New specialised hospital opens in Mandai to treat Singapore’s wildlife

Junior veterinary nurse Nadhrah Hassan feeding a common palm civet inside one of the dens at the new Mandai Wildlife Centre on July 2.

 ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE – As day turns to dusk, junior veterinary nurse Nadhrah Hassan patiently feeds three energetic baby common palm civets abandoned by their mother.

The 22-year-old is part of a pioneering four-member team at the Mandai Wildlife Centre, a dedicated hospital for rescued native wildlife officially opened on July 22 by Mandai Nature, the non-profit conservation arm of Mandai Wildlife Group.

Despite the kittens’ indefatigable determination to leap off the table, Nadhrah shows no sign of fatigue.

Their meal of fruit and milk replicates what they would eat in the wild, an essential step towards helping them eventually survive in Singapore’s urban landscape.

“No words can truly capture the joy of knowing you helped give an animal a second chance at life. Every small improvement is a milestone worth celebrating,” Nadhrah told The Straits Times.

Unlike the Mandai Wildlife Group’s two other veterinary hospitals that serve zoo animals, the new centre will aim for the full rehabilitation and release of its animals into the wild.

Simultaneously, the hospital will act as a living observatory, gathering data on the wild fauna in Singapore.