WRS Mandai expansion plans

Various media sources have toured Rainforest Wild ASIA and just released articles/videos.

CNA: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/rainforest-wild-asia-mandai-opening-459806
Mothership: First look: New Rainforest Wild Asia has forest trails, stream crossings & adventure activities, opens on Mar. 12, 2025
BYKidO: Rainforest Wild Asia To Open on 12 March 2025 - Singapore’s Fifth Wildlife Park
TikTok
Sassy Mama Singapore on Instagram: " : (- !) If your little explorers love a rugged adventure, take the Adventure Route (Dotted Black) like we did! Expect fallen logs, boulders, streams, and bridges—just like a real jungle trek Certain activities like the Canopy Jump and AIA Vitality Bounce are add-ons, so plan ahead! ’ : ✅ Lather on sunscreen & insect repellent ✅ Bring water bottles to refill at fountains ✅ Pack an umbrella & ponchos (in case it rains) ✅ Extra snacks for hungry kiddos ✅ Arrive early to explore before it gets too hot ✅ Wear light, breathable clothing for comfort ✅ Download the Mandai Flagship App to navigate like a pro! Rainforest Wild Asia – 20 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729825 Tap the link in bio for all the details! . . . #RainforestWildAsia #MandaiWildlifeReserve #sgoutdoorfun #sgkidsactivities #sgmummy #sgmoms #sgtoddlers #sgparenting #sgfamily #sgadventure"
 
Last edited:
Now that there are 36 guaranteed species, let's play a guessing game:

Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Spotted Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach.


Which gives a total of 28 species. Now, let's guess the last few... I can't think of where they would place the Cassowaries, so they're probably acquired to fill exhibits that will be rendered vacant in the zoo. Else, some herps or birds will be likely...
 
KaiGoesMandai said:
Various media sources have toured Rainforest Wild ASIA and just released articles/videos.

CNA: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/rainforest-wild-asia-mandai-opening-459806
Mothership: First look: New Rainforest Wild Asia has forest trails, stream crossings & adventure activities, opens on Mar. 12, 2025
BYKidO: Rainforest Wild Asia To Open on 12 March 2025 - Singapore’s Fifth Wildlife Park
TikTok
Sassy Mama Singapore on Instagram: " : (- !) If your little explorers love a rugged adventure, take the Adventure Route (Dotted Black) like we did! Expect fallen logs, boulders, streams, and bridges—just like a real jungle trek Certain activities like the Canopy Jump and AIA Vitality Bounce are add-ons, so plan ahead! ’ : ✅ Lather on sunscreen & insect repellent ✅ Bring water bottles to refill at fountains ✅ Pack an umbrella & ponchos (in case it rains) ✅ Extra snacks for hungry kiddos ✅ Arrive early to explore before it gets too hot ✅ Wear light, breathable clothing for comfort ✅ Download the Mandai Flagship App to navigate like a pro! Rainforest Wild Asia – 20 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729825 Tap the link in bio for all the details! . . . #RainforestWildAsia #MandaiWildlifeReserve #sgoutdoorfun #sgkidsactivities #sgmummy #sgmoms #sgtoddlers #sgparenting #sgfamily #sgadventure"
Click to expand...
Also, what are your thoughts? Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that they have fewer species than expected, as well as he artificial-ness of the exhibits.
 
Zhao yun said:
Now that there are 36 guaranteed species, let's play a guessing game:

Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Spotted Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach.


Which gives a total of 28 species. Now, let's guess the last few... I can't think of where they would place the Cassowaries, so they're probably acquired to fill exhibits that will be rendered vacant in the zoo. Else, some herps or birds will be likely...
Click to expand...
There'll probably be 2 species of snake, (Malayan Cave Racer, Beauty Rat Snake), maybe another 1 or 2 tortoises in Forest Floor (I'm imagining something like the enclosure in Singapore Zoo between Sun Bear and Komodo Dragon), and some fish like cichlids with Panjang (I thought about maybe a turtle, but with Panjang being so large, it would probably not end well). @Nadchew_ said earlier that Sentinel Foodhall has Burmese python (might have changed to another species, but probably still a large snake), and Provost's Squirel. Maybe the Sentinel Foodhall might have some other birds, like some doves/pigeons. Throw in a tarantula or two or some small lizards in Cavern, and that's about 8. Even then, it still feels like quite a limited species list. Well, we'll know for sure in just a few more days when ZooChatters visit.

And since I'm already speculating, I hope that Rainforest Wild AFRICA will have a better enclosure for the serval in Rift Valley in SZ, it always felt rather small.

Zhao yun said:
Also, what are your thoughts? Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that they have fewer species than expected, as well as he artificial-ness of the exhibits.
Click to expand...

