Snowleopard's 2024 Road Trip: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore & Indonesia

[snowleopard]

DAY 10: Sunday, August 11th

I already posted a substantial Part 1 of this review, and here's the lengthy second half:

Zoo/Aquarium #30: Singapore Zoo (Singapore) - Part 2 of 2

Even though this facility is a zoo nerd's paradise, one cannot forget that a massive bulk of visitors are families. In the upper right-hand corner of the zoo is KidzWorld, a 2.5 acre/1 hectare children's zoo that opened in late 2023. Everything is shiny and new, including a KFC where Konstantin and I had dinner at when we returned to the zoo. (If you recall, we spent 5 hours inside, then did River Wonders in 2 hours in the afternoon, then it was easy to come back into the zoo for 2 more hours while we waited for the Night Safari to open)

Speaking as a father of 4 children, KidzWorld is as spectacular as the rest of Singapore Zoo. There's one main entrance and exit (important for parents), a restaurant, lots of play areas, a range of domestic animals, "Ranger Buddies" educational activities, maybe 20 animal species and that total includes many domestics, some deer (either Axis or Hog), Degus, Gambian Pouched Rats, Lesser Bamboo Rats and the whole area contains a two-storey building and is very nicely done. Maybe not anything ultra-special for a typical zoo nerd, but brilliant for families and it's the newest addition to the zoo.

@Zooish

Close to the children's zoo is the Fragile Forest complex, which is honestly a part of the zoo I had low expectations for and it exceeded them in every way. There's a small room with several terrariums (Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Chinese Fire-bellied Newt, Axolotl, etc.) and then a very nice butterfly aviary that serves as a passage to the larger Biodome, which is essentially a walk-through rainforest experience inside a rainforest zoo! The Biodome is apparently 60 meters long, 25 meters wide and 15 meters high and it contains circa 30 species that I believe are all free-roaming inside what essentially looks like a spacious aviary.

Credit to @FoxBat for the list below:

American White Ibis, Bali Mynah, Common Hill Myna, Hartlaub's Duck, Spotted Whistling Duck, Dusky Turtle Dove, Western Crowned Pigeon, Peruvian Pigeon, Island Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon, Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Santa Cruz Ground Dove, Zebra Dove, Hartlaub's Turaco, Red-crested Turaco, White-cheeked Turaco, Hybrid Turaco, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Black-casqued Hornbill, Chaco Chachalaca, Grey Junglefowl, Moluccan Eclectus, Red Ruffed Lemur, Ring-tailed Lemur, White-faced Saki, Two-toed Sloth, Large Flying Fox, Prevost's Squirrel, Variable squirrel, Lesser Mousedeer, Green Iguana, Pig-nosed turtle and Xinghu River Ray.

@Zooish

Konstantin and I were close enough to just about be able to reach out and touch the bats...but of course we didn't. Fragile Forest is a really well-designed structure in that it's difficult to gauge it's size when you are in it. You can see the Upper Seletar Reservoir in the distance.

There's also the Discovery Outpost area, which contains an impressive number of smaller animals. Again, credit to @FoxBat for compiling the following list of exhibits and species.

1. Asian Forest Scorpion
2. Chaco Golden-knee Tarantula
3. Dragon-headed Katydid, Asian Giant Millipede
4. Bud-wing Stick Insect
5. Gray's Malayan Stick Insect
6. Pink-winged Stick Insect
7. Small-cigar Stick Insect
8. Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
9. Brazilian Salmon-pink Tarantula
10. Spiny Leaf Insect
11. Jungle Nymph
12. Southeast Asian Dead Leaf Mantis
13. Asian Giant Mantis
14. Yellow-spotted Isopod
15. Dairy Cow Isopod
16. Orange Isopod
17. Chrasangi Leaf Insect
18. Golden Poison Frog, Graham's Anole
19. Black-legged Poison Frog, Dyeing Poison Frog
20. Bumblebee Poison Frog, Golfodulcean Poison Frog
21. Freshwater Moray, Banded Archerfish

When thinking about Singapore Zoo, it's very easy to picture all those fantastic primates and the elephants, Tigers and other famous mammals. However, as shown by the KidzWorld and Fragile Forest zones, there's plenty of domestics and smaller creatures at this world-famous zoo.

There's loads of cold-blooded critters as well, with the vast majority of them found all together in a trio of areas that are labeled on the zoo's map as RepTopia (opened in 2017), Reptile Kingdom and Tortoise Shell'ter. The names are a little fanciful and silly, but here can be seen a lot of top-class reptile and amphibian exhibits. There's a focus on such diverse options as reptiles from deserts of the world, Southeast Asian species, King Cobras and some gorgeous paludarium tanks that are very nicely detailed.

RepTopia entrance:

RepTopia hallway, with stylized tree roots, which are stunning to see in person.

@twilighter

@FoxBat has another handy, updated list of species and exhibits in this part of the zoo. RepTopia, Tortoise Shell'ter and Reptile Kingdom are next to each other, so it's easy enough to spend up to an hour looking at herps while at Singapore Zoo. And if you don't like those kind of animals, then it's easy enough to bypass the area entirely.

Reptile Kingdom:

1. Gharial, Burmese Roofed Turtle, Red-cheek Barb
2. Siamese Crocodile
3. *Empty*
4. Black Pond Turtle
5. Malayan Flat-shelled Turtle, Reeves' Turtle, Elongated Tortoise, Spiny Turtle, Asian Leaf Turtle, Aboina Box Turtle
6. Aldabra Giant Tortoise, African Spurred Tortoise
7. Komodo Dragon
8. Rhinoceros Iguana, African Spurred Tortoise
8. Asian Giant Tortoise

Tortoise Shell'ter:

1. Indochinese Box Turtle, Elongated Tortoise
2. Ploughshare Tortoise
3. Radiated Tortoise
4. Burmese Star Tortoise
5. Indian Star Tortoise
6. Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle
7. Leopard Tortoise

RepTopia:

Hatchery

1. Electric Blue Gecko
2. Electric Blue Gecko
3. Crested Gecko
4. Axolotl
5. Asian Vine Snake
6. Asian Vine Snake
7. Big-headed Turtle
8. Big-headed Turtle
9. Veiled Chameleon

Inside

1. Centralian Rough Knob-tail Gecko
2. Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink, Shingleback Skink
3. Black-headed Python
4. Mexican Red-leg Tarantula
5. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Gila Monster
6. Mexican Red-leg Tarantula
7. Large-eyed Pit Viper
8. Reticulated Python, Burmese Python
9. Philippine Crocodile
10. Veiled Chameleon
11. Flower Rat Snake
12. Northern White-lipped Python
13. Socotra Island Blue Tarantula
14. Gaboon Viper
15. *Empty*
16. Yellow-spotted Climbing Toad
17. Blue-legged Mantella
18. Northern Caiman Lizard
19. Chinese Crocodile Lizard
20. Blue-tailed Monitor
21. Sunda King Cobra
22. Sunda King Cobra
23. Big-headed Turtle
24. *Empty*
25. *Empty*
26. Paddle-tail Newt

Outside

1. Malayan Box Turtle
2. Crocodile Monitor, Painted Terrapin
3. Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle

Here's a beautiful, glass-fronted Crocodile Monitor outdoor exhibit.

There's two Komodo Dragon exhibits (as of August 2024):

Of course, Singapore Zoo is famous for its circa 25 primate species and the zoo promotes the fact that they have an abundance of red-haired apes. Both Sumatran and Bornean Orangutans are found at the zoo, with a series of ropes and cords allowing the Orangutans to go above the heads of visitors into the surrounding treetops. It's like a natural version of the O-Line at other zoos such as the Smithsonian National Zoo and Ouwehands Zoo.

I have a photo at feeding time with at least 6 Bornean Orangutans all together and waiting for keepers to toss in some food. This exhibit also held two other species (Pileated Gibbon and Small-clawed Otter) and I saw all 3 species together at one time.

There's at least two young Orangutans up in the trees above the heads of unsuspecting visitors in this image. Can you spot them? Is there another zoo in the world with anything even remotely similar to this setup? The orangs can go up, but obviously cannot go down as there are various hidden electric wires and metal posts preventing the apes accessing the ground.

@Anmltrnr98

I already discussed a number of primates in the first half of my Singapore Zoo review (Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, Primate Kingdom, etc.), and near the Fragile Forest biodome can be found a series of yet more primate exhibits. Even though it looks quite splendid in my photo, an argument could be made that the Chimpanzee exhibit is too small by modern standards.

The densely packed Sulawesi Crested Macaque exhibit keeps those primates occupied with lots of roots to clamber over.

There are Mandrills and an exhibit for Red-capped Mangabeys (see below):

And I was thrilled to gaze at several other primate species, including Silvery Marmosets which I've only ever seen at 5 zoos (and never once in North America).

@Zooish

The zoo has a nicely landscaped enclosure for Sun Bears that was terrific to see as I came across quite a few poor Sun Bear grottoes on the trip.

And they used to have Polar Bears (in the 'Frozen Tundra' zone) but thankfully that's not the case now. This old exhibit is known as Animal Playground and I'm not even sure if there's anything alive down there these days.

The last significant chunk of the zoo is Wild Africa and it's perfectly nice but in a way it's a bit odd to see savanna-type mammals in an Asian rainforest environment. Species here include the following: Giraffe, White Rhino, Grevy's Zebra, Nile Lechwe, Nyala, African Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, African Wild Dog, Fossa, Meerkat and Naked Mole Rat. I'm not sure if there are any non-mammal species in Wild Africa, except maybe some Marabou Storks?

A smallish exhibit for 7 White Rhinos:

@twilighter

Giraffe exhibit:

@twilighter

Meerkat exhibit (one of two at the zoo):

Cheetah exhibit:

I enjoyed seeing the educational elements at the African Wild Dog exhibit:

@twilighter

Summary:

Singapore Zoo really is one of the great zoos of the world. The collection of mammals, particularly primates, is where the zoo shines, and aside from Fragile Forest it's a zoo that's very light on birds. (But don't worry avian nerds, Bird Paradise is right next door and that place is phenomenal) Reptiles, amphibians and insects have strong representation as well. One element of Singapore Zoo that I admired were the exhibits, which for the most part are terrific. For sure, the Asian Elephant complex is needing an upgrade (which is in the future plans), the Chimpanzees are a bit tight on space, and one could quibble about a couple of other enclosures, but in general the exhibit quality is extremely impressive. For a zoo that is more than a half-century old, to have very few if any exhibits that require drastic action is a testament to the skill of the designers. There's far more complaints one could have about Berlin and San Diego than Singapore in terms of much-needed exhibit upgrades.

The landscape of the zoo is tremendous. I was almost pinching myself to be able to gaze at captive animals while dodging Crab-eating Macaques, Colugos (4 of them!), Asian Water Monitors, Clouded Monitors and even a Buffy Fish Owl up in the trees. To have that much wildlife be seen in a single day is extraordinary and how precious it must be for regular visitors to see so much roaming wildlife that I suspect people don't even give the macaques a sideways glance any more. Everything is green and lush and gorgeous, with the backdrops to the animal exhibits stunning jungle panoramas.

Of course, since we have popular ZooChat Cup competitions on this site and 90% of zoo nerds have friendly debates about the 'best' zoo in the world and long threads on the 'best' exhibits, I'm happy to engage in discussions where Singapore Zoo stands in the pantheon of great zoos. I've been to a lot of establishments (exactly 610 zoos and aquariums) and so my voice has weight, but I've also never once set foot inside Prague, Chester, Vienna, Leipzig and several other notable zoological institutions. Maybe one day. I suppose that the top 3 zoo destinations have to be, in alphabetical order, Berlin, San Diego and Singapore. I'm not even sure that there's anywhere else remotely close to be honest, if we are talking about multiple big, famous zoos in one specific area. Singapore Zoo is fantastic, but I would not put it quite on par with either San Diego Zoo or Berlin Zoo. When all these zoos are of similar stature, sometimes size plays a part and it's why all the big zoos of the world always do so well in the various ZooChat Cup competitions. Singapore is not quite as beloved in my heart as either San Diego or Berlin, but it's awfully close. Very close indeed!!

Looking at individual zoos, here's my order:

#1 - San Diego Zoo
#2 - Berlin Zoo
#3 - Singapore Zoo
With Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo perhaps in the #4 slot.

But...looking at Berlin/San Diego/Mandai Wildlife Reserve as zoo locations, I would rank them in this order:

#1 - Mandai Wildlife Reserve - 5 zoos
#2 - Berlin - 2 zoos
#3 - San Diego - 2 zoos

I'll touch on this topic more when I'm finished all my Singapore reviews, but in a nutshell here's some of my rationale. For example, San Diego Zoo is arguably North America's best zoo for birds, with a plethora of brilliant aviaries across 100 acres of land. But even ONE aviary at Singapore's Bird Paradise is larger and more impressive than every single aviary at San Diego Zoo COMBINED. Who can compete with that? The 4 (now 5) Singapore zoos are my clear #1 with a bullet. No question. So what location is second for zoos? When it comes to Berlin vs San Diego, I slightly prefer San Diego Zoo over Berlin Zoo, but I feel that Berlin Tierpark is far superior to San Diego Zoo Safari Park. They are all fantastic, but the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a zoo I see in its entirety in 5 hours on every visit and Berlin Tierpark is almost impossible to see in an entire day and really requires a minimum of 10 hours. There's just way more to see there in terms of animals and exhibits, without any disappointing tram rides either, and with quality in abundance.

Up next: River Wonders review

 

[evalynwrites]

The chimpanzee exhibit does look quite splendid in that photo. Interested to hear your criticism as to size; I just visited the Indianapolis Zoo's new(ish) chimpanzee exhibit and in comparison, Singapore Zoo's exhibit is Chimpanzee heaven!

P.S. Haven't posted before, but have been following Snowleopard's Roadtrips for a while and love to see the new posts.

