Mandai Singapore Zoo(logical) Gardens… Whatever

As the world’s best rainforest zoo, the ‘open concept’ lets you meet our free-ranging orang utans swinging through the trees or feed a giraffe from your palm.

Mandai Singapore Zoological Gardens

Over the years, the Singapore Zoo had several naming change. It opened in 1973 as Singapore Zoological Gardens, very formal. And then in 2006, they dropped “logical gardens” and simply called it Singapore Zoo. And then with the formation of Mandai Wildlife Group in 2021, it is again renamed into Mandai Singapore Zoo. Nevertheless, it is still regarded as one of the best zoos in the world.

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 about 2 million visitors every year.²

The zoo welcomed its first public visitors on 28 June 1973, a day after the official opening. Entrance fees were priced at $2 for adults and $1 for children.³ These days, an adult ticket costs $49 and child below 12 is $34. Residence gets 26% discount.⁴ Talking about inflation!

The visit was based on a 2013 trip, and the animals may be rehoused or the layout /exhibit may have changed. Please refer to the latest map for more information.

Rainforest Courtyard Walk – the Main Entrance

We were reminded that the Singapore Zoo is not a theme park but a working zoological garden with a focus on conservation. This high prices we paid for our tickets went into conservation efforts and breeding of endangered species.

Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

About the Proboscis Monkey

The proboscis monkey or long-nosed monkey is an arboreal Old World monkey with an unusually large nose, a reddish-brown skin colour and a long tail. It is endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo and is found mostly in mangrove forests and on the coastal areas of the island.⁵

Treetops Trail

From a boardwalk, visitors can view both yellow-cheeked gibbons, lar gibbons and overlook false gharials in the water. Near to the outdoor area of Asian small-clawed otters, proboscis monkeys, North Sulawesi babirusas, Sumatran bearded pigs, and pygmy hippos.⁹

Watering Hole (New Zone)

Take a peaceful stroll through the tapir habitat, where you might spot Malayan sun bears, red dholes, and Siamese and estuarine crocodiles along the way. Overlooking the Tapir pool, the Watering Hole Cafe offers a welcoming respite from adventure.

Primate Kingdom

The Primate Kingdom consists of a large moat with several islands which house various monkeys and lemurs such as black-and-gold howler monkeys, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, ring tailed lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, arapaimas, eastern black-and-white colobuses, De Brazza’s monkeys, white faced sakis, squirrel monkeys and some of the only red-shanked doucs in captivity.

Brown Lemur (Eulemur fulvus)

The brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) moves through the forest canopy on all fours. Its tail is as long as or longer than its body and is used to maintain its balance when it performs aerial leaps. ¹⁷

Fragile Forests

Fragile Forest teems with wildlife from the different equatorial rainforests, which are home to more than half of all terrestrial life forms though they cover less than 2% of Earth’s surface.²¹ A 20,000 cubic meter biodome that houses a wide variety of tropical birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. Species kept in the biodome include lesser mouse-deer, western crowned pigeons, white-faced sakis, etc. The area also has a butterfly house consisting of 11 butterfly species, 8 of which are native to Singapore.

Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Visitors first walk through a Konso and Amharic village with several waga sculptures dotted around. A large troop of hamadryas baboons are mixed with a herd of Nubian ibexes in an enclosure recreating the rugged steppes of Ethiopia. Meerkats, common kusimanses, servals, rock hyraxes and South African ground squirrels are kept in smaller enclosures. A bridge from which you can view the baboons overlooks an enclosure with a pond, home to a pair of spur-winged geese nearby.

Elephants of Asia

Featuring Burmese-style architecture, this one-hectare exhibit showcases these largest of living land animals and their associated history and culture. Built on the banks of the serene Seletar Reservoir, this exhibit is home to the herd of five female elephants. Nestled in this quiet nook of the Zoo, you can enjoy panoramic views of the reservoir while watching elephants at play. 

The “Elephants at Work and Play” presentation 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. As of 2018, the show has been reworked as part of a shift in the care for the elephants to feature their natural behaviour instead of performing stunts.²⁹

Sungei Buaya

The centrepiece of this 270m² exhibit is its aquarium-like, sheltered viewing gallery, which can seat up to 70 people.³⁰ Boasting a bamboo ceiling and a screen of bintangor³¹ poles, this is where you can kick back and enjoy an enhanced view of the estuarine crocodiles lurking just beneath the water surface.

