Singapore Zoo map (1990s)

Old map from circa 1997/1998 of the Zoo, then known as Singapore Zoological Gardens. It opened in 1973.

Did Singapore have a zoo at another location prior to 1973, or is the existing zoo the first one?

@DavidBrown there were small private zoos in other parts of Singapore prior to 1973. Jurong Bird Park also opened 2 years before the Singapore Zoo.

Thanks for the photo. Do you have any earlier maps? It's interesting to see how much of the map is the same as today.

@PAT this is the oldest map i kept. The basic layout of the Zoo has changed very little since its inception, with the most significant change being the carve out of the area in the lower right corner to become River Safari.

The biggest changes between the 1980s and 1990s were the additions of Treetops Trail (prior to that the area had standalone exhibits for Asian small clawed otters, Humboldt penguins and lemurs); Primate Kingdom (prior to that the area had a few primate cages); and Children's World (prior to that the area was barren land).

What year did the zoo have gorillas? Were they in what is the chimpanzee exhibit on this map?

@DavidBrown the Zoo had 4 gorillas (2 from Bristol Zoo and 2 from Monaco) between 1982 and 1984. All succumbed to a tropical soil disease. They were housed in what is now the Chimpanzee and Mandrill exhibits. Another 2 gorillas were acquired from Dublin Zoo in 1992 and displayed in a semi-indoor enclosure used for animals on short loan or new arrivals (labelled as "SPH" on the map). Sadly one died of the same disease within six months. The remaining gorilla was returned to Dublin zoo in 1993.

@Zooish Do you happen to have any photos of the Gorillas at all?

@Cat-Man sadly no. And an internet search didn't turn up any either