Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is a 28 hectares (69 acres) zoo located on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. Opened in 1973, the zoo was built at a cost of $9 million that was granted by the government of Singapore.

Singapore Zoo
Entrance of the Singapore Zoo (2010)
Date opened27 June 1973 (1973-06-27)
LocationMandai, Singapore
80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826
Coordinates1°24′14″N 103°47′39″E
Land area28 ha (69 acres)
No. of animals2,530
No. of species315
Annual visitors2,132,270 (FY 2019/20)[1]
Public transit access 138, 926, 927
WebsiteSingapore Zoo

It is operated by the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which also manages the neighbouring Night Safari, River Wonders, the Jurong Bird Park[lower-alpha 1] as well as the forthcoming Rainforest Wild Park. All five parks makes up the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which consists of more than 15,000 animals from 1,000 species.[2][3] Within the zoo, there are about 315 species of animals, of which some 16 percent are considered to be a threatened species. The zoo attracts over 2 million visitors every year.[1]

From the beginning, Singapore Zoo followed the modern trend of displaying animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits with hidden barriers, moats, and glass between the animals and visitors. It houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world.[4] The Singapore Zoo has been highly ranked by various international metrics.[5]

History
Ah Meng the Bornean orangutan at the Singapore Zoo on Free-Ranging Orangutan Island

Prior to the establishment of Singapore Zoo, there were other short-lived zoos in Singapore's history, including the first recorded zoo founded in the early 1870s at the present-day Singapore Botanic Gardens,[6] a zoo opened in the 1920s in Ponggol (present-day Punggol) by animal trader William Lawrence Soma Basapa and two zoos run by two brothers by the surname of Chan during the 1960s.

The conception of the Singapore Zoo dates from 1969. At the time, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) decided to use some of its land holdings around reservoirs for parks and open recreational facilities. The executive chairman of the PUB, Dr Ong Swee Law, set aside 88 ha (220 acres) of land for the construction of a zoological garden.

In 1970, consultants and staff were hired, and in 1971, the construction of the basic 50 enclosures was started. Animals were collected from dealers and donated by sponsors. The director of the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka, Lyn de Alwis, was hired as a special consultant to work out the problems inherent in tropical zoos.[7]

On 27 June 1973, the Singapore Zoo opened its gates for the first time with a collection of 270 animals from over 72 species, and a staff of 130. By 1990, 1,600 animals from more than 160 species lived in social groups, housed in 65 landscaped exhibits with boundaries conceived to look as natural as possible.

In 1987, the zoo began to display rare animals loaned by other zoos. The first animals displayed in this manner were the rare golden snub-nosed monkeys from China in 1987, which attracted more than half a million visitors. This was followed by white tigers from Cincinnati Zoo in 1988 and giant pandas from Wolong National Nature Reserve in 1990.[4]

On 1 August 2000, Singapore Zoological Gardens, Jurong Bird Park and Night Safari were integrated under Wildlife Reserves Singapore, under the umbrella of Temasek Holdings. The zoo underwent a restructuring to improve its efficiency and branding which included the merging of shared services and expansion of consultancy services overseas. Night Safari, which began under the zoo, became a separate branding entity.

The restructuring of the zoo was not without controversy. Several key staff, including CEO Bernard Harrison, left as a result in 2002, citing differences in management style. In 2003, Wildlife Reserves Singapore launched a massive rebranding exercise, which was shelved due to widespread public disapproval. The name of the zoo was simplified to Singapore Zoo sometime by 2005.

As a result of the restructuring, more facilities were launched, such as a S$3.6 million Wildlife Healthcare & Research Centre in 2005. Existing infrastructure was revamped to further enhance the experience of visitors. The growth in revenue continued on an upward trend.

Exhibits

Treetop Trails

Animals (Siamang Exhibit):

Proboscis Monkey

Animals

Waterstone Exotic

Animals (opposite Otter Exhibit):

Animals (Tiger Trek Exhibit):

Animals (main Waterstone Exotic):

Animal Playground

Animals

Wild Africa

Animals (main Wild Africa):

Cat Country

Animals

Fragile Forest

Animals

Chimpanzee Island

Animals

Rainforest Kidzword

Animals

Reptile Garden

Animals (Sungei Buaya):

Animals (Tortoise Shell-ter exhibit):

Animals (Reptile Garden):

Reptopia

Animals

Orangutan Island

Animals

Splash Safari Show

Animals

Primate Kingdom

Animals

Rainforest Fights Back

Animals

Elephants of Asia

Animals

Great Rift Valley of Ethopia

Animals

Australasia

Animals (main Australasia):

Animals (Pygmy Hippo Exbhit):

Education and conservation

The Wildlife Healthcare & Research Centre was opened in March 2006 as part of the zoo's efforts in wildlife conservation. The centre further underscores Singapore Zoo and Night Safari's commitment to conservation research, providing the infrastructure for the parks and overseas zoological partners to better execute their research programmes. The Singapore Zoo is the first zoo in the world to breed a polar bear in the tropics. Inuka was born on 26 December 1990, died 25 April 2018 (aged 27).[4]

The zoo also embarked on various rescue and conservation efforts to protect wildlife. Steve Irwin, the animal activist and conservationist known as "The Crocodile Hunter", admired the Singapore Zoo greatly, adopting it as the 'sister zoo' to Australia Zoo. He was at the Singapore Zoo in 2006 to officiate the opening of the Australian Outback exhibit.[8]

Shows

"Breakfast with an Orangutan" allows visitors to meet and interact closely with the orangutans in the zoo, which has included Ah Meng (died on 8 February 2008) who was an icon of the Singapore tourism industry. Animal shows, as well as token feedings coupled with live commentaries by keepers, are also the daily staple in Singapore Zoo.

