A call of the wild: Singapore zoo

The Singapore zoo with its emphasis on ‘open and natural habitat’ reinforces the growing trend of watching animals in the wild and allows visitors to get up and close with the animals

Singapore- the all-year destination has so much to offer that the lion city endures a never ending tourist season.

A stroll along the Clarke Quay along the banks of the Singapore River, a trip to the gardens by the bay, a beautiful indoor park, pristine beaches at Sentosa Island, shopping at Orchard Road and vast variety of food from Chinese,

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Conservation efforts

• Out of the 2,800 animals representing over 300 species, 26 per cent are threatened.
• In 2015, the zoo bred over 190 animals, many of them endangered in the world.
• Oriental Pied Hornbill is the first in the world to be successfully incubated and hatched.
• The birth of the Red Giant Flying squirrel is the first in captivity in Asia.
• Twelve-wired bird of paradise successfully hatched, apart from Bali mynah, Blue throated macaw, black palm cockatoo, Hyacinth macaw and King penguin.

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Malay, Indian and Indonesian to choose from makes the Lion City special. But it is the Singapore Zoo that stands out for its sheer beauty and conservation efforts.

Shopping and exploring Singapore at night was what we did but during daytime we headed to Singapore Zoo for nowhere in the world can one have breakfast up close and personal with adorable orangutans.

What makes the zoo special is animals roam freely in open and natural habitat in over 26 hectares.

There can be no better sight of watching 600 birds fly freely even as one takes a walk through the nine storey high enclosure. Birds of different hues land atop trees, on palms

and shoulders of people and zoom away under the 30 metre high waterfall in the world’s largest walk-in aviary. The Jurong Bird Park with 400 bird species and 5,000 bird specimens is a must watch.

Unlike other zoos, here one can watch animals in open and natural habitat. And do not forget to hop onto the night safari that takes you through artificially created geographic zones like Amazon Forests, African Savannah and the like.

It is a myth that only children enjoy at the zoo. Visit the Singapore zoo, your notions will go for a toss. Guaranteed!

Tailpiece: If you do not taste Laksa, a spicy dish made from rice vermicelli served in gravy made from spices with coconut milk that gives a creamy mouth feel, you would be missing a part of Singapore.