due to their specialised diet of ants and termites, pangolins are notoriously difficult to care for. At first, our keepers tried to emulate the anteater diet – a porridge made from fruits, meat and mealworms. As pangolins have no teeth, the tendons had to be removed from the meat before it was blended. Later, ground-up termite mounds were added. Most recently, the keepers have substituted the meat with ant eggs. Our pangolins are positively lapping this up.
Healthy poop, healthy pangolin

Healthy poop, healthy pangolin

One of the first things our pangolin keepers look out for in the morning is the poop. Healthy pangolins produce poop that is blackish and tubular. 8 out of our 10 pangolins have the bizarre habit of pooping in their water dishes, so extra dishes are provided for them. Panjang, who was named for his long tail (‘panjang’ means ‘long’ in Malay), is one of them. Unfortunately, he sometimes misses the dish target due to the length of his tail!
Surprise, surprise

Surprise, surprise

This strange business might have to do with the fact that the pangolin is a confident swimmer. Not only does it swim well, it can scoot up a tree with surprising speed. Its prehensile tail works like a fifth limb. The bottom tip of the tail is naked and helps it maintain its grip around branches and tree trunks. Which is why our keepers are ever-watchful when taking them out on walks. If they decide to scale a tree, it would be tough trying to get them to come down.
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The keeper

Zoo keeper

Ade Kurniawan

Junior animal care officer
Zoo keeper

Ade Kurniawan

Junior animal care officer

Hi Ade, nice to meet you. So, how long have you been with the Night Safari (NS)?

I joined as a junior keeper in 2008. I was here for a year before I left Singapore to study zoology. During my holidays, I worked as a part time staff whenever I was back. I returned full time in 2014 as a Junior Animal Management Officer (AMO). I now lead the Fishing Cat Trail team which looks after 26 species, including the Sunda Pangolin.
Zoo keeper

Ade Kurniawan

Junior animal care officer
How has your role changed?
Zoo keeper

Ade Kurniawan

Junior animal care officer

How has your role changed?

While the bulk of my time is spent looking after our animals, my new duties involve more administrative work as well as ensuring that new and better ways of managing our animals are implemented using evidence-based methods.
Zookeeper

Ade Kurniawan

Junior animal care officer
Do you have any advice for budding zookeepers out there?
Zookeeper

Ade Kurniawan

Junior animal care officer

Do you have any advice for budding zookeepers out there?

While a degree in zoology, animal behaviour or other life science majors is advantageous, it is not entirely necessary. But if you choose to go down that path – do take up biology and chemistry in secondary school at the very least. Qualifications are just one part of the equation – you must have a genuine love for animals. You can gauge your interest in this field by joining the volunteer programmes at our parks or partaking in other wildlife/nature related activities in Singapore. Lastly, do note that zookeeping can be a rather dirty job (but don’t worry, we have showers here). It also involves working outdoors and requires a fair amount of physical labour. Not an easy feat due to our climate in Singapore!

The rescued pangolins

Anggun

The grand old dame

Anggun

This slow but stately member of our collection was brought in by staff who found her badly injured by a car. She survived and continues to thrive here at Night Safari.

Pangolina

The pangolin that can’t climb

Pangolina

Every day, without fail, Pangolina’s keepers bring her out for a walk. Her spinal injury, suffered in a hit-and-run accident, means she will always be under our care.

Together, we protect wildlife

Rescued!

Rescued!

Sham, Senior Veterinary Nurse, and Dr. Charlene Yeong, Conservation and Wildlife Health Manager, attending to a rescued pangolin after an operation to fix a broken right femur.

The pangolin is now recuperating at our animal hospital. He is eating and even beginning to put some weight on the injured leg.

The IUCN Status

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Open from Thursdays to Sundays, as well as eve of and on public holidays.

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