About two months back (yeah this post is long overdue), I brought my family to the Singapore Zoo. This is one of our favourite hang outs for many reasons, some of which I have blogged about here. Attracting close to a million visitors a year, the Singapore Zoo has attained pinnacle position in the Singapore Tourism Awards for many years running. It is also a media darling, generating publicity for anything from animal births, conservation championing, escaping cats to goring elephants.
These signages complete with different animal showtimes help us to plot our journey through the wildlife park.
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As we stepped into the wildlife park, its lush greenery soothed away our cares in the concrete jungle.
One of our first stop was this polar bear enclosure. Of course, these magnificent animals have been very much in the news lately for the wrong reasons.
Big, bigger, biggest!
Vertical banners like this help us to navigate to our favourite exhibits.
Hmmm…. what are these folks waiting for?
The answer? A tram ride to whizz one speedily through the sprawling compounds of the zoo.
Authenticity is obviously the name of the game here, as grass huts add to visitor experiences of walking in a wild safari.
Close up exhibits and handleables like these were useful for young kids like Ethan.
So are information panels like this one on marsupials like kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats.
Finally, the stars of the zoo themselves. Here’s a pair of pygmy hippopotamuses frolicking in the muddy water.
A mother white rhinoceros with her cute little child. Ethan loved the frisky fellow who was prancing and playing with the different adults. Very un rhino like!
A pair of giraffes serenely munching away in the tropical environs of their enclosure.
And a couple of zebras having their lunch too. Yeah, most of the animals seem to be eating when we saw them!
Finally, the largest land animal in Asia doing some work for a change. Click on the video below to see a couple of Indian elephants earning their keep.
Hmmm I can see that you have lots of family outing recently, which is good. Keep it up.
No matter what, family still come first. Glad that you enjoy this moment.
oh man..I love the zoo..better than the bird park actually…should go there again man..keke..
eh just wondering yeah? Is the zoo independently run or do they come under a government agency?
pauline,
Thanks… Family is important and since life can be quite unpredictable, we try to make time together.
jason,
The Zoo is actually part of Wildlife Reserves Ltd which is a 100% owned by Temasek HOldings. So while it is corporate, there is also some links to the government although it is very commercially run. The boss (executive Chairman) is Robert Kwan who was the guy who started McDonald’s in Singapore. He brought some of McDonald’s high powered team there including Fanny Lai, Executive Director of Zoo who used to be the Director of Marketing of McD’s.
Buy me a couple of beers and I will tell you more…
Kids just love going to the zoo. Ethan looked like he thoroughly enjoyed the visit. My brother-in-law’s previous company is a sponsor of one of the exhibits and he used to get free admission tickets for us.
Most animals in the zoo have been tamed, that’s why the rhino is so un -rhino. When I looked at these rhino, I saw images of ginger :O
Spore zoo looks different from the last time I visited. I agree with Pauline, that family outings are good, for the kid(s) as well as the father to get away from work.
We haven’t had a family outing for a while now, because DH is very busy. Got to do something about it.
been there too with my family in my last trip to singapore
Brudder Walter..I am game for beer anytime man..kekek 😛
Aaawww the baby rhino is SOOOO CUTE!!!!
Gosh if only Msia Zoo is as fun as the Singapore zoo!
This post reminds me that I haven’t been to the zoo for a very long time.
victor,
Yep. Animals and kids just have a thing together. They love the different shapes and sizes. Ethan in particular likes baby animals and find them very cute.
tigerfish,
He he… I think baby animals like to play too. Is Ginger your pet cat?
earthember,
Yes, its a good respite from the hustle and bustle of work. In fact, I am going to take a real holiday tomorrow – in Krabi!
johnny ong,
Its certainly a favourite destination for visitors to Singapore. Wonder where else you would go when visiting Singapore?
jason,
OK man. Next week after I am back from Krabi which is Tuesday. FLying off tomorrow for a much needed break. 😉
oceanskies,
Maybe its time to check out the Zoo again? But of course the museums too….
Oh the museums, I check them out way more frequent than the zoo. I have been requesting friends to meet me in museums. Maybe it is an unconscious move to let them know museums are interesting.