The "Rainforest Fights Back" show is housed in the Shaw Amphitheatre, the main amphitheater in the zoo. Actors and performers act alongside the animals: in-show, a villainous poacher attempts to mow down a section of tropical rainforest for land development, and is foiled by the native people and the animals of the rainforest—orangutans, lemurs, peacocks, otters and cockatiels.

The "Elephants at Work and Play" show demonstrates how elephants are used as beasts of burden in south-east Asian countries. The animal caretakers are referred to as mahouts, and the show simulates how a mahout would instruct an elephant to transport logs or kneel so that they can be mounted.

The "Splash Safari" show features the zoo's California sea lion, Pedro as he performs acts relating to his natural behaviors, and also playing frisbee with a lucky visitor.

The "Animal Friends" show, housed in the Kidzworld amphitheatre in the zoo's children's section, features mostly domesticated animals such as dogs and parrots performing tricks with the aim of teaching young children about pet responsibility.

Organising events

There are three events venues in the zoo: Forest Lodge, Pavilion-By-the-Lake and Garden Pavilion. There are also three cocktail venues: Elephants of Asia, Tiger Trek and Treetops Trail. The Singapore Zoo also caters for birthday parties and weddings.

Incidents

On 7 March 1973, a black panther escaped from the zoo before it had opened.[9]

In early 1974, a hippopotamus named Congo escaped from the zoo and spent 47 days in the Seletar Reservoir.[10]

Other escapes in 1974 included an eland and a tiger.[11]

On 13 November 2008, two Bengal white tigers mauled a zoo cleaner to death after he jumped into a moat surrounding their enclosure and taunted the animals.[12]

Awards

Awarded to Singapore Zoo:[13]

  • Travellers' Choice Awards - Top 3 Zoos in the World, 2018
  • Singapore Tourism Awards, 2017
  • Traveller's Choice Awards - Zoos and Aquariums, 2017, 2015 and 2014
  • Best Customer Service (Retail) Award, 2014
  • Meritorious Defence Partner Award, 2013
  • Singapore Experience Awards, 2013
  • Singapore Service Award, 2013
  • Singapore Service Excellence Medallion - Organisation, 2013
  • Meritorious Defence Partner Award, 2012
  • Most Popular Wildlife Park, Asian Attractions Awards, 2011
  • Michelin 3-star rating, 2008
  • Best Breakfast, 40 Jewels in ASEAN's Crown, 2007
  • One of the World's Best Zoos, forbes-travel.com, 2007
  • Bronze, Singapore H.E.A.L.T.H Awards, 2004
  • Leisure Attraction of the Year, 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 20th and 22nd Singapore Tourism Board Awards
  • Best New Attraction for the hamadryas baboons exhibit, ASEAN Tourism Association, 2002
  • Cleanest Toilet, Ministry of Environment, 1997 and 1998

Transportation

Public transportation

Singapore Zoo is currently served by the nearby Springleaf MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. Other ways of getting to the zoo from an MRT station is via bus services from either Choa Chu Kang MRT station, Khatib MRT station, or Ang Mo Kio MRT station.[14]

There are three bus services operated by SBS Transit and SMRT Buses which calls at the bus stop near to the Zoo.[14]

Bus

A shuttle service, known as the Mandai Khatib Shuttle, plies daily between Khatib MRT station and the Zoo. A one-way trip cost $1 for everyone above the age of three.[15][16] A separate service, known as the Mandai Express, operates on weekends and holidays to and from three locations in Bedok, Sengkang, and Tampines. A one-way trip cost between $1 and $3 for everyone above the age of three.[17][18]

Notes
  1. Jurong Bird Park is expected to be renamed "Bird Paradise" or "Mandai Bird Park" when it is moved and consolidated to Mandai sometime in 2023.

References
  1. "WRS Yearbook 2018/2019" (PDF). Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
  2. "Mandai Wildlife Reserve". www.mandai.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  3. Shafeeq, Syarafana (13 October 2021). "Two wildlife parks in Mandai could be further delayed due to COVID-19; River Safari to get new name". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  4. Catharine E. Bell (January 2001). Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos. Taylor & Francis. p. 1155. ISBN 978-1-57958-174-9.
  5. Chong, Clara (31 August 2017). "Singapore's zoo ranked No. 4 in the world, best in Asia on TripAdvisor". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  6. "Fortnight's summary". The Straits Times. 5 March 1870.
  7. Vernon N. Kisling (18 September 2000). Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens. CRC Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-4200-3924-5.
  8. "Remembering Steve Irwin" (PDF). Wildlife Reserves Singapore. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  9. "Headlines that shook Singapore (since 1955)". Remember Singapore. 24 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  10. "Flashback: 40 Years of The Singapore Zoo". The Straits Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015.
  11. "Bernard Harrison interview (part 2)". The Independent Singapore. 20 September 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014.
  12. "White tigers maul man to death in Singapore zoo". 13 November 2008 – via reuters.com.
  13. "About Singapore Zoo". wrs.com.sg. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  14. "Getting here". wrs.com.sg.
  15. "Getting here - Mandai Khatib Shuttle". wrs.com.sg.
  16. Chew, Hui Min (9 March 2017). "New daily express bus from Khatib to Mandai wildlife parks". The Straits Times. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  17. "Getting here - Mandai Express". wrs.com.sg.
  18. "Mandai Express". form.jotform.com.

Bibliography
  • Véronique Sanson (1992). Gardens and Parks of Singapore. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-588588-0
  • Ilsa Sharp (1994). The First 21 Years: The Singapore Zoological Gardens Story. Singapore Zoological Gardens. ISBN 981-00-5674-5
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