As many would know, The Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari are world renowned zoos for their setting, environment and unique experience. Only just last week, they have just added another zoo to their family: The River Safari! River Safari is home to animals found in the wetlands and river banks, which include animals from all over the world! You can expect to see animals like the enormous Chinese Giant Salamander from the China’s Yangtze River, gigantic Mekong Catfish from Indo-China, numerous Alligator Gars from the Mississippi River and also a whole family of gentle Manatees from the Amazon River!
River Safari is a mostly sheltered zoo, so you don’t have to worry about rain or sun. Expect to see aquarium like set up, with multiple tanks that showcase aquatic animals and also witness how some animals like the river otters dive up and down their wet and dry habitats. What I really like most is that some of these enclosures allow you to observe the animals in the water and out on the land. You can see them foraging in the river and move up to a high platform and view them roaming among the rocks and trees.
Just like the Zoo, the River Safari adopted the “Open Zoo” concept, where animals are placed in perfectly designed landscape enclosures instead of cages and cement walls. The entire area of the River Safari is much smaller than the Zoo and Night Safari, you can expect to spend half a day to comfortably cover very part of the zoo.
The main highlight of the Zoo will be celebrity giant panda couples! Kai Kai and Jia Jia, received great welcome when they were sent over from China to Singapore just last year! They are housed in a specially built for them, air-conditioned enclosure, which visitors are required to book their 15-min slot to view them. Don’t worry, 15 mins is more than enough to have a good view at them and their friends in the neighboring enclosures like the Red Panda.
Another great enclosure I personally like is the Manatee Enclosure! Very similar to the gigantic viewing panel at the S.E.A. Aquarium, you can see more than ten manatees gracefully foraging in the water, do watch for their young and cute babies too! The enclosure also come with viewing panels on different heights of the tank and you can really get close to them as the swim past right in front of your face.
Another highlight of the River Safari is the Amazon River Ride, which you will get to ride on a boat around a few enclosures and observe the Amazon animals roaming in their enclosure. However, the boat ride will only open later in the year, and I will be back there another time!
River Safari is conveniently situated right in between the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari, central Singapore. The easiest way to get there is by taxi, a 15-20 min ride from the city or board the bus 927 at Choa Chu Kang MRT or bus 138 from Ang Mo Kio MRT.
Quick summary for your mobile devices:
MRT: Choa Chu Kang MRT (North South Line) –> Bus 927
MRT: Ang Mo Kio (North South Line) –> Bus 138
Taxi can bring you direct to the River Safari
Tickets are available for booking online or ticketing booths at the Singapore Zoo
No comments:
Post a Comment