First-time in River Wonders & Singapore Zoo: animal encounters

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve, composed of the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari and Bird Paradise, offers visitors a captivating journey through wildlife and conservation. The Singapore Zoo, known for its immersive and naturalistic exhibits, showcases a vast array of animals from around the world, providing an up-close encounter with species like orangutans, tigers, and elephants. While I had visited the Night Safari before, it was my first time to explore the Singapore Zoo in broad daylight.

The River Wonders (formerly River Safari, as was called during the time we visited) takes visitors on a unique expedition through freshwater habitats, allowing them to explore diverse river ecosystems and encounter fascinating creatures such as giant pandas, manatees, and Amazonian jaguars. Both attractions prioritize education and conservation, inspiring visitors to appreciate and protect the wonders of the animal kingdom while offering unforgettable experiences in Singapore’s vibrant wildlife haven.

The giant panda has always been elusive to me. But I finally got him at the River Wonders and Singapore Zoo.

My first attempt was at the Ocean Park in Hong Kong. My sister and I braved the crowded park only to find out that the pandas’ area was under renovation and that they were kept somewhere inaccessible to the public.

My second try was in Guangzhou‘s zoo in China. But the panda stayed inside its darkened cage; its silhouette suggesting a hefty meal of bamboo leaves.

Elusive? I found this painting at Seoul's Trick Eye museum and took a photo of the kid.
Elusive? I found this painting at Seoul’s Trick Eye museum and took a photo of the kid.

Then the time came for me to see the giant pandas in the flesh. It finally happened at the River Wonders in Singapore. For a ticket of SGD 39.00 we were able to roam freely inside the River Wonders and the Singapore Zoo.

We were supposed to go to Malaysia that day. However, since the bus were already full we scheduled our trip the day after. With a full day ahead, we decided to go to the zoo. We took the MRT going to Ang Mo Kio where we boarded bus 138 from the bus interchange.

Singapore Zoo

It was a long ride going through the residential areas of Singapore and onto some winding roads. But it was interesting to see the other side of this city-state, beyond the skyscrapers.

River Wonders

It claims to be Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife park and I concur because I’ve never heard of anything like this before. I was looking forward to hopping in a boat and view everything along the way but the Amazon river quest will only be available later this year.

Nevertheless, we embarked on our river-inspired journey taking us to the major rivers of the world. Our first stop was the Mississippi River where we met the American beaver, the alligator snapping turtle, the alligator gar and the Mississippi paddlefish. The last three looked extraordinary.

The giant pucker fish at River Wonders at Singapore Zoo

The wooden walkway then led us to the Congo River where the African dwarf crocodile and the tigerfish are on display. The River Nile showed us the giant puffer fish and the congo tetra. The Ganges River part was interesting with the weird-looking Indian gharial and goonch catfish. Murray River has the Australian longfish, the crab-eating macaque, and Barramundi in residence.

River Wonders Singapore Zoo

The Mekong river area had a large aquarium that houses the Mekong giant catfish and giant freshwater stingray. Opposite it is where the giant water bug, giant Vietnamese mossy frog, elephant trunk snake, and lesser adjutant stork and placed together in a layered ground reminiscent of the rice terraces.

Giant panda

Then the walkway led us to the Yangtze River. We skipped the alligators and salamanders so we could get to the giant panda forest immediately. There we met Kai Kai and  Jia Jia, the resident giant pandas of the River Safari. They were adorable, eating so much bamboo leaves. The other one was walking to and fro, seemingly restless and in search of something. The red panda and the golden pheasant are also found inside the giant panda forest.

Red panda

We crossed the long stretch of the bridge towards Wild Amazonia. Without the Amazon River Quest boat ride, we were only able to see the jaguarundi, the squirrel monkeys, and the green anaconda. The more amazing part, which was almost the end of the journey, was the Amazon Flooded Forest, the world’s largest freshwater aquarium which showcases the annual flooding of the Amazon rainforest. We were amazed at the huge manatees and arpaimas swimming through the submerged trunks.

River Wonders Singapore Zoo
The Amazon flooded forest. See those huge manatees?

Singapore Zoo

So I thought it was enough to see the pandas but I was even dumbfounded by the Frozen Tundra. We were quick in viewing the cotton-top tamarin, siamang, and otters so we could get to see the polar bear immediately. It was really amazing watching the polar bear, named Inuka, swim with his fluffy body while trying to get a bite at the frozen fish (inside an ice). Only glass separated us as he swam right in front of me, busy with his catch for the day.

River Wonders polar bear

Polar bear

Other than the polar bear (which I was able to view without me traveling to the Arctic region), we also enjoyed watching the flamingos and taking pictures of these graceful animals. Since our 2-in-1 ticket has an unlimited tram ride, we decided to jump in the moving vehicle so we could see more of Singapore Zoo quicker and less tiring.

As we explored the zoo onboard the tram, we were able to identify which ones we wanted to see. We happily took photos of the Bornean orangutans, the elephants of Asia, the sleeping lion, giraffes, zebras, hippos, meerkat, leopards, and the cheetah. We decided not to view all, or we wouldn’t end in just a day. Besides, our feet were aching with all the walking the past days.

Singapore Zoo meerkat
The meerkat reminded me of the animation film Madagascar

But we took our sweet time viewing the white tigers. I learned through the facts and information posted inside the zoo that all tigers are Asian and they are not indigenous to Africa. Ooooh…and here I thought tigers could be spotted in an African wildlife.

Singapore Zoo
The white tiger

Well, that’s why zoos are there, to educate us about these animals that co-habit our planet. And we are all intertwined — whether friends or foes, preys or predators — that’s why it is important to learn about them.

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