 

[CMP]

Finally catching up with this thread, and I agree with most of what is being said. The KL zoos I visited (apart from the terrible Taman Haiwan in the Botani Negara Shah Alam) are for the most part adequate in housing, with some excellent exhibits, and some like the Zoo Negara monkey enclosures. Most enclosures show their age a lot, but I suspect being in a tropical climate contributes to that. The Zoo Negara animal buildings were very nice, especially the reptile house. I wasn't the biggest fan of the KL Bird Park but I thought the Butterfly Park was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed Zoo Negara. I see you skipped Aquaria KLCC, which wasn't mind-blowing or anything, but I thought was well worth the visit as an aquarium nerd.

Singapore Zoo is really one of the best in the world. It does feel a bit small, however, to truly stack up against SDZ or some of the other juggernauts of the international zoo landscape. I haven't been back to SDZ in some time, and I suspect I would still prefer it over Singapore. When combined with the rest of the Mandai Parks Singapore probably has the edge over everyone save perhaps the Berlins, personally. I found Bird Paradise equally spectacular and frustrating, whereas the other parks were very satisfying visits.

I look forward to the rest of your Singapore reviews and reading about your travels in Indonesia!

 

[snowleopard]

Thanks for the nice comments @CMP and I've had quite a bit of correspondence with some zoo nerd friends this week as my Singapore Zoo review sparked a lively discussion outside this site. I would say that you and I unequivocally believe that "Singapore Zoo is really one of the best in the world", but just like you and I, every single zoo nerd I know who has visited the holy trinity of Singapore/Berlin/San Diego believes that Singapore Zoo is 3rd choice out of that trio. It's fascinating. Looking at individual zoos, it's always either Berlin Zoo, Berlin Tierpark or San Diego Zoo as #1, and I would agree with you that Singapore Zoo "does feel a bit small". When @twilighter and I were there we felt like we'd seen it all in 5 hours, and when we went back into the zoo (after River Wonders) it was easy enough to cross from one end to the other in a short span of time. Size matters. Berlin and San Diego could never be seen in 5 hours and there's simply more to see and do at those places. As a rule of thumb, it appears that Berlin Zoo, Berlin Tierpark and San Diego Zoo are a minimum of one entire day, if not two days, while Singapore Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are more like 5 hours. When quality is similar, size counts.

For me though, while Singapore Zoo alone isn't quite as amazing as Berlin or San Diego, I am convinced that the overall Mandai Wildlife Reserve is the #1 zoological destination in the world. It's incredibly comprehensive for animal biodiversity, across 5 zoos, often in stunning exhibits, and I'll speak more to that when I'm done with all my Mandai reviews.

Here are a few images of the wildlife that can be seen at Singapore Zoo.

Crab-eating Macaques are common all across the grounds, including this troop near RepTopia.

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

Here's my image of the "let's share the space amicably" sign. Look at those canines!

Of course, Konstantin and I saw some Crab-eating Macaques at the zoo and it's not too difficult to see that species all across Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. They are super common primates and Khao Kheow Open Zoo had hundreds everywhere.

I was scanning the jungle when I went to go pee because we saw macaques nearby. Can you imagine one inside the open-air toilets at Singapore Zoo? Wow!

Here's another set of toilets at the zoo. Primates of all sizes are welcome, as are lizards.

Speaking of lizards, Konstantin and I saw a wild Clouded Monitor on the pathway and we had to wait for it to cross.

We saw SIX wild monitor lizards in a few hours, including this massive Malayan Water Monitor. The photo is blurry because I was quaking with fear. (totally joking!)

I spotted this wild Buffy Fish Owl near the end of the day:

Yes, my iPhone photos are on the blurry side compared to my crisp exhibit images, but seeing FOUR wild Colugos was crazy as I was ecstatic just seeing one. Konstantin and I spotted the first three in probably just over an hour and they don't move at all from their spots and it's possible to get quite close to Colugos if they are low down on trees. A couple of them we saw again, hours later, clinging to the trunks and waiting for nightfall.

Colugo #1: female

Colugo #2: male

Colugo #3: "golden" female

Colugo #4 - male

 

[CMP]

Thanks for the nice comments @CMP and I've had quite a bit of correspondence with some zoo nerd friends this week as my Singapore Zoo review sparked a lively discussion outside this site. I would say that you and I unequivocally believe that "Singapore Zoo is really one of the best in the world", but just like you and I, every single zoo nerd I know who has visited the holy trinity of Singapore/Berlin/San Diego believes that Singapore Zoo is 3rd choice out of that trio. It's fascinating. Looking at individual zoos, it's always either Berlin Zoo, Berlin Tierpark or San Diego Zoo as #1, and I would agree with you that Singapore Zoo "does feel a bit small". When @twilighter and I were there we felt like we'd seen it all in 5 hours, and when we went back into the zoo (after River Wonders) it was easy enough to cross from one end to the other in a short span of time. Size matters. Berlin and San Diego could never be seen in 5 hours and there's simply more to see and do at those places. As a rule of thumb, it appears that Berlin Zoo, Berlin Tierpark and San Diego Zoo are a minimum of one entire day, if not two days, while Singapore Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are more like 5 hours. When quality is similar, size counts.

For me though, while Singapore Zoo alone isn't quite as amazing as Berlin or San Diego, I am convinced that the overall Mandai Wildlife Reserve is the #1 zoological destination in the world. It's incredibly comprehensive for animal biodiversity, across 5 zoos, often in stunning exhibits, and I'll speak more to that when I'm done with all my Mandai reviews.

Here are a few images of the wildlife that can be seen at Singapore Zoo.

Crab-eating Macaques are common all across the grounds, including this troop near RepTopia.

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

Here's my image of the "let's share the space amicably" sign. Look at those canines!

Of course, Konstantin and I saw some Crab-eating Macaques at the zoo and it's not too difficult to see that species all across Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. They are super common primates and Khao Kheow Open Zoo had hundreds everywhere.

I was scanning the jungle when I went to go pee because we saw macaques nearby. Can you imagine one inside the open-air toilets at Singapore Zoo? Wow!

Here's another set of toilets at the zoo. Primates of all sizes are welcome, as are lizards.

Speaking of lizards, Konstantin and I saw a wild Clouded Monitor on the pathway and we had to wait for it to cross.

We saw SIX wild monitor lizards in a few hours, including this massive Malayan Water Monitor. The photo is blurry because I was quaking with fear. (totally joking!)

I spotted this wild Buffy Fish Owl near the end of the day:

Yes, my iPhone photos are on the blurry side compared to my crisp exhibit images, but seeing FOUR wild Colugos was crazy as I was ecstatic just seeing one. Konstantin and I spotted the first three in probably just over an hour and they don't move at all from their spots and it's possible to get quite close to Colugos if they are low down on trees. A couple of them we saw again, hours later, clinging to the trunks and waiting for nightfall.

Colugo #1: female

Colugo #2: male

Colugo #3: "golden" female

Colugo #4 - male

Thanks for the nice comments @CMP and I've had quite a bit of correspondence with some zoo nerd friends this week as my Singapore Zoo review sparked a lively discussion outside this site. I would say that you and I unequivocally believe that "Singapore Zoo is really one of the best in the world", but just like you and I, every single zoo nerd I know who has visited the holy trinity of Singapore/Berlin/San Diego believes that Singapore Zoo is 3rd choice out of that trio. It's fascinating. Looking at individual zoos, it's always either Berlin Zoo, Berlin Tierpark or San Diego Zoo as #1, and I would agree with you that Singapore Zoo "does feel a bit small". When @twilighter and I were there we felt like we'd seen it all in 5 hours, and when we went back into the zoo (after River Wonders) it was easy enough to cross from one end to the other in a short span of time. Size matters. Berlin and San Diego could never be seen in 5 hours and there's simply more to see and do at those places. As a rule of thumb, it appears that Berlin Zoo, Berlin Tierpark and San Diego Zoo are a minimum of one entire day, if not two days, while Singapore Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are more like 5 hours. When quality is similar, size counts.

In some ways, the smaller size is quite nice, as I could easily find just about all of my targets, and was able to fit my visit in an afternoon after doing some wildlife watching in the central catchment in the morning. For many of the biggest and best zoos in the world, that'd just be unthinkable.

For me though, while Singapore Zoo alone isn't quite as amazing as Berlin or San Diego, I am convinced that the overall Mandai Wildlife Reserve is the #1 zoological destination in the world. It's incredibly comprehensive for animal biodiversity, across 5 zoos, often in stunning exhibits, and I'll speak more to that when I'm done with all my Mandai reviews.

Yes, the outdoor restrooms are quite something, and blew my Midwestern mind!
The Mandai parks definitely hold an edge when it comes to natural scenery and wildlife. I saw Monitor Lizards, Geckos, Tree Shrews, Macaques, Eagles and Kites, a Blue-winged Pitta, roosting Fruit-bats, and countless butterflies and passerines within the four parks. Zoo Negara was similarly excellent, I saw 4(!) monkey species there and a number of bird lifers too.

 

[snowleopard]

DAY 10: Sunday, August 11th

Sandwiched in the middle of the afternoon, between a combined 7 hours at Singapore Zoo, @twilighter and I toured this facility.

Zoo/Aquarium #31: River Wonders (Singapore) - Part 1 of 2

This aquatic-themed zoo officially opened in early 2014, so when @twilighter and I toured the establishment it had only recently celebrated it's 10th anniversary. Singapore Zoo is approximately 69 acres/28 hectares in size, the Night Safari is larger at 86 acres/35 hectares, but River Wonders is much smaller than either at 30 acres/12 hectares and was built roughly in the middle of the two existing parks. Originally known as River Safari, the name was changed to River Wonders in 2021.

While Singapore Zoo was open at 8:30 a.m. and awaiting our visit, and the Night Safari doesn't ever open until nightfall, River Wonders is a perfect afternoon stroll as it's opening hours our 10:00 - 7:00 and with last entry at 6:00. The park is split somewhat by the Upper Seletar Reservoir, so that everywhere one looks there is water. Visitors proceed up the left-hand side, viewing a number of themed river zones before hitting the Giant Panda/Red Panda complex, then there's a bridge to cross and visitors go down the right-hand side before ending up at the Giant Otter/Manatee complex. Konstantin and I easily saw everything in the span of around two hours.

Walking along a covered boardwalk, the first area is the River Gems zone, followed quickly by the Congo River area, with tanks like this one for a variety of barbs and other fish. Von der Decken's Hornbills and Violet Turacos fly in the canopy as this cleverly designed aquarium exhibit is also an aviary. It's a stunning first impression.

My photo here clearly illustrates the pathway at River Wonders. Visitors are outdoors but in a covered area, with an expansive canopy that stretches the length of the park. Whether it's incredibly hot or pouring with rain, it's possible to enjoy this zoo without any stress in regards to the weather. I'm a sucker for big outdoor aquarium tanks as they are such rarities in the zoo world, and at River Wonders there are some outstanding examples of how to maintain fish in these conditions. The filtration systems here must be top-notch.

To be outside, looking at a massive tank for Atlantic Tarpon (see below), is a treat. This 'African Rivers' section has a whole series of gorgeous tanks in zones labeled as Congo River (various mbunas, catfish and even birds), River Nile (Goliath Tigerfish, Aba Aba fish, African Pike, Zebra Tilapia) and Lake Tanganyika (loads of cichlids).

The signage at this new zoo is splendid:

The Ganges River Tank has Giant Snakehead, Goonch, Clown Knifefish and Giant Gourami in a faux ruined temple theme.

Australian Lungfish, Archerfish and Mudskippers are found in the Mary River trio of tanks, alongside many other aquatic species.

There's another large aviary, seen through glass, with the following 5 species: Yellow-billed Stork, Siamese Fireback, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Masked Lapwing and Green Imperial Pigeon.

And an exhibit for Lion-tailed Macaques to keep 'mammal-hunters' happy. Are there still some turtles in with the monkeys?

At any other aquarium, the Mekong River tank would be the showpiece attraction, but at River Wonders it's just one more in a long line of 'rivers of the world' exhibits that are all stunning. Here are Mekong Giant Catfish, Giant Siamese Carp, Giant Freshwater Stingrays, plus several other species. This tank pops!

False Gharials and a variety of chelonians reside here, in an exhibit that stretches further on the right. It's yet another fantastic enclosure at the zoo.

At the end of the left-hand side of the trail is the huge panda complex and for the first time visitors go indoors. The blessedly cool building is air-conditioned and is a relief from the relentless heat and humidity of Singapore. Inside this mammoth structure can be seen Red Pandas, with one above our heads on the left of this photo.

The Red Pandas have at least two exhibits here:

The Giant Panda Forest is reminiscent of Zoo Negara (Malaysia), with superb exhibits in Singapore. You can see a Giant Panda doing what it does best, resting in the crook of a tree in its naturalistic indoor habitat. I'm guessing that there's three indoor exhibits and at least one outdoor yard, but just like Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Negara, it would appear that River Wonders maintains its Giant Pandas indoors almost full-time. This building has a lot of wonderful educational panels about pandas, plus various statues and it's all still new and shiny and quite spectacular.

At this point, visitors reach the halfway point of the park and it's time to cross a bridge and begin the path that leads back to the exit. The feeling of being surrounded by huge tanks and an enormous, watery reservoir is an immersive effect, and one never forgets that there's a jungle full of wildlife in all directions. The first half of the park is approximately 25 exhibits, but many of those are huge outdoor fish tanks and the Giant Panda Forest building is enormous.

Up next: Rivers Wonders review - Part 2 of 2

 

[snowleopard]

DAY 10: Sunday, August 11th

Here is the second half of my extensive review:

Zoo/Aquarium #31: River Wonders (Singapore) - Part 2 of 2

Don't skip the boat ride! A very good zoo nerd friend of mine actually missed this attraction, not realizing that one cannot see the species on the walking trail. Amazon River Quest is a short boat ride (12 minutes?) that costs a small extra fee, and it comes with the usual issues surrounding transportation within a zoo. By that, I mean the log boat ride takes visitors past animals at a certain pace, with no lingering whatsoever. In some cases, one literally has maybe 20 seconds to spot a creature before the boat rolls on through the Amazonian jungle.

