Singapore Zoo 🇸🇬

The Singapore Zoo is a 28-hectare wildlife park situated along the edges of the Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's forested central catchment area. Managed by the Mandai Wildlife Group, the zoo is part of the broader Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which also encompasses neighbouring attractions including the Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise, and Rainforest Wild. Welcoming approximately two million visitors annually, the sanctuary houses around 315 animal species, roughly 16 percent of which are classified as threatened.

Conceived in 1969 when public utility authorities set aside reservoir land for open recreational space, the facility officially opened on June 27, 1973. Built with government funding and designed with expert guidance on tropical zoo management, the institution initially opened with 270 animals across 72 species. Over the decades, it expanded its collections and exhibits, eventually integrating into Wildlife Reserves Singapore in 2000 before adopting its current simplified name around 2005.

The zoo is recognized for its open-concept design philosophy, utilizing naturalistic enclosures featuring moats, glass dividers, and hidden barriers rather than traditional cages. A major highlight is its collection of Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, which forms the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world. Visitors can observe these primates and a wide array of other wildlife living in social groups within landscape-designed habitats.

The park is partitioned into distinct thematic zones highlighting global ecosystems. Wild Africa showcases savannah species such as white rhinos, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs, while the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia features hamadryas baboons amidst recreated Ethiopian steppes. The Fragile Forest, a 20,000-cubic-meter biodome, houses free-ranging tropical birds, mammals, and an indoor butterfly house. Other specialized areas include RepTopia for reptiles and amphibians, Tortoise Shell-ter, Australasia, and KidzWorld, a dedicated children's zone featuring domestic animals, interactive feeding opportunities, a splash pad, and a carousel.

Guests can experience scheduled live presentations, including Into The Wild, Splash Safari, and Animal Friends, alongside animal feeding sessions accompanied by keeper commentaries. The Breakfast in the Wild program offers opportunities to interact closely with animals. In addition to public education and event hosting across venues such as the Forest Lodge, the institution advances conservation through its dedicated Wildlife Healthcare & Research Centre, which opened in 2006 to support research programmes across global zoological networks.