S'pore forests to get wild beasts

S'pore forests to get wild beasts

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore announced yesterday a plan to release indigenous wild animals into its forest reserves to try to revive a natural-born animal population.

"The exercise will see the release of some leopard cats, mousedeer and civets at various locations," said Sidek Saniff, senior minister of state for the environment.

The experiment next year "aims to repopulate our forests with these indigenous species. It is hoped that these animals will produce a viable population in the wild," he said in a speech at the seventh conference of the South East Asian Zoological Parks Association.

The three-day conference has brought together 120 delegates from 16 countries representing 55 organizations.

The project was planned to raise interest in Singapore's natural heritage and mark the Singapore Zoo's 25th anniversary, Sidek said.