Here's the map at the entrance:

After all the gorgeous, world-class aquarium tanks on the left-hand side of the park, the smaller, at times tight on space mammal exhibits seen via the Amazon River Quest boat ride feel like a bit of an afterthought. For instance, a large group of Collared Peccaries don't have a very expansive exhibit.

You have to be fast to spot a South American Tapir in its long, narrow enclosure.

Primates fare best, with beautiful island homes for species such as Guianan Red Howler Monkeys, apparently found at only 5 zoos in the world (2 in South America, 2 in China and here at River Wonders). We saw them in their nicely planted exhibit.

Loud, boisterous Tufted Capuchins also have a lush island exhibit.

The waterway for the boat is rather narrow and at one point it goes through an area with primates crashing around in the undergrowth.

Arguably the most popular sight here are the two Jaguars, seen on the right-hand side of my photo that I had to quickly snap as the boat went through a dark cave.

The Amazon River Quest boat ride is an okay experience, as it's super fun for families and the species list includes the following: Jaguar, South American Tapir, Guanaco, Collared Peccary, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Mara, Black Howler Monkey, Guianan Red Howler Monkey, Spider Monkey, Tufted Capuchin, Bearded Saki, Squirrel Monkey, Scarlet Ibis and Greater Flamingo. To see 15 species from the boat is of course a hit-and-miss affair, as you might see a rump of an animal in the background or a creature up close and personal. One never knows on each ride.

Back on the main path, an impressive Green Anaconda exhibit can be seen, with mock tree trunks and riverbank textures on the exterior of the enclosure. Excellent stuff.

There's also a trio of primates in the form of Cotton-top Tamarins, White-lipped Tamarins and Black-tufted Marmosets. This area is very popular and difficult to photograph.

Next up is Amazonia Encounters, a splendid walk-through jungle experience.

Here's a sign with 11 species listed, all of which are free-roaming. We were able to get quite close to the sakis and agoutis, which was fantastic.

Nearby is a pool for Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman and various fish and turtle species. The setting is honestly jaw-dropping as it's like a slice of wilderness and this exhibit is just a tiny icon on the zoo's map but anywhere else would arguably be a major highlight.

Lastly, continuing the theme of South American species along the right-hand side of the zoo, is the Amazon Flooded Forest complex. The centrepiece attraction is what is possibly the largest freshwater aquarium exhibit on the planet, with 2 million liters/530,000 gallons of water. The viewing window is enormous, almost impossible to photograph in one shot due to the crowds of people. Here's an older image from 2019:

@aardvark250

And my best attempt from 2024 still doesn't quite fit everything in as the viewing window is 22 meters/72 feet in length! The tank is so large that I'm not sure how many West Indian Manatees are in there (perhaps 10?), but it's a major highlight of River Wonders and Konstantin and I dealt with packed crowds for the first time in the day. It's not just manatees in this exhibit, as there's also massive Arapaima, Atlantic Tarpon, Red-tail Catfish and a few other species. One minor flaw is that the overhead view of the manatee tank is not very impressive, looking like a stark warehouse setup and it taints the illusion a little. The underwater viewing gallery is huge and there's loads of places for visitors to sit and relax. (It's not like the Open Sea visitor viewing area at Monterey Bay Aquarium, which these days is very tight, a bit outdated and crowded for space)

The huge group of manatees is so darn impressive that they overshadow another spacious exhibit in the shape of the Giant Otter enclosure. You can actually see an otter swimming over the underwater tunnel in its expansive pool in my photo below. There could be more land space here, but the water area is more than sufficient in size.

Looking very much like a pinniped underwater area, this is the Giant Otter tunnel tank and we saw one otter swim back and forth over our heads.

There's more to see in the Amazon Flooded Forest building, including a nice exhibit for Electric Eels. Besides the manatees, otters and eels, there's another half-dozen tanks in a darkened environment for species such as Cardinal Tetra, Royal Tetra, Blue Discus, Black Ghost Knifefish, Gold Laser Cory, Tiger King Pleco, Red-bellied Piranha, plus 6 or 7 catfish species. There's catfish galore around here.

Electric Eel exhibit:

@Zooish

In Summary:

River Wonders is an amazing experience and being only a decade old there are plenty of modern, state-of-the-art animal exhibits. In many ways, it's very different from all the other parks in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. There's one that's exclusively birds (Bird Paradise), one that is only open during darkness (Night Safari), one that is the original jungle zoo (Singapore Zoo) and River Wonders is more of a stand alone Aquarium than anything else. The decision to acquire Giant Pandas and place them in the River Wonders park guarantees that the world's most popular animals will keep attendance numbers high at the smallest of the Mandai zoos. Also, there has been a clear intent to differentiate this zoo from the others, as for example Singapore Zoo has close to 65 mammal species and circa 25 primate species. River Wonders has 11 primate species but 7 of them are NOT found at Singapore Zoo right next door and so just for primates it's dissimilar. There's been a deliberate decision to have a long list of species at River Wonders that are not found elsewhere in the Mandai lineup of zoos and I applaud that decision.

In an older issue of Zoo Grapevine & International Zoo News magazine, from 2016, there is a review of River Wonders that says that the park "is impressive and could be considered an evolutionary leap ahead for aquaria" (Robert Cook). I like that quote and when one considers all of those glorious outdoor tanks along the left-hand side of the park, then there's really nowhere else in the world with such an impressive lineup of aquatic outdoor exhibits. There's some great aquariums in other nations, but the huge fish tanks are always indoors and so it really is quite remarkable to tour River Wonders and be outside almost the whole time.

Along the zoo's right-hand side, the Amazon River Quest boat ride is sort of Disney-ish, and has its drawbacks, but the primate exhibits there are terrific and when you see an active animal it's vaguely like being in the wild. The walk-through Amazonia Encounters is a delight and the zoo's two gargantuan buildings (Amazon Flooded Forest and Giant Panda Forest) are by far the most popular sights in the zoo even though there are circa 200 species spread across the acreage. There's very little to quibble about at River Wonders, with the biggest complaint being that after just over two hours everything has been seen and done. It's a fantastic, must-visit zoo, and can you imagine if River Wonders took 6 hours or longer to visit? It would then be hailed as one of the elite zoos on the planet. Again, size often counts for zoo nerds. As it is, it's the smallest of the Mandai parks but it is one that is packed with excellence around every corner and the sense of walking around an open-air aquarium is full of charm.

Footnote: Apparently it's possible to see wild Smooth-coated Otters right near the bridge that connects the left-hand side of the park to the right-hand side. I need to go back one day to see these guys!

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

Up next: Night Safari - the world's first nocturnal zoo and yet another example of why Singapore is the world's #1 zoological destination.

 

[LeMandaiEnthusiast‧]

Here's a sign with 11 species listed, all of which are free-roaming. We were able to get quite close to the sakis and agoutis, which was fantastic.

Not sure if it's super important to add, but in addition to these 11 species, Amazonia Encounters has gotten the return of Squirrel Monkeys and even added a Capybara to this free-roaming area.

Definitely fun to come back or check out for this, especially for those who really have a soft spot for the either.

For the otters, they're quite a rare sight. In fact that photo was the first time I ever saw them my entire time by that area of River Wonders. Definitely best of luck to those who are looking out for them!

Loving your super indepth reviews btw, definitely looking forward to what was my favourite of the Mandai Parks for a long time.

 

[KaiGoesMandai]

The Ganges River Tank has Giant Snakehead, Goonch, Clown Knifefish and Giant Gourami in a faux ruined temple theme.

The tank on the left also has an Indian Gharial, although the water is extremely murky, and the Gharial typically is near the back off the tank, making it near impossible to see.

And an exhibit for Lion-tailed Macaques to keep 'mammal-hunters' happy. Are there still some turtles in with the monkeys?

Yup, pig-nosed turtle.

The Red Pandas have at least two exhibits here:

The second photo you show is actually part of the Giant Pandas' exhibit. Each panda has two indoor sections (which they constantly have access to), and one outdoor section (sometimes closed). Like you said, the Pandas basically never make use of their outdoor exhibit.

Nearby is a pool for Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman and various fish and turtle species. The setting is honestly jaw-dropping as it's like a slice of wilderness and this exhibit is just a tiny icon on the zoo's map but anywhere else would arguably be a major highlight.

To many Singaporeans, these dense plantings really aren't that impressive. Most would probably think that it is just a pond. However, it is always good to see sizeable exhibit for caiman.

The tank is so large that I'm not sure how many West Indian Manatees are in there (perhaps 10?)

I believe there is around 17/18 in there. I'm always amazed when the herd swims past, and to think that Singapore only received 2.1 in the mid 1990s, and has since have bred so many.

Apparently it's possible to see wild Smooth-coated Otters right near the bridge that connects the left-hand side of the park to the right-hand side. I need to go back one day to see these guys!

Like LeMandaiEnthusiast‧ said, otters are rare within Mandai. Many recommend looking for the Marina Bay family, though with enough luck you can find them in basically any reservoir. Luckily for me, I know the sleeping spot of a family of otters that is less than a 15 minute cycle from my house, so I regularly go watch them.

 

[snowleopard]

DAY 10: Sunday, August 11th

After spending a total of 7 hours at Singapore Zoo, as well as 2 hours at River Wonders, it was time for one final zoo on the greatest 'zoo day' of my life.

Zoo/Aquarium #32: Night Safari (Singapore)

This facility is the largest of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve zoos and it's famous as the world's first nocturnal zoo. Opening in 1994, it is a hugely popular attraction (like all the zoos here) and @twilighter and I got in line early as there was a massive number of people filing into the waiting area. Singapore Zoo closes at 6:00 p.m. and River Wonders closes at 7:00 p.m., and so just when Konstantin and I saw the first two zoos close and some staff members head home...the Night Safari zoo opened! It's current hours are 7:15 p.m. to midnight, an extraordinary time for any attraction to be up and running.

River Wonders was celebrating it's 10th anniversary last year and Night Safari was celebrating it's 30th anniversary. Two exemplary zoos.

Taiping Zoo (Malaysia) has night-time hours, as has Zoo Melaka (Malaysia) in the past, but there's been only TWO designated nocturnal zoos that I've ever visited. The first was Chiang Mai Night Safari (Thailand) earlier on the trip, which I reviewed on pages 6 + 7 of this thread. If you recall, that zoo has two tram tours and then a walking trail around a lake and we saw at least 70 mammal species there. When strolling around that excellent zoo in northern Thailand, the pathways were reasonably well lit even though it was dark out by the time we hit the walking section.

Singapore's Night Safari is a different beast altogether. There is one tram ride and then a more substantial walking section that is not nearly as well illuminated as the one at Chiang Mai and in Singapore the signs are not as well labeled. It's deliberately darker than expected, there's narrower trails with jungle foliage on either side, there's noises out there in the blackness and it's a real adventure. As a visitor experience, it tops Chiang Mai and it really does amaze me that nowhere in Europe or North America has seen this type of zoo replicated. Why not?

There are two major drawbacks. One is the mode of transportation, as per usual when you take a tram through a zoo anywhere the opportunity to see every single species is hit and miss. It's possible to spend seconds looking at an animal and just when it walks closer then the tram is gone to the next exhibit. Also, photography at Night Safari is at times almost impossible without a high-end, ultra-fancy camera. It's already pitch black when you arrive and while it's a phenomenal, world-class experience, photography is extremely limited. Everyone on this site knows that I will often upload hundreds of photos from a single zoo into the gallery, but for the Night Safari I have a grand total of FIVE shots.

The Upper Seletar Reservoir at night, with jungle all around, is almost eerie. It's a fantastic experience to tour this nocturnal zoo.

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

The tram tour is 30 minutes long and better and more enjoyable than the two tram tours at Chiang Mai ("look at the bear, he's such a nice bear to be waving at us") and at Night Safari it's super cool to see a wide range of ungulates and carnivores in the darkness. Of course, I wonder how great some of the exhibits are, as no one wants to sit on a tram for half an hour and not see animals. Thus, just like at Chiang Mai, there is subtle use of hotwire, fencing and dry moats in the design of the sometimes long, narrow enclosures, so that the animals are on view as the trams motor by. In the light of day, I wonder if a number of the exhibits are a bit tight on space and perhaps devoid of some enrichment. I don't know the answer to that, but as a visitor the tram tour is fantastic except for the fact that animals are observed in seconds rather than minutes.

Bharal:

@Nadchew_

Tadjik Markhor:

@Nadchew_

A Striped Hyena in a dimly-lit landscape:

@Zooish

Dhole:

@Nadchew_

Cape Buffalo:

@Nadchew_

Bull Asian Elephant exhibit:

@Zooish

I much preferred the FOUR walking trails. One strolls past the new Amphitheater and there is the Pangolin Trail, which winds through darkness and forms a loose loop. The Tasmanian Devil Trail focuses on Australian fauna and has less species than the other paths, the East Lodge Trail also does not have a great deal of species but instead several larger mammals, and finally the Leopard Trail is perhaps the most expansive of the lot.

While my feeling is that several of the exhibits on the tram tour could be more spacious, the FOUR walking trails are mainly packed with above average animal accommodation. Many of the habitats are splendid and it was a joy to see a lot of the species as Konstantin and I were patient while looking for the captive wildlife. We also had a lot of luck on the trip, and here it happened again while we were leaning on the railing of the Greater Hog Badger exhibit. One of the animals walked out, sniffed the air, turned around and we never saw it again. Another life tick occurred in those few seconds.

This row of exhibits includes an enclosure containing 3 species all together: Small-toothed Palm Civet, Leopard Cat and Sunda Pangolin.

@Zooish

Pangolin Trail sign:

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

Sunda Pangolin:

@PangolinLover0514

Buffy Fish Owl aviary:

@Nadchew_

Small-toothed Palm Civet:

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

Sumatran Palm Civet exhibit:

@Nadchew_

The two outdoor Tasmanian Devil exhibits are a significant size and very impressive. They are long and narrow enclosures.

