Singapore Zoo
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The Singapore Zoo (Chinese: 新加坡动物园), formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens and commonly known locally as the Mandai Zoo, occupies 28 hectares (0.28 km²) of land on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. The zoo was built at a cost of S$9m granted by the government of Singapore and opened on 23 June 1973. It is operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, who also manage the neighbouring Night Safari and the Jurong BirdPark.
From the beginning, Singapore Zoo followed the modern trend of displaying animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits, i.e. with hidden barriers, behind moats and shrubbery etc. It also houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world.
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[edit] History
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 then Executive Chairman of PUB, Dr Ong Swee Law, set aside 88 hectares 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 started. Animals were collected from dealers and donated by sponsors. The Director of the Colombo Zoo in Sri Lanka, Lyn de Alwis, was hired as a special consultant to work out problems inherent in tropical zoos.
On 23 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.
[edit] Present
Today, the zoo is a model of the 'open zoo' concept. The animals are kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures, separated from the visitors by either dry or wet moats. The moats are concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision. In the case of dangerous animals which can climb very well, moat barriers are not used. Instead, these animals are housed in landscaped glass-fronted enclosures.
The zoo has not expanded beyond the original 28 hectares. However, 40 hectares of secondary forest were later developed into the Night Safari. The remaining undeveloped land has been kept as wooded land. This and the waters of Upper Seletar Reservoir contribute to the Zoo, giving it a sense of natural, unrestricted space.
The zoo also has a "friends of the zoo" programme, where people can sign up for a yearly pass which grants them special privileges such as:
- Free and unlimited entry to Singapore Zoo for whole year
- Free Zoo tram rides and parking
- A free once every 3 months "Wildlife wonders" magazine
- 10% discount at some participating retail outlets
Among various attractions that the zoo offers, a highlight is the "Breakfast with an Orangutan" programme which allow visitors to meet and interact closely with the orangutans in the zoo, including the famous primate Ah Meng who is 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 the Singapore zoo.
The zoo also offers various modes of transportation within the premises: trams, buggies, and horse carriage rides. Additional modes of transportation which can only be rented include: strollers, motorised wheelchairs and wheelchairs.
Singapore zoo also can facilitate weddings, banquets and private events at the Forest Lodge.
[edit] Trivia
- In 1977, primatologist Dr Francine Neago lived inside a cage with eighteen orangutans for six months to study their behavior and communication.
- In 2002, teams of The Amazing Race 3 also came to the Singapore Zoological Gardens as part of a detour.
- There are close to 300 types of animal species in the zoo, of which some 20% are considered threatened species.
- The zoo attracts about 1.3 million visitors a year.
- Steve Irwin, the famous animal activist and conservationalist known as "The Crocodile Hunter", admired the Singapore Zoo greatly, adopting it as the 'sister zoo' to the Australia zoo. He was at the Singapore Zoo in 2006 to officiate the opening of the Australian outback exhibit.
- The Singapore Zoo is the first zoo in the world to breed a polar bear in captivity. Inuka was conceived on 26 December 1990.
[edit] Awards
- Singapore Tourism Awards[1]
- Best Leisure Attraction Experience (20th Awards)
- Best Managed Tourism Attraction (1st Awards)
- Best Leisure Attraction (6th Awards)
- Leisure Attraction of the Year (7th, 8th, 13th, 16th and 17th Awards)
- ASEAN Tourism Association Awards for Excellence [2]
- Best New Attraction in ASEAN for Hamadryas Baboons Exhibit (2002)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- 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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[edit] External links
- Singapore Zoo's official web site, Map
- Singapore Night Safari web site, Map
- Singapore Zoo Video
- Singapore Zoological Gardens Docents
- What you can do at the zoo - Singapore Lifestyle Wiki
- 7 Things I Love About the Singapore Night Safari
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