Mud finishing and aquatic plants help create a riverine habitat not just for the crocs but also the giant Malayan river terrapins and giant snakeheads that share the space.

Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), also known as the saltwater crocodile, holds the distinction of being the world’s largest crocodile, capable of reaching lengths of 6-7m. It is characterised by a long snout and a broad, muscular tail adorned with ridges.³²

Wild Africa (Cat Country)

Africa boasts a diverse range of habitats, from tropical rainforests to harsh deserts. The animals found there have adapted accordingly in no end of amazing ways. As a result, the continent counts among its endemic species the tallest, the fastest and the largest creatures on land.³⁵

Other Animals

I have no recollection of where these animals were zoned, but the raccoon dog was housed with the penguins, the giant Asian turtle was right by the entrance.

Kidzworld and the Rides

The zoo is constantly evolving to cater to visitors of all ages. And Kidzworld has always been one of the most popular attractions, with a water park, KFC and obstacle courses. It has been upgraded and moved to another area of the zoo.

The elephant ride was one of the most popular attraction where long queue will form to take a free ride (and then they started charging, but it was still as popular). It was located next to the orang utan island and Ah Meng cafe.

Horse Carriage and Pony Rides

These rides were part of the KIdzworld. But Kidzworld have since relocated the children’s zoo next to the giraffes, and the rides were no longer available.

The Free (No More) Boat Ride

The electric boat ride that was featured on SQ flight safety video was no longer offered in the zoo. You used to be able to board at dock next to the babirusa enclosure for a slow cruise to the dock next to the Kidzworld (a children patting zoo). But you will totally miss the Australia Outback (renamed Australasia).

Now you can only take a 15-minute River Safari Cruise from River Wonders on the Upper Seletar Reservoir. They have reused the same boats and will travel along the outskirts of Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari compound, which border on the reservoir, giving visitors a chance to spot animals including giraffes and Asian elephants.

Notable Goodbyes

For a zoo that is as old as me, there were some memorable animals that had remained in our collective memories. First and foremost, our favourite orang utan, Ah Meng (1960-2008).

Ah Meng the Matriarch Orang Utan

Ah Meng was kept as a pet illegally, and was rescued at age 10 and rehoused in the Singapore Zoo.⁵² Because of her gentleness with human beings, she was the main attraction at the now defunct “Breakfast with Orang Utans” and starred in many commercials and movies. She became the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board ambassador and she would be most recognisable Singaporean besides LKY, according to the reverent Bernard Harrison, the second Zoo director.⁵³ She died at a ripe old age of 48 (95 orang utan years) in 2008.

Inuka the Polar Bear

One of my favourite exhibit was the Polar Bear enclosure. It was really amazing to see these artic animals in tropical Singapore. But the heat and stress (from loneliness) were not conducive for these bears.⁵⁴ When Inuka (1990-2018), our local born Singaporean polar bear, was put down in 2018, the polar bear enclosure was closed permanently.⁵⁵

Omar the White Tiger

Omar the white Bengal tiger was another famous resident at the Singapore Zoo. A subspecies of Bengal tiger, white tigers are extremely rare, with only one in 10,000 born without the orange pigments in their skins. Omar arrived from Indonesia in 2001 together with its sisters Jippie and Winnie as tiger cubs. Jippie and Winnie died in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Omar survived until June 2017, when he was put to death after suffering from melanoma and arthritis for several months.⁵⁶

Park-hopper

Don’t stop at just one park, WRS offers “park-hopper” tickets that allow you to go to more than one parks. The River Wonders is just next door, and there’s the Night Safari. And since 2024, the Jurong Bird Park moved to Mandai and renamed the Bird Paradise, and then in 2025, a fifth attraction was opened called the Rainforest Wild Asia that incorporate jungle trekking in a zoo.