@Zooish

Woylie:

@LeMandaiEnthusiast‧

Fishing Cat:

@Zooish

For me, the absolute highlight of the entire Night Safari is the Civet Walk-through. It is beyond fantastic. There's not even any photos in the gallery of this large structure that essentially looks like a big aviary. Konstantin and I walked through and we saw civets everywhere! Small-toothed Palm Civets, Masked Palm Civets and Common Palm Civets were right above our heads on a network of ropes that criss-cross one set of large trees from another. A civet would walk across and we'd get a great look at it, then another one would head in a different direction, then a 3rd and a 4th and a 5th and then we began to wonder just how many were in the walk-through as we saw and heard loads. We even joked about how these large civets were perhaps trained to stroll across the high-wires like circus performers and it was uncanny how they would go back and forth and the whole experience was spectacular. Then a couple of them appeared to get into a fight in the undergrowth and the noise was crazy loud, with growls and squeaks and we departed the scene.

Summary:

Night Safari is a remarkable attraction and I can see why there are some zoo nerds who rank it incredibly high on any kind of 'best/favourite zoos' list. After seeing the world-class rainforest jungle park (Singapore Zoo) and the Aquarium-like park (River Wonders), it was a shock to be wandering around in the blackness of Night Safari. I feel that this particular zoo is one that might require multiple visits for someone to really get a strong sense of the layout, as Konstantin and I had to double-back a couple of times and the directional signs are a bit scarce in certain areas. I was told that it was a deliberate decision to not have everything illuminated, as there is a strong sense of a jungle adventure walking around this place. I'd also like to return one day and take in the animal show, as one never knows what rare critters will make an appearance there.

I am quite envious of those that live in Singapore. To be able to reside in what, by all accounts, is a clean, safe country, and to have the opportunity to visit world-class zoos, is a privilege. Night Safari is unique in many ways, an alien version of a zoo that is not seen anywhere else in the world. One thing that struck me was that even though it was very dark at all times, the activity of the animals was amazing to see. There was movement everywhere and Konstantin and I were able to see almost every single species. Unlike Singapore Zoo with its excellent reptile, amphibian and insect collections, Night Safari is extremely mammal heavy but that was fine with me and I'd highly recommend a visit to anyone visiting Southeast Asia.

Footnote:

The following lists are based on my August 2024 visits (all in one day!) and of course things will have altered a bit since then and the lists won't be 100% accurate as these kind of things never are, but it will be pretty close.

Singapore Zoo mammal species list (62 species including 24 primate species) : Asian Elephant, White Rhino, Pygmy Hippo, Giraffe, Plains Zebra, Southern Red Muntjac, Lowland Anoa, Nyala, Nubian Ibex, Axis Deer, Hog Deer, Lesser Mouse-deer, Babirusa, Tiger (Malayan), African Lion, Sri Lankan Leopard, Cheetah, Serval, Sun Bear, African Wild Dog, Bornean Orangutan, Sumatran Orangutan, Chimpanzee, Siamang, Yellow-cheeked Gibbon, Pileated Gibbon, Proboscis Monkey, Red-shanked Douc Langur, Red-capped Mangabey, Sulawesi Crested Macaque, Colobus Monkey, Colombian Black Spider Monkey, Hamadryas Baboon, Black Howler Monkey, De Brazza’s Monkey, White-faced Saki, Silvery Marmoset, Pygmy Marmoset, Cotton-top Tamarin, Golden Lion Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Ring-tailed Lemur, Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, Red Ruffed Lemur, Small-clawed Otter, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby, Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo, Fossa, Meerkat, Two-toed Sloth, Naked Mole-Rat, Gambian Pouched Rat, Degu, Lesser Bamboo Rat, Cape Ground Squirrel, Agouti, Rock Hyrax, Prevost’s Squirrel, Variable Squirrel, Domestic Ferret and Large Flying Fox.

River Wonders mammal species list (23 species): South American Tapir, Collared Peccary, Guanaco, West Indian Manatee, Jaguar, Giant Panda, Lion-tailed Macaque, Black Howler Monkey, Guianan Red Howler Monkey, White-faced Saki, Black-headed Spider Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Bearded Saki, Tufted Capuchin, Common Marmoset, Cotton-top Tamarin, White-lipped Tamarin, Giant Otter, Red Panda, Giant Anteater, Agouti, Mara and Capybara.

Night Safari mammal species list (61 species): Asian Elephant, Indian Rhino, Common Hippo, Malayan Tapir, Cape Buffalo, Gaur, Lowland Anoa, Watusi, Markhor, Himalayan Tahr, Bharal, Bongo, Sambar Deer, Eld’s Deer, Barasingha, Axis Deer, Hog Deer, Southern Red Muntjac, Lesser Mouse-deer, Babirusa, Tiger (Malayan + ‘white’), African Lion + Asiatic Lion, Sri Lankan Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Serval, Leopard Cat, Fishing Cat, Sloth Bear, Dhole, Fennec Fox, Maned Wolf, Spotted Hyena, Striped Hyena, Douroucouli, Sunda Slow Loris, Northern Lesser Galago, Small-clawed Otter, Binturong, Small-toothed Palm Civet, Sumatran Palm Civet, Masked Palm Civet, Common Palm Civet, Greater Hog Badger, Raccoon, Kinkajou, Pangolin, Giant Anteater, Aardvark, Red-necked Wallaby, Tasmanian Devil, Bettong, Three-banded Armadillo, Indian Crested Porcupine, Malayan Porcupine, Coendou, Common Brushtail Possum, Capybara, Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel, Sugar Glider, Gambian Pouched Rat and Large Flying Fox.

Up next: Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari combined to form an incredible day of 'zoo-ing' for Konstantin and I. August 11th, 2024, will live long in my memory. Zoo nerds talk about the Paris duo, or the Antwerp/Planckendael partnership, or the two Berlins and two San Diegos, but in one day we spent many hours visiting the top-notch trio of Singapore zoos that rival anywhere on the globe. The 3 zoos we toured are arguably as good or better than anything else out there and I've had 8 months to process that sort of statement.

But wait, I still have the outstanding, world-class Bird Paradise to review and I might even throw in a few words discussing Rainforest Wild afterwards. Singapore's FIVE zoos in one location simply cannot be beat in terms of the quality on display, the range of animal diversity and the overall visitor experience.

 

[CMP]

This row of exhibits includes an enclosure containing 3 species all together: Small-toothed Palm Civet, Leopard Cat and Sunda Pangolin.

And also Spotted Flying Squirrel and a Slow Loris, at least back in January.

One of the animals walked out, sniffed the air, turned around and we never saw it again.

I had the same experience my visit, although I had seen the pair at the show in the zoo prior.

Night Safari is spectacular and an amazing experience, and there is certainly a thrill being in the forest amidst the darkness. As you've mentioned, the lighting curation is top-notch, although photography is next to impossible, as expected. I was also pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to find all the species, I only needed to backtrack for the Pouched Rats. Night Safari also gave me newfound appreciation for binturongs, seeing them active.

 

[snowleopard]

DAY 11: Monday, August 12th

Time to analyze a spectacular 'bird zoo':

Zoo/Aquarium #33: Bird Paradise (Singapore) - Part 1 of 2

I never visited Jurong Bird Park (1971-2023), but by all accounts it was a fantastic facility and one of the great specialist zoos of the world for over half a century. However, it was apparently looking a little rough around the edges in certain areas, and Mandai Wildlife Reserve made the decision to build a brand-new bird park closer to the main hub that now has FIVE major zoological establishments. Jurong had circa 400 species and 3,500 specimens and Bird Paradise has approximately the same amount but in brand-new, modern aviaries that are incredible to experience. This is a zoo that will convince everyone to love birds.

I've long acknowledged that for myself, and the same goes for my travelling companion @twilighter, mammals have consistently been the #1 focus when it comes to the type of animals that we like to observe in zoos. My thread called Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species won 'thread of the year' for 2024 with 70% of the vote partly because many other zoo nerds also track how many mammals they've seen in various zoos around the world. Next in line would be reptiles and amphibians, as I love a great 'herp house' and it's a joy to see the diversity with those type of animals. I'm also a big fan of aquariums, having visited over 120 of them, and after that it brings me to birds. It took me a long time to truly understand how many bird nerds there are in the world, and I've gradually become far more enamoured with our feathered friends as the years have gone by. Bird Paradise is the culmination of my appreciation for everything 'bird' in the zoo world.

Opening in May 2023, this 35 acre/14 hectare park is magnificent. It's not just a fantastic specialist park but one of the best zoos I've ever had the privilege to visit. Period. It's almost unfair to compare other facilities to this park, as for instance San Diego Zoo has circa 250 bird species in a wide range of world-class aviaries across its acreage. Meanwhile, Bird Paradise has ONE single aviary that tops every single aviary in San Diego COMBINED. Then there is Walsrode, with its own immense bird collection, but in my 2019 review I mentioned that Walsrode was missing a 'wow' moment and in comparison Bird Paradise has dozens of those little moments. The whole place is phenomenal and there's nothing like it.

Our path through the zoo was this one: The bottom right-hand corner of the map has the Heart of Africa aviary, then visitors head up into the Wings of Asia aviary, go past the Amphitheatre to the Crimson Wetlands (South America) aviary at the very top and those are the 3 gargantuan, multi-acre aviaries that are perhaps unbeatable in the world of zoos. Heading downwards on the left-hand side, there's another 5 massive walk-through aviaries to give the park EIGHT huge walk-through aviaries in total, before visitors end off with Penguin Cove (indoors and very chilly) and Winged Sanctuary, which is like a mini zoo on its own with 40+ more traditional aviaries. We spent 4 hours here and could easily have spent 4 days instead.

Before one even gets to the entrance gates, it's possible to spend half a day in a trance looking at this waterfall. In person, it's bewilderingly awesome.

The waterfall can also be seen via a mammoth cave area. It's insane and a must-see attraction in its own right.

It seems as if everything in Singapore is pristine, clean, modern and quite wonderful to behold. The entrance to Bird Paradise is an example of all of the above.

@Zooish

Heart of Africa is a walk-through aviary that is almost 4 acres/1.6 hectares in size, and more than 50 feet tall in places. It’s an astonishing achievement, containing at least 6 hornbill species and 9 types of turaco and close to 80 species in total. Walking in and seeing a Shoebill perched atop a massive wall for bee-eaters was a wonderful sight indeed. Visitors peer down from a very high boardwalk, with feeding stations hooked along the edges to entice the smaller birds to come close to humans.

One major flaw to such a vast, undulating rainforest aviary, is that it's impossible to see every single species unless one camps out for a week inside the structure. For Konstantin (this was his second visit here) and I, we were enthralled with the world-class experience and to have such jaw-dropping numbers of birds flying around in an aviary bigger than hundreds of zoos I've visited, was absolutely incredible. If you want to actually see every single species of bird possible in rows of tiny aviaries, then Walsrode is for you and I understand that drive and ambition. Trust me, I get it. But to walk through Heart of Africa is a whole different feeling and from my perspective, Bird Paradise destroys San Diego, Walsrode, or anywhere else in terms of an emotional feeling of being inside something first-rate that allows birds an enormous amount of space.

The seemingly endless Heart of Africa aviary:

Visitors can get remarkably close to the Northern Bee-eaters' Cliff:

@Zooish

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a flying Shoebill!

@Zooish

This huge aviary never seems to end:

Of course, species lists in giant aviaries change all the time, but according to @FoxBat here is the Heart of Africa line-up of species:

Shoebill
Saddle-billed Stork
Yellow-billed Stork
Abdim's Stork
Hammerkop
Black Crowned Crane
Grey Crowned Crane
Wattled Crane
African Sacred Ibis
Madagascar Crested Ibis
Northern Bald Ibis
Allen's Gallinule
Knob-billed Duck
Hartlaub's Duck
Meller's Duck
Madagascar Teal
White-faced Whistling Duck
Greater Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
Crowned Hornbill
Piping Hornbill
Von der Decken's Hornbill
Northern Red-billed Hornbill
West African Pied Hornbill
Western Long-tailed Hornbill
Blue-bellied Roller
Green Woodhoopoe
Crested Coua
Speckled Mousebird
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
European Bee-eater
Northern Carmine Bee-eater
Bearded Barbet
Vieillot's Barbet
Vulturine Guineafowl
Helmeted Guineafowl
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Greater Vasa Parrot
Grey Parrot
Red-bellied Parrot
Brown-headed Parrot
Black-cheeked Lovebird
Black-winged Lovebird
Great Blue Turaco
Western Plantain-eater
White-crested Turaco
Red-crested Turaco
Guinea Turaco
Livingstone's Turaco
Schalow's Turaco
Violet Turaco
White-cheeked Turaco
African Olive Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
Stock Dove
Western Bronze-naped Pigeon
Lemon Dove
Bruce's Green Pigeon
Laughing Dove
European Turtle Dove
Malagasy Turtle Dove
Tambourine Dove
Madagascar Patridge
Red-winged Starling
Purple Starling
Superb Starling
Lesser Blue-eared Starling
Splendid Starling
Golden-breasted Starling
Long-tailed Glossy Starling
Emerald Starling
Ashy Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Grey-headed Bristlebill
White-crowned Robin-chat
Taveta Golden Weaver
Chestnut-and-black Weaver
Vitelline Masked Weaver

After finishing up with the massive, 4-acre African aviary, which could take anywhere from half an hour to several days (!!), there’s a break from the Southeast Asian humidity in an air-conditioned room covered with fantastic signage about bird nests. Visitors congregate in these rooms that connect all the sprawling walk-through aviaries as they are very chilly and are brilliant ideas. After each aviary, there's a respite from the soaring temperatures and whoever came up with that idea should get a Nobel Prize. After sweating up a storm in the heat, it's a blessed relief to relax for a few minutes before heading off into the next immense aviary.

It's time to plunge into another world-class walk-through aviary in the form of Wings of Asia, which is 2 acres/.80 hectares in size, has close to 50 species, and has a section that is terraced with elevated mock-rice fields. There’s a series of pools and large species such as Lesser Adjutant Stork and Milky Stork fly through the air and show how spectacular they can be when not pinioned or constrained for space. Hornbills soar in the sky and the whole thing is eye-popping.

I really enjoyed strolling along a couple of jungle-like pathways in this 2-acre aviary.

