How many times have you gone to a zoo and found that most of the animals are asleep because they're nocturnal? If you've ever wondered what the animals get up to when it gets dark that head to Singapore's Night Safari.
Located next to Singapore's Zoological Gardens the Night Safari is set in 40 hectares of wilderness and it's fantastic. The safari has so many different species - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, tigers, otters, wolves, bats. Pretty much everything except monkeys and polar bears. Tickets are roughly £6 for adults and £3.50 for children. For about £1.70 extra you can take a tram ride around the zoo which I highly recommend. It opens at 7:30 pm and closes at midnight every day. I went there on Christmas Day 2004 after spending the day at the the zoo.
I went in as soon as it opened and the queues weren't too bad. I started off with the tram ride around the safari where you get a feel for the lay-out of the place and a guide points out the various animals and offers interesting trivia. The tram ride took about three quarters of an hour and once it finished I set off to explore the park with friends on foot.
The great thing about Singapore's zoo and safari is wherever possible moats are used instead of cages and the natural habitats of the animals have been re-created as much as possible. While I do think that it's wrong to take animals out of their natural environment for show, unfortunately humans are incapable of allowing animals to live in their natural environment so I can see the good that zoos and safaris can do in terms of keeping species alive. The safari is dimly lit so the moats become invisible and at times I did wonder if there was definitely something between the animals and me. The animals are much more active at night and it's fascinating to see them come so alive.
The safari has 135 different species and over 900 animals there so you'll certainly be spoilt for choice when/if you visit. There are three trails you can follow (I'd advise doing them all) and they're named The Leopard Trail, The Fishing Cat Trail and The Forest Giants Trail. While you an see all the big cats, there are plenty of other animals besides such as hippos, foxes, sloths, marsh birds, tapirs and hyenas. The tarsiers and bats were my personal favourite creatures there.
A map is given to you when you buy your ticket so you can find your way around fine. Members of staff are also situated at various points and are happy to help you if you get lost. Signs are also placed along the footpaths. For me my favourite bit was the bat section. You walk into a huge protected room where bats fly over your head. It's funny to see the reaction of people who turn round to see a bat hanging at eye level. If you're not a fan of bats then there are routes around this particular place.
I spent over three hours in the zoo and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The only thing I avoided were the animal shows as I'm not a huge fan of those. Apart from the animals what I really loved about the safari and the zoo were the souvenir shops. You can get some really great souvenirs there and the prices are very reasonable - not at all overpriced like many places. The food and drinks available I didn't find particularly expensive either. There are plenty of food options available to suit all tastes.
I left before 11 and caught the bus back to the nearest MRT station. The zoo and safari are definitely worth visiting. If you do decide to go then please, TURN OFF THE FLASH ON YOUR CAMERA!!! Despite the repeated comments from staff and the numerous signs people were still taking photographs with the flash and distressing the animals.
I think the Night Safari is suited for any age. To be honest, the majority of the adults (myself included) were more excited than any of the children there :-)
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Going there in a couple of weeks - can't wait, it's a great place. Good review of it too. xx
petitesquirt 15.02.2005 08:50
I presume there is some sort of lighting so that people could see the animals ... I imagine the zoo in total darkness ...
moo_trendy_cow 14.02.2005 12:08
so this is in singapore right?! Yep your right adults do tend to enjoy the zoo more than the kids they would rather be eating a whole mound of icecream.... xx
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