Mandai Singapore Zoo (formerly known as Singapore Zoological Gardens)
80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826

Visited Mar 2013

Footnotes:

1. https://remembersingapore.org/2018/05/22/singapore-zoo-famous-animals/ ↩︎
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Zoo ↩︎
3. The newly minted attraction became highly popular with citizens and tourists, and by June that year, it had welcomed over 850,000 visitors, far exceeding initial expectations. https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-3/oct-dec-2024/singapore-zoo-animals/ ↩︎
4. https://www.mandai.com/en/ticketing/admission-and-rides/tickets-selection.html?intcmp=rtl%7C%7Ctickets-and-passes-sz%7C%7Cbuy_now%7C%3Clead-in%3E&selection=resident ↩︎
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proboscis_monkey ↩︎
6. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-flamingo ↩︎
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_small-clawed_otter ↩︎
8. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/asian-small-clawed-otter ↩︎
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Zoo ↩︎
10. The Buru babirusa is found only on the remote Indonesian islands of Buru, Mangole, and Taliabu. These islands lie within the Maluku region, far from the better-known jungles of Sumatra or Borneo. 
    The species prefers tropical lowland and hill forests near riverbanks, swampy areas, and forest ponds rich in aquatic plants. Although babirusas were once more widespread in coastal lowlands, they are now largely confined to higher-elevation interior forests, where logging roads and poaching pressure have yet to reach full force. https://www.oneearth.org/species-of-the-week-buru-babirusa/ ↩︎
11. Threatened by rampant destruction of their rainforest habitat and illegal poaching for their meat, the babirusa is in grave danger of extinction in the wild. We support the Forest and Species Protection Patrol (Nantu Protection Units), who remove snares and traps and hand over illegal loggers to the authorities. By protecting the Nantu forest, we help ensure the babirusa’s habitat remains safe. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/babirusa.html ↩︎
12. False gharial has a long and slender snout adapted for catching fish. Diet also includes small mammals, birds and frogs. Grow to 5 metres in length. Found in freshwater rivers and swamps of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Endangered as a result of dam construction, land clearance and water pollution. [Singapore Zoo information plaque, Dec 2013] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_gharial ↩︎
13. With a rodent-like face and a rabbit’s body perched precariously atop the pencil-thin feet of a piglet, the mousedeer looks like an odd mix of different animals.  https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/mousedeer.html ↩︎
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lar_gibbon ↩︎
15. https://www.mandai.com/en/rainforest-wild-asia/animals-and-zones/watering-hole/malayan-tapir.html ↩︎
16. https://www.mandai.com/en/rainforest-wild-asia/animals-and-zones/watering-hole/sun-bear.html ↩︎
17. Brown lemurs are social animals and this is seen even in their teeth! They have a dental ‘comb’, formed by modified teeth, which they use to groom one another, building relationships. They also communicate verbally — ‘crou’ is to sound the alarm while a high-pitched ‘cree’ is a territorial call. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/brown-lemur.html ↩︎
18. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus)
    Shorter bill and neck than other white egrets. Bill and lores yellow. Breeding: conspicuous orange-yellow plumes on whole head, foreneck, back. Non-breeding: no plumes; body all-white though some have yellow tinge on crown.
    Found worldwide. Birds breed in East Asia and migrate to Southeast Asia. Uncommon; These birds are believed to originate from the Jurong Bird Park and spend the day foraging for food at the wetland before making their way back to the Bird Park to roost. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/fauna/3/0/304 ↩︎
19. The Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is a large wading bird in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers give them their name. They forage in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap. https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/621412 ↩︎
20. Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum)
    The grey crowned crane is closely related to the black crowned crane, and the two species have sometimes been treated as the same species. The two are separable on the basis of genetic evidence, calls, plumage, and bare parts, and all authorities treat them as different species today. The grey crowned crane has a breeding display involving dancing, bowing, and jumping. It has a booming call which involves inflation of the red gular sac. It also makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species. Both sexes dance, and immature birds join the adults. Dancing is an integral part of courtship, but also may be done at any time of the year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_crowned_crane ↩︎
21. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/fragile-forest.html#highlights ↩︎
22. In Southeast Asia, a quick-witted mousedeer character called Sang Kanchil, is the star of many trickster stories. These stories have been told and passed down for generations as part of Malaysian and Indonesian folklore. In these tales, the tiger and crocodile are two of the big and powerful creatures in the forest often outwitted by the wily mousedeer.
