Singapore is a bustling metropolis city state with towering concrete buildings, fascinating skyscrapers and numerous gardens and parks. But at the same time, Singapore has built a few beautiful homes for safeguarding and nurturing its wildlife in the form of open zoos, bird parks and nature reserves.
Here is a list of a few bird and animal parks to visit in Singapore that tourists can visit during their short trips to the country:
Singapore Zoo:
This is the main animal kingdom in in Singapore. There are numerous enclosures and large open sections where you can walk through a fragile rainforest in the middle of the city and interact with many animals like lemurs, lions, kangaroos, and some tiny creatures who you have probably never seen before! There is also the Primate Kingdom to meet diverse monkey species.
Singapore Night Safari:
The Singapore Night Safari is the world’s first nocturnal wildlife park. It is an extension of the Singapore Zoo (located in the same area) and is open only after sunset when you can experience a different side of the animal world under moonlight. There is an option to either take tram ride or explore on foot using the walking trails.
Singapore River Wonders (formerly known as River Safari):
This park gives a unique twist to seeing the wildlife in Singapore. Take a combination of walking trails, a boat, a guided coaster ride to see some incredible plants, animals and birds along a large waterbody in central Singapore. There is a temperature controlled enclosure deep within the area for Giant Pandas who roam freely near visitor walkways. There are some playful manatees and over 6,000 aquatic creatures, supposedly.
Highlights of the park include the Amazon Flooded Forest and Mekong River zones.
Jurong Bird Park - now moved to Singapore Bird Paradise:
Although Jurong Bird Park has closed its doors, the all-new Bird Paradise has ‘taken flight’ just a bit further away. The park has so many incredible birds and amazing enclosures that feel so forest-like. Some enclosures that house rare tropical birds even generate an almost-real tropical thunderstorm thats quite stunning to be caught in! And you will also get to see Macaws of so many colours just wobbling down branches and looking for snacks to eat! This is located in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Other spots:
In addition to the above mentioned parks, some of the islands further south of mainland Singapore house freely roaming wildlife, such as St. John’s Island and Kusu Island (meaning Tortoise). If you enjoy sea life and aquariums, the SEA Aquarium is the best place to not only see aquatic wildlife, but also to snorkel with them in a large open pool.
Some useful tips for Visiting:
- Plan Your Itinerary: Choose the parks that interest you most and allocate enough time for each. It is possible to do all of them in one day.
- Book in Advance: Purchase tickets online, especially during peak seasons, to avoid queues. Recommend getting a 4-in-One or ParkHopper pass to save money against buying separate tickets and to beat long tourist queues.
- Dress Comfortably and stay hydrated: Wear light clothing, comfy shoes, and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. Carry a water bottle and refill it at free water fountains throughout the parks.
- Respect the Animals: Observe park rules and avoid disturbing the animals - fines are quite strict in Singapore in this regard.
If you have visited any of these parks, share your experiences and suggestions here as responses/comments on this thread. This will be very helpful to fellow travellers and members of this travel community who are planning a trip to Singapore’s animal and bird parks.
