Morning at Singapore Zoo

It has been a couple of years since I last visited the Singapore Zoo. It feels different trying to spot animals in the wild versus seeing animals that are captured and brought up by humans.

Singapore Zoo is located at Mandai Lake Road that used to be a forest where wild animals made their home. The animals’ natural habitat was destroyed to build a home for them. I guess in a small city-state like Singapore, where land is very scarce, the government has to do what make sense for the people and the country, with wildlife taking next priority.

We took lots of pictures of the animals at the Singapore Zoo. Following are some of the interesting ones mostly taken by my friend. The photos I took did not turn out well as the camera I used was not suitable for taking pictures of animals.

The False Gharial

Upon entering the Zoo, we were greeted by the crocodiles. Check out the false gharial that was surrounded by the fishes. Interesting that the false gharial did not attack the fishes and the fishes do not seem to have any fear.

 

The Malayan Tapir

The Malayan tapir is one of my favourite animals as they are adorable, looking like a cross between a pig, an elephant and a panda but they are actually closely related to rhinos and horses and the only tapir species in Asia.

At my previous visit, one of the tapirs was playing and running but at my last visit, the pair were busy eating.

 

Asian Small-Clawed Otters

How could we miss the small-clawed otters? But we almost missed them as they were sleeping cosily.

The Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest of 13 otter species in the world and they can be a noisy and playful bunch. In the wild, they make their homes along rivers and coastal waters.

Just before we left, we checked out the otters again and glad to see one of them running round and round. As usual, it looked so otterly cute.

 

 

Orang Utans

Visiting Singapore Zoo, we could not miss our orang utans, our flagship species. The Singapore Zoo is the first zoo in the world to feature a free-ranging area for the orang utans, one of our biggest exhibits and certainly the most unique.

“Timon and Pumbaa”

Timon and Pumbaa are the animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you may have heard this song “Hakuna Matata”, a song from The Lion King. The song is based on Timon and Pumbaa’s catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata, which is a Swahili phrase meaning ‘no worries’.

Check out the cute looking meerkat and “snorty” looking warthog below.

 

The White Tigers

The white tigers are one of the star attractions at Singapore Zoo and I will not miss when visiting the Singapore Zoo. The white tigers’ habitat is landscaped to resemble a dense jungle clearing and the moat separating visitors from the tigers also serves as a playground for the tigers to swim.

At our last visit, we did not get to see the tigers swim as the weather was gloomy and most of the animals looked rather lethargic.

Guess what went through the white tiger’s mind? 

White Tiger: The humans are here to see me again. So many of them are watching me. Perhaps time to get up. I am feeling so lethargic…

White Tiger: Okay, let them have a clear view of my beautiful blue eyes, white skin and the word 王 on my forehead. (王 is king in Chinese)

White Tiger: Let me groom myself before I…

White Tiger: …show them my teeth to instil some fear

 

Hope you enjoy the post on my visit to the zoo. The entrance fee to the Singapore Zoo is rather costly. If you are planning to visit all four parks, check out the ParkHopper ticket which offers a good deal. Alternatively, consider joining The Friends of Wildlife for annual access if you live in Singapore.

 

The Lowdown – The Singapore Zoological Gardens

Address: 80 Mandai Lake Road Singapore 729826

Opening Hours: 8.30am to 6.00pm daily (Last ticket sale at 5.30pm)

Admission: You will need to purchase a ticket to admit, go to store.wrs.com.sg for pricing and promotion details.

Getting there: Take the MRT on the North-South (Red) line and transit to connecting public bus services that will take you right to the park – Choa Chu Kang (NS4) 927, Ang Mo Kio (NS16) 138, Marsiling (NS8) 926 and Woodlands (NS9) 926 (926 operate on Sundays and Public Holidays only). For other alternatives, go to www.zoo.com.sg for more details.

 

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