Konstantin and I had a truly memorable experience inside Wings of Asia, as on several occasions we saw a flock of hornbills swoop down in a rustle of wings and then soar back into the sky. Again and again this group of birds wowed us with their beauty, in stark contrast to the hundreds of other hornbills I've seen on perches in zoos around the world. Having these multi-acre aviaries allows for a wide range of natural behaviours and it's spectacular to witness in person. Even this photo is amazing:

@KaiGoesMandai

Again, an approximate current species list via @FoxBat for the stunning Wings of Asia aviary:

Australian Pelican
Lesser Adjutant
Asian Black-necked Stork
Milky Stork
Black-faced Spoonbill
Rufous Night Heron
Western Cattle Egret
Swan Goose
Bar-headed Goose
Common Shelduck
Knob-billed Duck
White-winged Duck
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Eurasian Teal
Marbled Teal
Baer's Pochard
Falcated Duck
Mandarin Duck
Masked Lapwing
Blue Eared Pheasant
Copper Pheasant
Great Argus
Golden Pheasant
Germain's Peacock-pheasant
Grey Peacock-pheasant
Grey Junglefowl
Papuan Hornbill
Luzon Hornbill
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon
Elegant Imperial Pigeon
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
Indian Rose-ringed Parakeet
Plum-headed Parakeet
Common Hill Myna
Crested Myna
Bank Myna
Rosy Starling
Indian Pied Starling
Asian Glossy Starling
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Asian Koel
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Black-naped Oriole
White-crested Laughingthrush
Straw-headed Bulbul

There’s an Egg Splash zone that’s a water-based play area for young children, the Sky Amphitheatre for bird shows, and Central Plaza which is a meeting place and a zone with visitor amenities. At the top of the park is Crimson Wetlands, a 3 acre/1.2-hectare aviary that focuses on avian life from South America in a recreation of a flooded savanna. There’s a grasslands section with one mammal species (who doesn't love to see some Maras?), huge flocks of Scarlet Ibis, American Flamingos and tons of macaws (13 species!!) in all directions. The whole thing has approximately 45 species. An enormous, 20-foot-high waterfall crashes down and visitors can enter a cave area at the rear of the waterfall and the noise is deafening. In the nooks and crannies of the mock-rock caverns can be seen a variety of parrots resting in the shade, making it seem as if they are in nature with the rocky backdrop.

@Zooish

Species list for Crimson Wetlands via @FoxBat:

American Flamingo
Great Curassow
Blue-throated Piping Guan
Chaco Chachalaca
Boat-billed Heron
Roseatte Spoonbill
Scarlet Ibis
Black-necked Swan
Coscoroba Swan
Muscovy Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Cinnamon Teal
Brazilian Teal
Ringed Teal
Hyacinth Macaw
Blue-throated Macaw
Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
Green-winged Macaw
Great Green Macaw
Military Macaw
Red-fronted Macaw
Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Blue-headed Macaw
Blue-winged Macaw
Red-bellied Macaw
Red-shouldered Macaw
Burrowing Parrot
Scarlet-fronted Parakeet
Sun Parakeet
Monk Parakeet
Blue-headed Parrot
Dusky Parrot
Black-legged Caique
Lilacine Amazon
Yellow-shouldered Amazon
White-fronted Amazon
Lilac-crowned Amazon
Green Oropendola
Patagonian Mara
Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle
Pink-tailed Chalceus
Salvin's Cichlid
Common Pleco

After the trio of African, Asian and South American aviaries (Heart of Africa, Wings of Asia, Crimson Wetlands) it's almost too much to take in. Someone asked me if those 3 aviaries are the 3 best aviaries I've ever seen in my life and that's a difficult question but to even consider ONE zoo having what are just about the 3 biggest and best aviaries anywhere is astonishing. Again, nowhere else is even in the same stratosphere as Bird Paradise. This is the park that combines with all the others to put Singapore over the top as the world's #1 zoological destination.

Bird Paradise still has a lot more on offer, including FIVE additional walk-through aviaries that are smaller in scale. Amazonian Jewels has approximately 35 species and if it was located anywhere else it would likely be the highlight of an entire zoo, but here at Bird Paradise it is just another diamond in the sky.

@twilighter

@twilighter

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock:

@Zooish

Thanks again to @FoxBat for the species list for Amazonian Jewels:

Razor-billed Curasow
Helmeted Curassow
Chaco Chachalaca
Blue-throated Piping-guan
Grey-winged Trumpeter
Peruvian Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeon
Eared Dove
Crested Quail-dove
Ruddy Quail-dove
Blue Ground Dove
Blue-backed Tanager
Blue-grey Tanager
Red-crested Cardinal
Moriche Oriole
Yellow Oriole
Yellow-hooded Blackbird
Green Oropendola
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Pompadour Cotinga
Capuchinbird
Amazonian Motmot
Yellow-faced Amazon
Red-crowned Amazon
Red-fan Parrot
Cactus Parakeet
Peruvian Cobalt-winged Parakeet
Blue-crowned Conure
Golden Parakeet
Jendaya Parakeet
Grey-breasted Parakeet
Green-cheeked Parakeet
Crimson-bellied Parakeet
Saffron Toucanet
Red-footed Tortoise
Azara's Agouti
Linnaesus' Two-toed Sloth

Up next: I'll post the second half of my Bird Paradise review (Part 2 of 2) in a couple of days.

 

[snowleopard]

DAY 11: Monday, August 12th

I discussed the stunning entrance zone with the huge waterfall, the 4-acre Heart of Africa aviary, 2-acre Wings of Asia aviary, 3-acre Crimson Wetlands aviary and the beautiful Amazonian Jewels aviary in part one of my review. Here's the second half:

Zoo/Aquarium #33: Bird Paradise (Singapore) - Part 2 of 2

The next huge walk-through aviary is called Songs of the Forest and it has more than 55 species, including one mammal (Lesser Mouse-deer), loads of pigeons, doves, starlings and bulbuls. Anywhere else and this would be staggering, but here at Bird Paradise it's just another gem in the crown. Yet another stunning, world-class aviary.

@honeybadger

Here's the species list for Songs of the Forest, via @FoxBat:

Pied Avocet
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Baer's Pochard
Pesquet's Parrot
Moluccan King Parrot
Sumba Eclectus
Horned Parakeet
Moustached Parakeet
Blossom-headed Parakeet
Blue-winged Pitta
Fire-tufted Barbet
Green Broadbill
Iberian Magpie
Bali Myna
Black-winged Myna
Golden-crested Myna
Coleto
Brahminy Starling
Javan Pied Starling
Asian Glossy Starling
White-shouldered Starling
Black-breasted Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Asian Fairy-bluebird
White-eared Bulbul
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Red-vented Bulbul
Straw-headed Bulbul
White-throated Laughingthrush
White-rumped Shama
Chinese Hwamei
Eurasian Hoopoe
Greater Green Leafbird
Barred Cuckoo-dove
Luzon Bleeding-heart
Cinnamon Ground-dove
Santa Cruz Ground-dove
Sulawesi Ground-dove
Jambu Fruit Dove
Red-bellied Fruit Dove
Superb Fruit Dove
Collared Partridge
Mountain Bamboo-partridge
Chinese Bamboo-patridge
Crested Wood Partridge
Sri Lankan Junglefowl
Malayan Peacock-pheasant
Great Argus
Satyr Tragopan
Vietnamese Pheasant
Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon
Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon
Pinon's Imperial Pigeon
Metallic Pigeon
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Lesser Mouse-deer

The solid gold hits keep coming. Lory Loft has around 30 species, with at least half of those being either lories or lorikeets and thus the noise level in here is pretty high! Again, this aviary is massive and brilliant and every other superb adjective one can think of.

The species list for Lory Loft, courtesy of @FoxBat

"Golden-necked" Northern Cassowary
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Western Crowned Pigeon
Santa Cruz Ground Dove
Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon
Seychelles Magpie-robin
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Common Hill Myna
White-eared Catbird
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Gray Francolin
Mountain peacock-pheasant
Luzon Hornbill
Blue-eyed Cockatoo
Salmon-crested Cockatoo
White Cockatoo
Citron-crested Cockatoo
Yellow-crested Cockatoo
Tanimbar Corella
Yellow-bibbed Lory
Black-capped Lory
New Guinea Purple-bellied Lory
Purple-naped Lory
Red Lory
Dusky Lory
Brown Lory
Yellow-backed Chattering Lory
Red-collared Lorikeet
Coconut Lorikeet
Scarlet-breasted Lorikeet
Marigold Lorikeet

Look at the plantings in the next incredible walk-through aviary. Bird Paradise is insane! Mysterious Papua has around 15 species and there's several side yards for cassowaries within the large structure.

Cassowary exhibit (one of several):

@Zooish

Species list for Mysterious Papua via @FoxBat

Southern Cassowary
Sclater's Crowned Pigeon
Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon
Pacific Imperial Pigeon
Nicobar Pigeon
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Metallic Starling
Lesser Bird-of-Paradise
Solomon Island Eclectus
Palm Cockatoo
Papuan King Parrot
Coconut Lorikeet
Ornate Lorikeet
Iris Lorikeet
Goldie's Lorikeet

The EIGHTH and final massive walk-through aviary is called Australian Outback and it contains approximately 20 species. There's several mock-rock outcrops that differentiate this aviary from the others and there's even some wallabies hopping around on the grass.

Species list for Australian Outback, courtesy of @FoxBat

Emu
Straw-necked Ibis
Masked Lapwing
Magpie Goose
Cape Barren Goose
Australian Wood Duck
Radjah Shelduck
Freckled Duck
Pink-eared Duck
Laughing Kookaburra
Tawny Frogmouth
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
Galah
Papuan Eclectus
Australian King Parrot
Red-collared Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Red-necked Wallaby

After finishing up all those 8 gargantuan, world-class walk-through aviaries, and going into all the air-conditioned rooms between each one to get a respite from the heat and humidity, there's still yet more to see at Bird Paradise.

Penguin Cove is a chilly 9 degrees Celsius for the birds and 16 degrees Celsius for visitors, which is honestly a blessed relief compared to the soaring temperatures outside. Everything penguin-related is inside and this was the busiest section of the park when Konstantin and I were there, as there's plenty of places to sit and escape from the heat. The penguin pool is almost 7 meters/22 feet deep at one point, and rather superb, with King, Gentoo, Humboldt and Northern Rockhopper combining with Inca Terns in the ice-themed habitat.

Even the exterior of Penguin Cove is memorable:

This is a spectacular exhibit:

@twilighter

@twilighter

@Zooish

Last but not least is Winged Sanctuary and this area is not a gargantuan single aviary packed to the rafters with birds, but instead a series of individual aviaries spread over two levels accessed via a winding path. It's not a very large area on the zoo's map, but trust me when I say that a dedicated bird nerd could easily spend a day in this one zone. We actually went there first, specifically to see the Philippine Eagle and some of the hornbills, and then at the end we went back into Winged Sanctuary and picked off a few birds that we weren't able to locate the first time around.

Overall, I believe that there is a grand total of 42 aviaries and there’s perhaps 100 species at any one time, although there are even unsigned birds in a few of the aviaries. Keeping in mind that species lists can change, Bird Paradise has between 15 and 20 hornbill species in this one section of the park at any one time. Amazing!

Philippine Eagle:

@Nadchew_

@Zooish

Kagu and Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise aviary:

Southern Rufous Hornbill aviary:

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Piping Hornbill aviary:

Winged Sanctuary species list, via @FoxBat

Philippine Eagle

Knobbed Hornbill, Crestless Fireback

Wrinkled Hornbill, Vietnamese Pheasant

Sulawesi Hornbill, Mountain Peacock Pheasant

Toco Toucan, Helmeted Curassow

Great Hornbill

Javan Rhinoceros Hornbill

Black Hornbill, Siamese Fireback

Wreathed Hornbill, Siamese Fireback

Southern Ground Hornbill, Northern African Grey Hornbill

Southern Rufous Hornbill

Southern Pied Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Piping Hornbill

Southern Screamer

Yellow Cardinal, Spangled Cotinga, Pompadour Cotinga, White-lined Tanager, Opal-rumped Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, Socorro Dove, Crested Quail-dove, Saffron Finch, Cuban Grassquit, Capuchinbird

Pink Pigeon

Sumatran Laughingthrush, Palawan Peacock-pheasant

Straw-headed Bulbul, Blue-winged Leafbird, Bronze-tailed Peacock-pheasant

Sulawesi Myna, Java Sparrow, Indian White-eye, King Quail

White-crowned Hornbill

Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, Western Hooded Pitta, Baya Weaver, Grey Peacock-pheasant

Common Green Magpie

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Paradise Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Cuban Grassquit

Chestnut-eared Aracari

Bali Myna, Jungle Bush Quail, Red-bellied Fruit Dove, Malayan Crested Fireback

Golden-shouldered Parrot, Hooded Parrot, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Bar-shouldered Dove, Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Masked Lapwing, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Jungle Bush Quail

Hooded Vulture, Trumpeter Hornbill

Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise, Kagu

King Bird-of-Paradise, Western Crowned Pigeon

Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, Vietnamese Pheasant

Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Guinea Turaco, Crested Coua, Speckled Mousebird, Nyasa Lovebird, Madagascar Partridge

Mindanao Bleeding-heart, Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Silver-eared Mesia

Santa Cruz Ground Dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Blue-winged Pitta, Germain's Peacock-pheasant

Negros Bleeding-heart, Mindanao Lorikeet, Stella's Lorikeet, Jungle Bush Quail

Red-billed Toucan, Bare-faced Curassow

Philippine Cockatoo

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Black-casqued Hornbill

Luzon Hornbill, Malayan Peacock-pheasant, Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Summary:

Bird Paradise is brand-new and one of the great zoos of the world. I'm not talking about just as a specialist collection of birds, but comparing it to ALL zoos in general. The pristine pathways, the signage, the 420+ on-show species, the quality of the exhibits and everything about this place is elite. Absolutely elite. There's even an additional 140 off-show aviaries and the behind-the-scenes area would be amazing to tour, which I'd love to do one day.