I was kinda disappointed when I first saw the video. Since it was touted as a rainforest park, I was expecting it to be a lot more densely planted. Hopefully, plants will grow quickly and fill it in soon, though I'm not sure how much cover just shrubs will be able to provide, instead of trees.
 
Edited species list(speculative):

Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Spotted Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise, Greater Hog Badger? (WMG)
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah, Prevost's Squirrel, Burmese Python, Pied Imperial Pigeon
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile, Siamese Crocodile
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach, Sorro Brook Carp, Beauty Ratsnake


Which gives a total of 34/ 33species. We're a decent way closer, but still short of 2... Hopefully, we can get a decent guess on what they have before it opens...
 
Zhao yun said:
Edited species list(speculative):

Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Spotted Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise, Greater Hog Badger? (WMG)
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah, Prevost's Squirrel, Burmese Python, Pied Imperial Pigeon
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile, Siamese Crocodile
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach, Sorro Brook Carp, Beauty Ratsnake


Which gives a total of 33 species. Now, let's guess the last few... I can't think of where they would place the Cassowaries, so they're probably acquired to fill exhibits that will be rendered vacant in the zoo. Else, some herps or birds will be likely...
Click to expand...

Managed to take a peak of the place until the watering hole. Hog badgers r not in the park.
 
In one of the Mandai webpages for the park, there is an illustration of a bird of prey (brahminy kite?) - does the park has a decent space for such species?
 
Edited species list(second edit):

Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Black Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah, Prevost's Squirrel, Burmese Python, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Blood Python, Reticulated Python, Common Hill Myna(WMG)
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile, Siamese Crocodile, False Gharial
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach, Sorro Brook Carp, Beauty Ratsnake


Which gives us a possible completed species list... now we shall probably wait for Zooish to confirm once he goes there.
 
Last edited:
Zhao yun said:
Now that there are 36 guaranteed species, let's play a guessing game:

Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Spotted Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach.


Which gives a total of 28 species. Now, let's guess the last few... I can't think of where they would place the Cassowaries, so they're probably acquired to fill exhibits that will be rendered vacant in the zoo. Else, some herps or birds will be likely...
Click to expand...
Are the Douc Langurs red shanked Douc Langurs and I am asking because when I was very little back in the 2000s I was lucky to see the last and oldest red shanked Douc Langur in the US at the Philadelphia Zoo and the Langur was a female named toi and she was put to sleep in 2018 at the age of 21.
 
NATY said:
Probably more species for the cavern like the soro brook carps and hopefully a few more birds. Guess the Siamese crocodiles are no longer being planned.
Click to expand...

Both Siamese and Philippine Crocs will eventually be moved over to Rainforest. This was the plan all along.

Besides the mahseers (brook carp), I believe Mandai is still actively sourcing for a few blind cave species from Vietnam/China, as was told to me by one of the more higher-position staff. Initially they had planned to fill the void temporarily with Blind Cave Tetras, but I am not sure if they still intend to do so.

It's also worth noting that while various species of troglobitic fish have appeared in Singapore's ornamental trade in the past, many, especially those endemic to China, have since been banned for export, so acquiring them will still prove to be a challenge. I remember back when fish like Sinocyclocheilus were seen irregularly at specialty stores many years ago.
 
Entry Gorge:
Southern River Terrapin, Black Pond Turtle, Vietnamese Pond Turtle and Asian Arowana.
Karst Cliffs: Francois Langur
Forest floor: Hog Deer, Axis Deer, Lesser Mousedeer, Asian Brown Tortoise, Elongated Tortoise
Rock cascade:
Malayan Tiger, Dhole, Babirusa, Bearded Pig
Canopy: Javan Langur, Douc Langur, Visayan Spotted Deer, Siamang
Unnamed aviary: Vietnam Pheasant, Bali Mynah, Prevost's Squirrel, Burmese Python, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Blood Python, Reticulated Python,
Watering hole: Sun Bear, Malayan Tapir, Saltwater Crocodile, Siamese Crocodile, False Gharial, Philippine Crocodile
Cavern: Blind Cave Tetra, Asian Forest? Scorpion, Cave Racer, Madagascarn Hissing Cockroach, Sorro Brook Carp, Beauty Ratsnake


Hopefully the last edit...
 
From the list of animals, there seem to be two new mammal species: François' langur and Visayan spotted deer. As for other animal types, I'm not sure. I think this zoo focuses more on the uniqueness of its exhibits rather than the variety of animal species.
 
To all members of zoochat hailing from Singapore:
Would you like to meet up a 2 30 p.m. at Rainforest Wild Asia? Meeting point is at the Entrance Canyon. Thank you!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top