Southern three-banded armadillo rolls into Night Safari

Hailing from central South America, the southern three-banded armadillo is covered with scales made of keratin to protect itself from predators. The word armadillo is derived from Spanish meaning “little armoured one.” Not all armadillos are able to encase themselves in their shells however. In fact, only the three-banded armadillo can, curling its head and back feet and transforming its shell into a hard ball that confounds would-be predators. At Night Safari, they’ve been fondly dubbed oddballs because of this ability.

Our male armadillo Rocha arrived from France’s Beauval Zoo last May, and has since settled comfortably into his new habitat. Active and curious, one-and-a-half-year-old Rocha can frequently be seen exploring, burrowing and digging about in his bachelor pad. This friendly boy loves checking out his keepers’ boots whenever they enter the exhibit to feed him. His favourite food includes ants’ eggs and mealworms. For a balanced diet, he also gets a selection of vegetables, boiled eggs, apples and insectivore pellets.

Although Rocha currently lives alone, that will soon change. His intended mate, a yet-to-be-named two-year-old female arrived from Poland’s Wroclaw Zoo late last month. She is currently in quarantine, but it won’t be long before she joins Rocha at Night Safari’s Fishing Cat Trail. The animal care team is hopeful that the pair will eventually roll whole-heartedly into each other’s lives.

Rocha will also make select appearances at the all-new Keeper Talk sessions at the equally new Explorer Outpost. Situated around the corner from the armadillo exhibit, this ranger station doubles up as an interaction hub where visitors can meet a host of oddball animals such as the pangolin, binturong, serval and other nocturnal residents on Friday and Saturday nights as part of the year-end Twilight Encounters themed activities. Keepers will regale guests with tales about their animals’ fascinating characteristics and other quirky traits.

Other activities such as Oddballs Odyssey await guests eager for a fun-filled evening. This first ever Lockdown Singapore escape game in Night Safari challenges guests to find our ‘missing’ baby Asian elephant Neha while navigating puzzles along the walking trails.

Those keen for an extra-special wild night out can embark on a Safari Adventure Tour – Twilight Encounters Edition. Get the VIP treatment and whizz through Night Safari with our guide on a buggy while discovering her best kept secrets. Learn about the oddball characteristics of the southern three-banded armadillo and Sunda pangolin at the Fishing Cat Trail. Round up the evening with an up-close encounter with our gentle giants in an exclusive Asian elephant feeding session.

Don’t forget to complete your night with Rainforest Lumina, a multimedia night walk on the wild side, only at Singapore Zoo. Local residents enjoy up to 30 per cent savings for online purchases of Night Safari Plus tickets. Terms and conditions apply.  

Details at a glance:

Date:      15 Nov – 28 Dec 2019 (Key activities happen every Friday and Saturday night, and Christmas Eve and Day)

Time:     7.15pm – 12.00am

Venue:   Night Safari

              80 Mandai Lake Road

              Singapore 729826

Cost:      Normal admission of $55 for adults and $39 for children 3-12 years applies

For more information, visit www.TwilightEncounters.sg.