I included 40 photos in my two-part review and the images are staggering but can you imagine what it's like to tour this place in person? I'm not even a huge bird guy and yet I was overwhelmed. The EIGHT enormous walk-through aviaries are massive, especially the multi-acre Heart of Africa, Wings of Asia and Crimson Wetlands aviaries, amongst the best I've ever seen. But there's also Amazonian Jewels, Songs of the Forest, Lory Loft, Mysterious Papua and Australian Outback, all with a dizzying assortment of birds in elite surroundings. This place is a whole level far above the avian accommodation at Berlin, San Diego, Walsrode and everywhere else in the world, all of them top-notch, famous zoos, and they are honestly not even close to Bird Paradise. Nothing can top Singapore.

Will you see all of the species at Bird Paradise? Of course not, as spotting some kind of small tanager in acres of space is virtually impossible. But will your mind be blown with what can be achieved by a brand-new zoo that opened in 2023? Most definitely.

@twilighter

 

[snowleopard]

Now that I've written extensive reviews of Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari and Bird Paradise, it's time for an odds n' ends Singapore post.

After our epic day of 3 of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve zoos, @twilighter and I got up as early as ever on Monday, August 12th, and prior to our 4 hours at Bird Paradise we actually went on a hike/walk around the Lower Peirce Reservoir. We met up with a guide and naturalist who has been studying the troops of Raffles' Banded Langurs in the area and after 1.5 hours we saw exactly zero langurs. At least a couple of other zoo nerds have been more successful:

@Nadchew_

However, Konstantin and I had an amazing experience and the views from the reservoir were beautiful early in the morning.

We saw a couple of different squirrels, a number of birds and we did come across a Wagler's Pit Viper directly next to the boardwalk trail.

The jungle boardwalk has no sides to it and is very low to the ground.

Of course, it goes without saying at this point in the trip that we saw a big troop of 40+ wild Crab-eating Macaques as we were leaving the Lower Peirce Reservoir. The primates were literally going through people's yards at one point, with no stone left unturned by the rambunctious monkeys.

We did not visit Rainforest Wild ASIA as it only just opened last month, but I'll attach a bunch of photos to this post to give people an idea of what to expect. This FIFTH Mandai zoo contains 7 'Forest Treks' that range from 70 m to 280 m in length, which encourages a more active participation in the zoo-going experience, plus there are additional adventure cost options such as canopy jumps and climbing walls. There's not a lot of on-show species (less than 40 in total) and only a couple of new ones that are not at any other Mandai zoo (Philippine Spotted Deer and Francois Langurs), but who really cares because this place looks to be exceptional.

The zoo's map highlights 8 major zones: Entrance Gorge, The Cavern, Watering Hole, The Canopy, Rock Cascade, Forest Floor, The Outpost and The Karsts.

There is some immense rockwork at the entrance to Rainforest Wild ASIA:

@Zooish

Entrance Gorge:

@Zooish

The Cavern:

@Zooish

@Nadchew_

Watering Hole (Saltwater Crocodile exhibit):

@Nadchew_

Look at how tiny the Sun Bear appears in its sprawling naturalistic exhibit:

@Nadchew_

The Canopy has Red-shanked Douc Langurs as the star attraction:

@Nadchew_

Rock Cascade (with two Tigers in the photo):

@Zooish

@Nadchew_

Forest Floor (with a couple of Hog Deer):

@honeybadger

The Karsts:

@Zooish

There's also the stunning Mandai Rainforest Resort:

@Zooish

There's even spa treatment pods that look vaguely like Sunda Pangolins!

@Zooish

The "Mother and Child" bronze pangolin sculpture at Mandai Wildlife East:

@Zooish

Summary:

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve zoos have to be seen to be believed. If you add up all the different species between the 5 parks, there's circa 135 mammal species (including 35 primate species), 420 bird species, 90 reptile/amphibian species, 35 invertebrate species and at least 130 fish species. Those are ballpark numbers but hopefully fairly accurate and it gives Mandai more than 800 total species. The diversity on display is world-class and that doesn't even include the wild Colugos, various monitor lizards, owls, otters and whatever else is lurking in the surrounding jungles.

One of my close zoo nerd friends often complains to me about the "vanilla-fication" of modern zoo exhibits. He has a point. How many African Savannas have I seen that begin to all look alike after a while, with thatched roofs near Lions and pop-up tunnels next to Meerkats? How many Giraffe feeding stations have I walked past? How often have I seen a colourful 'Finding Nemo' tank or bemoaned the phase-out of dozens of species from AZA zoos? While in Europe and Asia the amount of animal diversity in zoos has been relatively consistent over my lifetime, the opposite is true in North America and Australia with an enormous drop-off in species diversity. Zoos in those two continents are looking more and more alike every year.

There is no "vanilla-fication" at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve parks. Singapore Zoo is a fantastic experience, with wild animals all around as you look at exhibits that have stood the test of time. It's a rainforest jungle zoo and unlike any other zoo outside of Southeast Asia and even there it is the cream of the crop. Then there's Night Safari, which has been around for 31 years and never been replicated anywhere. River Wonders has Giant Pandas, 17 West Indian Manatees and outdoor tanks in an Aquarium-like setting that has taken aquaria presentation to new heights. Bird Paradise is without a doubt the best thing you'll ever see for birds and it's one of the greatest zoos I've ever toured. Rainforest Wild: ASIA will soon be joined by Rainforest Wild: AFRICA next year to form a FIFTH superb zoo and everything about Mandai is elite.

With a lot of new exhibits at Singapore Zoo and Night Safari having been built in the last 15 years, not to mention River Wonders, Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild all being practically brand-new, Singapore has taken zoos to a whole new level. I really wish I could bring along a few of my teacher staff member acquaintances who are anti-zoo and spend a couple of days with them in Singapore. Their minds would be blown. A different zoo nerd buddy told me yesterday that he still has the two Berlin zoos as his #1 and he said it's partly due to nostalgia as he knows them so well. The Singapore parks seem too new and fresh and the mighty Berlins have so much to see. I respect that opinion and each to their own. For instance, I would possibly still have San Diego Zoo as my favourite zoo of all-time, as I love that place and there's a fair bit of nostalgia for me as I've visited 8 times and southern California is amazing. I treasure San Diego, even with its tired old Reptile House (desperately in need of a fresh update), god-awful Giraffe paddock, Elephant Odyssey 'utilitrees' and ancient grottoes that are still in use. However, the two San Diego parks are nowhere near as impressive to me as the Mandai zoos. It's not even close. When it comes to zoological destinations, Singapore would be first with its 5 zoos, Berlin a clear second with its two zoos, then a bit of a drop to San Diego in third.

Up next: S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore, which claims to be the world's 2nd largest aquarium (in terms of gallons/liters of water).

 

[Jurek7]

I was in Singapore last year, too, and enjoyed both the city and the zoos enormously. The climate is spectacular, with giant butterflies flying on roadsides, and rainforest trees growing everywhere in the city, with enormous epiphytic ferns and so on...

I also enjoyed the old Botanical Garden and Gardens of the Bay. not only many wild animals. The plant collection was superb, much above anything I saw in Europe or the USA. I never seen so diverse and so specialized collections of orchids, including ones living in rare environments, like karst outcrops or deep wet gullies. Never before saw orchids so small that magnifying lenses were installed for the guests to appreciate them.

I sometimes felt sadness, when comparing the rise of Asian cities and Asian zoos and stagnation turning into a decline of zoos in the USA and Europe. Singapore has opened two whole new zoos with mega-exhibits. In other threads you read about US zoos closing exhibits and getting rid of iconic species, for example killer whales and emperor penguins departing San Diego Sea World.

 

[Summer Tanager]

DAY 11: Monday, August 12th

I discussed the stunning entrance zone with the huge waterfall, the 4-acre Heart of Africa aviary, 2-acre Wings of Asia aviary, 3-acre Crimson Wetlands aviary and the beautiful Amazonian Jewels aviary in part one of my review. Here's the second half:

Zoo/Aquarium #33: Bird Paradise (Singapore) - Part 2 of 2

The next huge walk-through aviary is called Songs of the Forest and it has more than 55 species, including one mammal (Lesser Mouse-deer), loads of pigeons, doves, starlings and bulbuls. Anywhere else and this would be staggering, but here at Bird Paradise it's just another gem in the crown. Yet another stunning, world-class aviary.

@honeybadger

Here's the species list for Songs of the Forest, via @FoxBat:

Pied Avocet
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Baer's Pochard
Pesquet's Parrot
Moluccan King Parrot
Sumba Eclectus
Horned Parakeet
Moustached Parakeet
Blossom-headed Parakeet
Blue-winged Pitta
Fire-tufted Barbet
Green Broadbill
Iberian Magpie
Bali Myna
Black-winged Myna
Golden-crested Myna
Coleto
Brahminy Starling
Javan Pied Starling
Asian Glossy Starling
White-shouldered Starling
Black-breasted Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Asian Fairy-bluebird
White-eared Bulbul
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Red-vented Bulbul
Straw-headed Bulbul
White-throated Laughingthrush
White-rumped Shama
Chinese Hwamei
Eurasian Hoopoe
Greater Green Leafbird
Barred Cuckoo-dove
Luzon Bleeding-heart
Cinnamon Ground-dove
Santa Cruz Ground-dove
Sulawesi Ground-dove
Jambu Fruit Dove
Red-bellied Fruit Dove
Superb Fruit Dove
Collared Partridge
Mountain Bamboo-partridge
Chinese Bamboo-patridge
Crested Wood Partridge
Sri Lankan Junglefowl
Malayan Peacock-pheasant
Great Argus
Satyr Tragopan
Vietnamese Pheasant
Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon
Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon
Pinon's Imperial Pigeon
Metallic Pigeon
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Lesser Mouse-deer

The solid gold hits keep coming. Lory Loft has around 30 species, with at least half of those being either lories or lorikeets and thus the noise level in here is pretty high! Again, this aviary is massive and brilliant and every other superb adjective one can think of.

The species list for Lory Loft, courtesy of @FoxBat

"Golden-necked" Northern Cassowary
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Western Crowned Pigeon
Santa Cruz Ground Dove
Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon
Seychelles Magpie-robin
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Common Hill Myna
White-eared Catbird
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Gray Francolin
Mountain peacock-pheasant
Luzon Hornbill
Blue-eyed Cockatoo
Salmon-crested Cockatoo
White Cockatoo
Citron-crested Cockatoo
Yellow-crested Cockatoo
Tanimbar Corella
Yellow-bibbed Lory
Black-capped Lory
New Guinea Purple-bellied Lory
Purple-naped Lory
Red Lory
Dusky Lory
Brown Lory
Yellow-backed Chattering Lory
Red-collared Lorikeet
Coconut Lorikeet
Scarlet-breasted Lorikeet
Marigold Lorikeet

Look at the plantings in the next incredible walk-through aviary. Bird Paradise is insane! Mysterious Papua has around 15 species and there's several side yards for cassowaries within the large structure.

Cassowary exhibit (one of several):

@Zooish

Species list for Mysterious Papua via @FoxBat

Southern Cassowary
Sclater's Crowned Pigeon
Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon
Pacific Imperial Pigeon
Nicobar Pigeon
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Metallic Starling
Lesser Bird-of-Paradise
Solomon Island Eclectus
Palm Cockatoo
Papuan King Parrot
Coconut Lorikeet
Ornate Lorikeet
Iris Lorikeet
Goldie's Lorikeet

The EIGHTH and final massive walk-through aviary is called Australian Outback and it contains approximately 20 species. There's several mock-rock outcrops that differentiate this aviary from the others and there's even some wallabies hopping around on the grass.

Species list for Australian Outback, courtesy of @FoxBat

Emu
Straw-necked Ibis
Masked Lapwing
Magpie Goose
Cape Barren Goose
Australian Wood Duck
Radjah Shelduck
Freckled Duck
Pink-eared Duck
Laughing Kookaburra
Tawny Frogmouth
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
Galah
Papuan Eclectus
Australian King Parrot
Red-collared Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Red-necked Wallaby

After finishing up all those 8 gargantuan, world-class walk-through aviaries, and going into all the air-conditioned rooms between each one to get a respite from the heat and humidity, there's still yet more to see at Bird Paradise.

Penguin Cove is a chilly 9 degrees Celsius for the birds and 16 degrees Celsius for visitors, which is honestly a blessed relief compared to the soaring temperatures outside. Everything penguin-related is inside and this was the busiest section of the park when Konstantin and I were there, as there's plenty of places to sit and escape from the heat. The penguin pool is almost 7 meters/22 feet deep at one point, and rather superb, with King, Gentoo, Humboldt and Northern Rockhopper combining with Inca Terns in the ice-themed habitat.

Even the exterior of Penguin Cove is memorable:

This is a spectacular exhibit:

@twilighter

@twilighter

@Zooish

Last but not least is Winged Sanctuary and this area is not a gargantuan single aviary packed to the rafters with birds, but instead a series of individual aviaries spread over two levels accessed via a winding path. It's not a very large area on the zoo's map, but trust me when I say that a dedicated bird nerd could easily spend a day in this one zone. We actually went there first, specifically to see the Philippine Eagle and some of the hornbills, and then at the end we went back into Winged Sanctuary and picked off a few birds that we weren't able to locate the first time around.

Overall, I believe that there is a grand total of 42 aviaries and there’s perhaps 100 species at any one time, although there are even unsigned birds in a few of the aviaries. Keeping in mind that species lists can change, Bird Paradise has between 15 and 20 hornbill species in this one section of the park at any one time. Amazing!