    Singapore as a country has often been likened to Sang Kancil — making up for her small size with the nimbleness and cunning to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/mousedeer.html ↩︎
23. Wholly arboreal, the sakis seldom, if ever, come down to the ground, though they may descend to the lower limbs of trees or even to bushes in search of food.
    Sexually Dimorphic
    Male sakis are black except for the white ‘face mask’ that surrounds their face and the species is named for their striking appearance. Females are mostly brownish-grey, with two vertical stripes from their eyes to the corners of their mouth. When they’re young, males and females look similar. Males start to gradually don the ‘white mask’ at 3 to 4 years of age.
    Creatures Of Habit
    Sakis are partial towards seeds, spending 95-99% of total consumption time on breaking them open and eating them. To drink water, sakis soak their hands in water and lick them. Equally peculiar is their bedding down posture – they curl up on branches like a cat! They typically spend the night in larger trees in the canopy that provide good cover.
    https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/white-faced-saki-monkey.html ↩︎
24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_hippopotamus ↩︎
25. On hot days, they survive the heat by staying in the water. They have no sweat glands but their skin secretes a pink fluid that looks like beads of sweat. This mucous fluid is sometimes called “blood sweat” because of its colour. It works like built-in sunscreen to protect their sensitive skin, giving them a shiny, wet, appearance.
    Feeding Quirks
    To strip a tree of its young shoots, wild pygmy hippos would start at a twig’s base and pull it through the mouth like a leafy kebab, shaking the head throughout. They’d also stand on their hind legs to feed on ferns growing within palms.
    In Liberia, they are known to be partial to a small, vine-like herb known as ‘Deewinkon’. Sweet potato leaves, okra, cassava and rice seedlings from farms at the forest edge are eaten. In Sierra Leone, they also take fish from traps.
    https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/pygmy-hippo.html ↩︎
26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat ↩︎
27. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/meerkat ↩︎
28. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/wild-africa.html ↩︎
29. “Elephants no longer made to perform at Singapore Zoo”. straitstimes.com. ↩︎
30. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/reptile-kingdom.html ↩︎
31. Calophyllum pulcherrimum Wall. ex Choisy, hardwood found in Southeast Asia, A medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall with bole up to 45 m in diameter, usually without buttresses but rarely buttresses present. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/2/7/2775 ↩︎
32. Crocodiles are cold-blooded, relying on external heat sources such as sunlight to regulate their body temperature. They usually come onto land to bask in the sun. They may look bulky and clumsy but can in fact move very quickly over short distances, both on land and in water. Crocodiles are wild animals and ambush predators that lie in wait for fish or other animals to come close before rushing forward suddenly to attack. They can become aggressive and attack, especially when provoked, whether on land or in water. Females lay their eggs in an elevated mound constructed mainly from mud and each clutch can contain between 40 to 60 eggs. The mothers are fiercely protective of their eggs and young, maintaining a close presence. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/animals/wildlife-in-singapore/estuarine-crocodiles ↩︎
33. Gabon is considered the stronghold for the species. Its habitat has declined in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, while its range in the Republic of the Congo is limited. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill ↩︎
34. The chimpanzee lives in groups that range in size from 15 to 150 members, although individuals travel and forage in much smaller groups during the day. The species lives in a strict male-dominated hierarchy, where disputes are generally settled without the need for violence. Nearly all chimpanzee populations have been recorded using tools, modifying sticks, rocks, grass and leaves and using them for hunting and acquiring honey, termites, ants, nuts and water. The species has also been found creating sharpened sticks to spear small mammals. Its gestation period is eight months. The infant is weaned at about three years old but usually maintains a close relationship with its mother for several years more. They modify sticks, rocks, grass, and leaves and use them when foraging for termites and ants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee ↩︎
35. https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/wild-africa.html ↩︎
36. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah ↩︎
37. The lion has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is a social species, forming groups called prides. A lion’s pride consists of a few adult males, related females, and cubs. Groups of female lions usually hunt together, preying mostly on medium-sized and large ungulates. The lion is an apex and keystone predator.
    The lion inhabits grasslands, savannahs, and shrublands. It is usually more diurnal than other wild cats, but when persecuted, it adapts to being active at night and at twilight. During the Neolithic period, the lion ranged throughout Africa and Eurasia, from Southeast Europe to India, but it has been reduced to fragmented populations in sub-Saharan Africa and one population in western India.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion ↩︎
38. What is the difference between Grevy’s zebra and plain zebra?
    