Philippine Eagle:

@Nadchew_

@Zooish

Kagu and Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise aviary:

Southern Rufous Hornbill aviary:

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Piping Hornbill aviary:

Winged Sanctuary species list, via @FoxBat

Philippine Eagle

Knobbed Hornbill, Crestless Fireback

Wrinkled Hornbill, Vietnamese Pheasant

Sulawesi Hornbill, Mountain Peacock Pheasant

Toco Toucan, Helmeted Curassow

Great Hornbill

Javan Rhinoceros Hornbill

Black Hornbill, Siamese Fireback

Wreathed Hornbill, Siamese Fireback

Southern Ground Hornbill, Northern African Grey Hornbill

Southern Rufous Hornbill

Southern Pied Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Piping Hornbill

Southern Screamer

Yellow Cardinal, Spangled Cotinga, Pompadour Cotinga, White-lined Tanager, Opal-rumped Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, Socorro Dove, Crested Quail-dove, Saffron Finch, Cuban Grassquit, Capuchinbird

Pink Pigeon

Sumatran Laughingthrush, Palawan Peacock-pheasant

Straw-headed Bulbul, Blue-winged Leafbird, Bronze-tailed Peacock-pheasant

Sulawesi Myna, Java Sparrow, Indian White-eye, King Quail

White-crowned Hornbill

Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, Western Hooded Pitta, Baya Weaver, Grey Peacock-pheasant

Common Green Magpie

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Paradise Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Cuban Grassquit

Chestnut-eared Aracari

Bali Myna, Jungle Bush Quail, Red-bellied Fruit Dove, Malayan Crested Fireback

Golden-shouldered Parrot, Hooded Parrot, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Bar-shouldered Dove, Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Masked Lapwing, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Jungle Bush Quail

Hooded Vulture, Trumpeter Hornbill

Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise, Kagu

King Bird-of-Paradise, Western Crowned Pigeon

Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, Vietnamese Pheasant

Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Guinea Turaco, Crested Coua, Speckled Mousebird, Nyasa Lovebird, Madagascar Partridge

Mindanao Bleeding-heart, Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Silver-eared Mesia

Santa Cruz Ground Dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Blue-winged Pitta, Germain's Peacock-pheasant

Negros Bleeding-heart, Mindanao Lorikeet, Stella's Lorikeet, Jungle Bush Quail

Red-billed Toucan, Bare-faced Curassow

Philippine Cockatoo

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Black-casqued Hornbill

Luzon Hornbill, Malayan Peacock-pheasant, Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Summary:

Bird Paradise is brand-new and one of the great zoos of the world. I'm not talking about just as a specialist collection of birds, but comparing it to ALL zoos in general. The pristine pathways, the signage, the 420+ on-show species, the quality of the exhibits and everything about this place is elite. Absolutely elite. There's even an additional 140 off-show aviaries and the behind-the-scenes area would be amazing to tour, which I'd love to do one day.

I included 40 photos in my two-part review and the images are staggering but can you imagine what it's like to tour this place in person? I'm not even a huge bird guy and yet I was overwhelmed. The EIGHT enormous walk-through aviaries are massive, especially the multi-acre Heart of Africa, Wings of Asia and Crimson Wetlands aviaries, amongst the best I've ever seen. But there's also Amazonian Jewels, Songs of the Forest, Lory Loft, Mysterious Papua and Australian Outback, all with a dizzying assortment of birds in elite surroundings. This place is a whole level far above the avian accommodation at Berlin, San Diego, Walsrode and everywhere else in the world, all of them top-notch, famous zoos, and they are honestly not even close to Bird Paradise. Nothing can top Singapore.

Will you see all of the species at Bird Paradise? Of course not, as spotting some kind of small tanager in acres of space is virtually impossible. But will your mind be blown with what can be achieved by a brand-new zoo that opened in 2023? Most definitely.

@twilighter

Your reviews of these facilities, and especially Bird Paradise, are fantastic! Bird Paradise sounds incredible and I'm even happier and more impressed to hear about the 140 off-exhibit aviaries! Thank you for all of the photos and the review!

 

[snowleopard]

DAY 11: Monday, August 12th

After finishing up with Bird Paradise and the overall brilliance of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, we booked a Grab/Uber and @twilighter and I were then driven 30 minutes south to our next destination.

Zoo/Aquarium #34: S.E.A. Aquarium (Singapore)

Sentosa Island is a massive resort that attracts something like 15 million annual visitors, depending on which website data you analyze. The biggest draw is Universal Studios Singapore, which had it's grand opening in 2011 and has an annual visitor count of more than 4 million people. S.E.A. Aquarium receives 2 million annual visitors. There's also Adventure Cove Waterpark, Dolphin Island, beaches, shopping, dining and many expensive sights. Konstantin and I were shocked at some of the prices, even for basic items like chocolate bars and tourist t-shirts. Konstantin actually took off on his own to wander the shops and have a little rest in the afternoon, as he had recently been to the aquarium and didn't feel the need to tour it a second time within a year. I was off on my own!

The S.E.A. (Southeast Asia) Aquarium opened in 2012 and at the time widely advertised itself as the world's largest aquarium based on the amount of water contained within the establishment. Since then, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (China) opened in 2014 and with its almost 13 million gallons (49 million liters) it has now claimed the #1 position. S.E.A. Aquarium has only 12 million gallons (45 million liters) of water in all its various tanks.

Resorts World Sentosa map:

My photo shows a single massive store that sold nothing but chocolate-related items.

Aquarium exterior and entrance zone:

If you look at the aquarium's online map, there are 7 labeled zones and #7 (the exit) is where everyone entered when I toured the facility. There was ongoing construction (more on that later) and the only choice at the start was to enter the long tunnel for Apex Predators of the Sea.

I can only imagine how amazing this exhibit would be if it were not for the choking crowds in all directions. Even though I toured this aquarium on a Monday afternoon, it was packed to the gills (literally!) and entering a big shark tunnel right out of the gate was more of a chore than anything else. While many aquariums eliminate the use of strollers, S.E.A. Aquarium allows strollers/prams by the dozen and it's an insanely busy facility.

Navigating the aquarium isn't an issue, as there is a very long hallway ending up at the Open Ocean Habitat, then a second hallway that you follow back to the exit. The S.E.A. Aquarium is essentially a rectangle, with visitors going down one hall and reaching the end, then turning around and coming back down a different hall.

The aquarium claims to have "over 100 sharks across 12 species" and here is the species list, courtesy of @NATY for the Apex Predators of the Sea exhibit.

• Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
• Blacktip Whaler (Carcharhinus limbatus)
• Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
• Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
• Indo-Pacific Sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis)
• Japanese Wobbegong (Orectolobus japonicus)
• Redtooth Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
• Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
• Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)
• Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)
• Scissortail Sergeant (Abudefduf sexfasicatus)
• Silvertip Shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
• Tasselled Wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon)
• Tawny Nurse Shark (Nebrius ferrugineus)
• Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)

After fighting my way through the streaming crowds amidst the eye-popping shark tank, I emerged, slightly worse for wear, in the Underwater City section of the aquarium.

Thanks to @NATY for the species list:

Atoll

• Elegant Dartfish (Nemateleotris decora)
• Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus)
• Orange Sun Coral (Tubastraea micranthus)
• Pyjama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
• Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
• Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.)

Soft Corals

• Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
• Black Sea Cucumber (Holothuria atra)
• Black Tang (Zebrasoma rostratum)
• Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
• Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata)
• Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Brocolli Coral (Litophyton arboreum)
• Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
• Domino Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• Hawkfish Anthias (Serranocirrhitus latus)
• Red-eye Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
• Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus)
• Spaghetti Finger Leather Coral (Sinularia flexibilis)
• Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)

Barrier Reef

• Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
• Brain Root Coral (Lobophyllia corymbosa)
• Boulder Horn Coral (Hydnophora exesa)
• Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
• Cactus Coral (Pavena cactus)
• Cauliflower Coral (Pocillopora damicornis)
• Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
• Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii)
• Hemprichii Root Coral (Lobophyllia hemprichii)
• Hodag's Montipora Coral (Montipora confusa)
• Honeycomb Coral (Diploastrea heliopora)
• Jewelled Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
• Lamarck's Angelfish (Genicanthus lamarck)
• Montipora Digitata (Montipora digitata)
• Purple Anthias (Pseudanthias tuka)
• Red Coral Perch (Helicolenus percoides)
• Sixline Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
• Sun Coral (Tubastraea sp.)
• Thick Birdsnest Coral (Seriatopora caliendrum)
• Thin Birdsnest Coral (Seriatopora hystrix)
• Yellow Belly Damsel (Pomacentrus auriventris)
• Yellow Scroll Coral (Turbinaria reformis)

Patch Reef

• Blacktail Humbug (Dascyllus melanurus)
• Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata)
• Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus)
• Montipora Digitata (Montipora digitata)
• Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
• Torch Coral (Euphyllia glabrescens)
• Yellow Scroll Coral (Turbinaria reformis)

Singapore Coast

• Blackspotted Puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus)
• Blue-ringed Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis)
• Blue-spotted Fantail Ray (Taeniura lymma)
• Coral Grouper (Cephalopholis miniata)
• Jarbua Terapon (Terapon jarbua)
• Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis)

Hard Corals

• Blue Damselfish (Chrysiptera cyanea)
• Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
• Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
• Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
• Forceps Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
• Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
• Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)
• Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus)
• Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
• Starck's Damsel (Chrysiptera starcki)
• Vase Coral (Montipora capricornis)
• Yellow Scroll Coral (Turbinaria reformis)
• Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)

Sailfin Snapper

• Bicolor Chromis (Pycnochromis margaritifer)
• Black Long Spine Sea Urchin (Diadema setosum)
• Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Chocolatedip Chromis (Chromis dimidiata)
• Sailfin Snapper (Symphorichthys spilurus)
• Shortspined Multi-coloured Urchin (Tripneustes gratilla)

Moray Eel

• Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Dragon Moray Eel (Enchelycore pardalis)
• Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris)
• Tessellate Moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)

I was able to get a half-decent shot of a cylinder tank exhibit, with visitors pressed in on all sides.

Next up is Quirky Adaptations, which contains some odds n' ends type species.

Elephant Fish

• Australian Elephant Fish (Callorhinchus milli)
• Cape Elephantfish (Callorhinchus capensis)

Butterflyfish

• Golden Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)
• Indian Double-saddle Butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula)
• Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus)
• Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus assasi)
• Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
• Saddled Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium)
• Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga)
• Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus)
• Whitespotted Boxfish (Ostracion meleagris)

Squirrelfish

• Blacktip Grouper (Epinephelus fasciatus)
• Crimson Soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan)
• Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus)
• Painted Spiny Lobster (Panulirus versicolor)

Clownfish and Sea Anemone

• Azure Demoiselle (Chrysiptera hemicyanea)
• Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)

Kelp Forest

• Hilgendorf's Saucord (Helicolenus hilgendorfii)
• Horseshoe Leather Jacket (Meuschenia hippocrepis)
• Marbled Rockfish (Sebasticus marmoratus)
• Popeye Catalufa (Pristigenys serrula)
• Vermilion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus)
• Zebra Fish (Girella zebra)

Seahorse

• Longsnout Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi)
• Rainford's Goby (Koumasetta rainfordi)
• Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)

Seadragon

• Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)

Razorfish

• Blackfin Dartfish (Ptereleotris evides)
• Janss' Pipefish (Doryrhamphus janssi)
• Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
• Ringed Pipefish (Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus)
• Sixspot Goby (Valenciennea sexguttata)
• Yellow Prawn-goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus)

Lionfish

• Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
• Zebra Turkeyfish (Dendrochirus zebra)

Unsigned

• Fluted Giant Clam (Tridacna squamosa)
• Indian Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma desjardinii)
• Rainbow Wrasse (Halichoeres iridis)
• Red-eye Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)

Weedy Seadragons are always delightful to see in aquariums:

@Zooish

Australian Elephant Fish (aka Ghost Shark) and Cape Elephant Fish exhibit:

Australian Ghost Shark:

@Zooish

So much for being a 'Southeast Asian' aquarium, as the initial 2012 Maritime Silk Road theme was quickly abandoned and within a few years exhibits such as this Californian Kelp Habitat opened. It's nice, but very small and that's a theme in certain parts of the aquarium.

@Zooish

Going through Apex Predators of the Sea, Underwater City and Quirky Adaptations was an intriguing experience, with the crowds honestly tainting my overall view of the aquarium. The initial shark tank is terrific, but after that there's lots of standard-sized aquaria and tight hallways and a very dark environment. Getting useable photos is difficult, signage is hit and miss and the slowly scrolling screens on many of the tanks are beyond painful to wait for. I specifically remember one section where I had to stop and allow several moms with strollers to pass as there was literally no space for me to walk by. That's why I've frequently praised aquariums that have wide hallways, as these type of facilities are usually only a couple of acres in size and dealing with massive crowds can be frustrating for everyone.

Halfway through the S.E.A. Aquarium, one reaches the Open Ocean Habitat and it is indeed an ocean of water and absolutely spectacular. Originally supposed to contain Whale Sharks, before there were public objections, the star attractions are the Reef Manta Rays and they are beautiful to watch as they glide through the water. There's more than 40,000 fish in this superb tank, with 4.8 million gallons of water (18 million liters) and it's breath-taking.

It's amazing at how infrastructure can evolve over time in the world of aquariums. When Monterey Bay Aquarium opened its Open Sea wing 30 years ago, it was heralded as a huge step forward in aquaria. I've now seen a number of massive tanks on my travels that are far superior in terms of the visitor viewing areas, which even at S.E.A. Aquarium is excellent with space galore for the never-ending crowds. Also, the Singapore attraction's big tank is literally close to being FIVE TIMES LARGER than the one at Monterey Bay, so it's taken that 'big tank model' and greatly increased the overall quality of the presentation. Various other aquariums around the world have these mega tanks, such as the relatively unknown Nordsoen (North Sea) Oceanarium in northern Denmark which has a million-gallon tank with Mola Molas that's also an improvement on Monterey Bay's Open Sea complex and it just goes to show how aquariums have evolved in the last 30 years. The idea of a 'mega tank' is now common all across Asia and so I wonder what's next for aquariums? How big can aquarium tanks in Singapore, China, Japan and United Arab Emirates get? Is there a limit?

Species list for the Open Ocean Habitat, courtesy of @NATY

• Black-blotched Fantail Ray (Taeniurops meyeni)
• Bluespine Unicorn Tang (Naso unicornis)
• Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma)
• Common Shovelnose Ray (Glaucostegus typus)
• Diamond Trevally (Alectis indica)
• Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
• Eyebrow Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus palpebratus)
• Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
• Giant Shovelnose Ray (Glaucostegus typus)
• Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
• Golden Trevally (Gnathanodon specious)
• Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
• Javanese Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera javanica)
• Leopard Whipray (Himantura leoparda)
• Lookdown (Selene vomer)
• Longfin Batfish (Platax teira)
• Pickhandle Barracuda (Sphyraena jello)
• Porkfish (Anisostremus virginicus
• Redbelly Yellowtail Fusilier (Caesio cuning)
• Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi)
• Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)
• Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus blochii)
• Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari)
• Thorntail Stingray (Bathytoshia lata)
• Whitespotted Guitarfish (Rhynchobatus australiae)
• Yellowstripe Scad (Selaroides leptolepis)
• Zebra Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)

Here are some additional species listed by @Jorbe for the Open Ocean Habitat

- Hasselt's bambooshark (Chiloscyllium hasseltii) - confirmed by the keepers, but I was unable to find them
- Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
- Australian whipray (Himantura australis)
- Mangrove whipray (Urogymnus granulatus)
- Scaly whipray (Brevitrygon walga) - maybe
- Sharpnose stingray (Maculabatis gerrardi)
- Red stingray (Hemitrygon akajei)
- Broad cowtail stingray (Pastinachus ater)
- Yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)
- Spotted sicklefish (Drepane punctata)
- Elongate surgeonfish (Acanthurus mata)
- Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
- Yellowstriped blackfish (Girella cf. mezina)
- Bulbnose unicornfish (Naso tonganus)
- Humpback unicornfish (Naso brachycentron)
- Bignose unicornfish (Naso vlamingii)
- Milkfish (Chanos chanos)
- Salmon catfish (Bleekeriella leptaspis)
- Blue salmon catfish (Neoarius graeffei) - supposedly
- Rainbow runner (Elagatis bipinnulata)
- Bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus)
- Bigeye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus)
- Ribboned sweetlips (Plectorhinchus polytaenia)

One of the aquarium's 3 massive male Reef Manta Rays:

White-spotted Guitarfish:

@LaughingDove

Here is the viewing area called the Ocean Dome:

@Zooish

It's odd that the Ocean Dome would have a sightline that is clearly a walkway that disrupts the view for visitors.

It's crucial that the Open Ocean Habitat has a 4-tiered viewing area to help with crowd control. It's a far superior setup in comparison to other cramped facilities. I really loved this whole area and it's obviously the best part of the aquarium.

@Zooish

"Bigger is better!" The Open Ocean Habitat has enormous dimensions that make other aquarium mega tanks seem small by comparison. That's the joy of travelling the world, as you'll see something that's amazing on your own continent and treasure that image, but then you'll go somewhere else with even bigger and better displays.

It's time to head back down the opposite hallway towards the entrance, which brings me to Ocean Diversity.

Again, thanks to @NATY for the lineup of species:

Grunts

• Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
• Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus)
• Hogfish (Lachnolaimus Maximus)
• Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tormentosus)
• Smallmouth Grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum)

Dolphin

• Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - windows into a couple of tanks

Cuttlefish

• Broadclub Cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus)

Coldwater Anemone

• Dahlia Anemone (Urticina felina)
• Japanese Splendid Perch (Callanthias japonicus)
• Longspine Snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax)
• New England Blue Lobster (Homarus americanus)
• Northern Red Anemone (Urticina crassicornis)
• Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
• Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
• Strawberry Anemone (Corynactis californica)

Pineconefish

• Pineconefish (Monocentris japonica)

Sea Jelly

1. Pacific Sea Nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens)
2. Atlantic Sea Nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha)
3. White-spotted Sea Jelly (Mastigias papua)

Moon Sea Jelly

• Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita)

This gallery isn't that exciting and is a bit of a letdown after the ginormous Open Ocean Habitat tank. Seeing cuttlefish is cool and the New England Blue Lobster is a popular sight, but the sea jelly tanks are the usual ones that have been done a thousand times before.

@NATY

Up next is School of Fish, an area with a lot of vibrant, colourful species. There's several rarities here, but photos in the ZooChat gallery are at a premium and I suppose that's due to the very dark atmosphere of the aquarium and the inability to snap outstanding photos because of the thick crowds around each standard-sized tank.

The species list for School of Fish, via the invaluable @NATY

Tasmanian Giant Crab

• Tasmanian Giant Crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas)

Focus Lens
1.

• Blunt-end Sea Hare (Dolabella auricularia)
• Singapore Glassy Perchlet (Ambassis kopsii)
• Tiger Cowrie (Cypraea tigris)
• Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus)

2.

• Dragon Moray Eel (Enchelycore pardalis)
• Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa)
• Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra)

3.

• Bicolor Dottyback (Pictichromis paccagnellorum)
• Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
• Dwarf Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco)
• Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
• Purplemask Angelfish (Centropyge venustus)
• Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.)

Old Wife

• Old Wife (Enoplosus armatus)
• Globefish (Diodon nicthemerus)
• Blue Bat Star (Patiria pectinifera)

Cylinder Tank

• Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
• Barred Filefish (Cantherhines dumerilii)
• Blacktail Humbug (Dascyllus melanurus)
• Blue-ringed Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis)
• Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
• Eyestripe Surgeonfish (Acanthurus dussumieri)
• Foxface Rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus)
• French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)
• Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus)
• Gilded Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus)
• Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)
• Pennant Coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
• Pinktail Triggerfish (Melichthys vidua)
• Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
• Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
• Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula)
• Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
• Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer)
• Streaked Spinefoot (Siganus javus)
• Tessellate Moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)
• White-freckled Surgeonfish (Acanthurus maculiceps)
• Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)
• Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• Yellowfin Surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus)
• Yellowtail Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
• Zebra Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus zebra)

Discovery Pool

• Azure Demoiselle (Chrysiptera hemicyanea)
• Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
• Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)
• Green Brittle Star (Ophiorachna incrassata)
• Pink Anemonefish (Amphiprion perideraion)
• Red-knob Sea Star (Protoreaster linckii)
• Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas)
• Spiny Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
• Three-striped Damsel (Dascyllus aruanus)

Banggai Cardinalfish

• Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
• Black Long Spine Sea Urchin (Diadema setosum)
• Blueband Goby (Valenciennea strigata)
• Chinese Zebra Goby (Ptereleotris zebra)
• Jewelled Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
• Orange Dashed Goby (Valenciennea puellaris)
• Pyjama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
• Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas)
• Scribbled Leatherjacket Filefish (Aluterus scriptus)
• Star and Stripes Puffer (Arothron hispidus)
• Tiger Cowrie (Cypraea tigris)
• Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• Yellowstriped Cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma)

Focus Globe
1.

• Checkerboard Rainbow Wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus)
• Pastel-green Wrasse (Halichoeres chloropterus)
• Sea Apple Sea Cucumber (Pseudocolochirus violaceus)

2.

• Spotted Garden Eel (Heteroconger hassi)

Sponges and Gorgonians

• Adorned Wrasse (Halichoeres cosmetus)
• Bicolor Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinoides)
• Black Sea Cucumber (Holothuria atra)
• Blackbar Chromis (Pycnochromis retrofasciatus)
• Blackfin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus)
• Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata)
• Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Blue-spotted Spinefoot (Siganus corallinus)
• Brown Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia globulus)
• Cherry Anthias (Sacura margaritacea)
• Cherry Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus sp.)
• Fan Bellied Filefish (Monacanthus chinensis)
• Finger Sponge (Holopsamma sp.)
• Flower Tree Coral (Scleronephthya sp.)
• Glassy Sweeper (Pampheris schomburgkii)
• Helfrich's Dartfish (Nemateleotris helfrichi)
• Japanese Swallow (Genicanthus semifasciatus)
• Messmate Pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus)
• Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isoceles)
• Quoy's Parrotfish (Scarus quoyi)
• Redtail Filefish (Pervagor melanocephalus)
• Sand Sifting Sea Star (Archaster typicus)
• Sixline Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
• Splendid Dottyback (Manonichthys splendens)
• Threadfin Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptocantha)
• Whitetail Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus flavicauda)
• Yellow Slender Wrasse (Pseudojuloides xanthomos)
• Yellow Tilefish (Hoplolatilus luteus)

Tasmanian Giant Crab:

@Hix

Last by not least is a real highlight in the shape of the Shipwrecked! exhibit. I'm a huge fan of seeing something in a big tank and that can be in the form of rock formations, sandy outcrops, or even a mock shipwreck placed in the center of the exhibit. It creates a sense of intrigue for both visitors and the denizens of the tank, with fish finding shelter as they curiously swim around whatever is in the exhibit. Occasionally, an aquarium will have bland tanks that invoke the actual ocean, but they are not as successful as something like Shipwrecked! here in Singapore. Again, I refer to the Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark), as their guidebook details about how they used to have an open ocean concept in their million-gallon tank, but they later changed it and put in rocks and their own shipwreck and the fish behaviour positively increased by a huge percentage. The animals became healthier, more lively, had a place to hide if they so chose, and the shipwreck became a focal point for the fish community.

One last species list, this time for Shipwrecked!, courtesy of @NATY

• Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo)
• Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma)
• Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum)
• Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatis aquila)
• Foxface Rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus)
• Golden Trevally (Gnathodon specious)
• Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
• Humpback Grouper (Cromileptes altivelis)
• Humpback Red Snapper (Lutjanus gibbus)
• Oblique-banded Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus lineatus)
• Orange-spotted Spinefoot (Siganus guttatus)
• Pennant Coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
• Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus blochii)
• Spangled Emperor (Lethrinus nebulous)
• Zebra Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)

@Jorbe has a list of additional species that are located in the Shipwrecked! exhibit:

- Banded scat (Scatophagus tetracanthus)
- Silver scat (Selenotoca multifasciata)
- Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus)
- Spanish grunt (Haemulon macrostomum)
- Common bluestripe seaperch (Lutjanus kasmira)
- Limespot butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus)
- Earspot angelfish (Pomacanthus chrysurus)
- African moony (Monodactylus sebae)
- Titan triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens)
- Yellowmargin triggerfish (Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus)
- Harlequin sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
- Red-toothed triggerfish (Odonus niger)
- Crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus)
- Blubberlip snapper (Lutjanus rivulatus)
- Russell's snapper (Lutjanus russellii)
- Spanish flag snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)
- Masked bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros)
- Coralgrouper (Plectropomus sp.)
- Black-velvet angelfish (Chaetodontoplus melanosoma)
- White-banded triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
- Lined butterflyfish (Chaetodon lineolatus)
- Streaked spinefoot (Siganus javus)
- Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)
- Chinamanfish (Symphorus nematophorus)
- Pinktail triggerfish (Melichthys vidua)
- Yellowface angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon)
- Indo-Pacific tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides)
- Javelin grunter (Pomadasys kaakan) - confirmation needed
- Coral grouper (Cephalopholis miniata)
- Blackwedged butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula)

Summary:

S.E.A. Aquarium is arguably one of the great aquariums of the world and to think that it's situated only a half-hour away from the FIVE elite Mandai Wildlife Reserve zoos is crazy. The species diversity and quality of zoo and aquarium exhibits to be found in Singapore is unbeatable anywhere on the planet. The Open Ocean Habitat is staggering in size, which makes it all the more remarkable that there aren't Whale Sharks swimming around in the colossal tank. It's the second largest aquarium in the world and that particular exhibit is the second largest I've ever seen after Ocean Voyager at Georgia Aquarium. There is a bit of a parallel between S.E.A. Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium, as once one is done gaping at the gargantuan main tank, then everything else is slightly underwhelming.

I also loved the Apex Predators of the Sea tank, with its 100+ sharks swimming around in what is perhaps an overstocked exhibit. Shipwrecked! is the third massive exhibit here and it's equally stunning. The problem is that after one gazes at those three world-class exhibits, all gorgeous and appealing in their own way, then the rest of the aquarium consists of cramped hallways, tight spaces, jam-packed crowds even on a Monday afternoon, and standard tanks that can be seen anywhere else. It's a little bittersweet. There's circa 45 exhibits in total, but what can the aquarium do to combat the flow of the intense crowds?

Hopefully an expansion is the answer:

Future: The S.E.A. Aquarium was under construction during my visit, and there were many posters and signs promoting the fact that it will be renamed as the Singapore Oceanarium and expand in size and that will help with the intense crowds. There's a lot of articles online, but honestly very little information as to what exactly will be different in terms of animal exhibits. It's all part of Resorts World Sentosa's $7 BILLION expansion, which includes two hotels, Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore, the upcoming Harry Potter: Visions of Magic experience and whatever the Singapore Oceanarium will look like when everything is finished. Singapore is INSANE with it's quality everywhere and I would not be surprised to see the aquarium become even more sensational. Is there a remote possibility of adding Whale Sharks? I suppose not, so the 2 million annual visitors will have to be content with the graceful Reef Manta Rays as the star attraction in a facility that has more than 1,000 species if one counts all the fish and corals. Between the Mandai Wildlife Reserve parks and the Singapore Oceanarium, there must be approximately 2,000 captive species in a half-hour radius. Reading my own reviews, I'm tempted to go back to Singapore tomorrow!

 

[Summer Tanager]

Fantastic review! This aquarium sounds amazing! There are so many species of fish and invertebrates that it must have been exhausting to try to tally them all and keep them organized by tank. Thank you for this impressive review and the photos that you posted earlier!

 

[NATY]

Your tours through all of Singapore's zoos and aquariums have all been pleasant reads! Glad you and Konstantin enjoyed Singapore and hopefully you can return to see Rainforest Wild, especially when okapis join Mandai's collection

There's several rarities here, but photos in the ZooChat gallery are at a premium and I suppose that's due to the very dark atmosphere of the aquarium and the inability to snap outstanding photos because of the thick crowds around each standard-sized tank.

I do have more pictures of the aquarium from my visit in July 2023 and May last year that I haven't uploaded on the gallery yet and am planning to visit in the near future. The lack of signage throughout the aquarium didn't help in making the species list but will try to compile a 2025 version as the aquarium does seem to swap out displays somewhat often and when I last went, a few exhibits were closed for refurbishments.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Singapore is a pretty interesting zoo city, it's great to see a good review on it!