    ↩︎
39. Zebra stripes come in different patterns, unique to each individual. Several theories have been proposed for the function of these patterns, with most evidence supporting them as a deterrent for biting flies. Zebras inhabit eastern and southern Africa and can be found in a variety of habitats such as savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, shrublands, and mountainous areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra ↩︎
40. Giraffes only need to drink once every few days. Most of their water comes from all the plants they eat. Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up; they even sleep and give birth standing up. A giraffe’s spots are much like human fingerprints. No two individual giraffes have exactly the same pattern. https://dosomething.org/article/11-facts-about-giraffes ↩︎
41. Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism ↩︎
42. It is not to be confused with the endangered mountain nyala living in the Bale region of Ethiopia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyala ↩︎
43. The species includes two subspecies with dramatically different conservation outlooks: the southern white rhinoceros, with an estimated 17,464 individuals in the wild as of the end of 2023, and the northern white rhinoceros is critically endangered and on the brink of extinction; its last known male, Sudan, died in March 2018, leaving behind only a very small number of females in captivity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_rhinoceros ↩︎
44. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_wildebeest ↩︎
45. Cougar (Puma concolor), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther, is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North, Central and South America, making it the most widely distributed wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. The cougar holds the Guinness record for the animal with the greatest number of names, with over 40 in English alone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar ↩︎
46. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puma_(genus) ↩︎
47. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Asian_pond_turtle#:~:text=The%20giant%20Asian%20pond%20turtle,%2C%20Malaysia%2C%20Myanmar%20and%20Thailand. ↩︎
48. Singapore Zoo information plaque, Dec 2013 ↩︎
49. The winter fur is long and thick with dense underfur and coarse guard hairs measuring 120 millimetres (4.7 in) in length. The winter fur protects common raccoon dogs from low temperatures ranging down to −20 to −25 °C (−4 to −13 °F). It is of a dirty, earth-brown, or brownish-grey colour with black guard hairs. The tail is darker than the torso. A dark stripe is present on the back, which broadens on the shoulders, forming a cross shape. The abdomen is yellowish-brown, while the chest is dark brown or blackish. The muzzle is covered in short hair, which increases in length and quantity behind the eyes. The cheeks are coated with long, whiskery hairs. The summer fur is brighter and reddish straw-coloured. A rare white colour type occurs in China. They can also come in a yellow colour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raccoon_dog ↩︎
50. Zoo information card, Dec 2013 ↩︎
51. The First 21 Years: The Singapore Zoological Gardens Story (Singapore: Singapore Zoological Gardens, 1994), 70. (From National Library, Singapore, call no. RSING q590.7445957 SHA-[LKY]). https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-3/oct-dec-2024/singapore-zoo-animals/#fnref:35 ↩︎
52. At the tender age of 6-9 months, Ah Meng was smuggled and kept as a domestic pet for at least 10 years. During those 10 years, she was treated extremely harshly and maybe even tortured more than cats and dogs. Fortunately she was discovered in 1971 by a veterinarian and was saved from the dangerous environment. She was then transported to Singapore Zoo and was located in the enclosures with various others of her kind.
    Ah Meng soon became the tourist icon for Singapore Zoo and thereby became world famous. She starred in 30 films and over 300 articles were published about her. Not only was he able to live a better life, but both iconic figures like Michael Jackson and Prince Phillip visited her on their tour on Singapore.https://ah-meng.weebly.com ↩︎
53. Bernard Ming-Deh Harrison, oral history interview by Jason Lim, 6 March 2008, transcript and MP3 audio, Reel/Disc 3 of 5, National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 003217), 49–51. ↩︎
54. https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-20/issue-3/oct-dec-2024/singapore-zoo-animals/#fnref:35 ↩︎
55. https://remembersingapore.org/2018/05/22/singapore-zoo-famous-animals/ ↩︎
56. https://remembersingapore.org/2018/05/22/singapore-zoo-famous-animals/ ↩︎