Singapore's nature parks

With the year-end holidays just around the corner, it’s time to plan some quality time with the family and there’s no better way than to bond over animal attractions at Singapore’s award-winning nature parks – Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Jurong Bird Park and Night Safari.

Have a close encounter with an Orchid Mantis
at the Singapore Zoo

There is plenty to see and do, so plan to spend a day at the Land of Giants in Singapore Zoo and River Safari for some super-sized fun. Then end the day with Twilight Encounters at the Night Safari.

Get to know the amazing abilities of insects at Singapore Zoo and the majestic river giants at River Safari through interesting activities held every weekend from Nov 18 to Dec 31.

The Land of Giants features 20 larger-than-life invertebrates (animals without backbones) including the orchid mantis and net-casting spiders. 

Let the youngsters follow the ant trail for different activity pit stops and enjoy fun stuff like creating a creepy crawler, watching a puppetry performance or spying on some invertebrates through the bug magnifier!

Poster for Land of the Giants 

Over at River Safari, embark on a super-sized edition of River Trails and discover gigantic facts about river dwellers like the Mekong giant catfish and giant freshwater stingray. 

Then at the River Talk, get ready to meet one of the largest flying birds and the world’s largest rodent!

As night falls, take the family on a wild night out at Night Safari to experience Twilight Encounters which includes a mystical glow-in-the-dark trail to find animal lights among the real creatures of the night. 

Discover the secrets of the glowing trails and stand to win attractive prizes.

Look out for special animal appearances by nocturnal creatures like the binturong and watch how Night Safari’s animal residents display their natural skills in exciting animal shows. 

Activities are held at various park locations on Fridays and Saturdays, from Nov 17 to Dec 31.

Poster for the Blue-Zilian Carnival

Then plan another day to join the Blue-Zilian Carnival at Jurong Bird Park to see the world’s rarest blue macaws, including the Spix’s macaw, the blue bird which inspired the Rio movie series. 

If you plan to go on Nov 25, extend your stay to watch the screening of the first Rio movie at the amphitheater.

Native to Brazil, the critically endangered Spix’s macaw and endangered Lear’s macaw are making their inaugural appearance at the park’s Parrot Paradise exhibit. 

Together with Jurong Bird Park’s Hyacinth macaw, they make up the entire remaining blue macaw family. 

The fourth and final blue macaw species – the Glaucous macaw – is already extinct.

Experience a bit of Brazil, the native habitat of these blue beauties and be captivated by Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art form that combines music, dance and acrobatics. 

Look out for animal lights among the creatures of
the night at Twilight Encounters

The Blue theme continues at the park’s food and beverage kiosks which serve specialties like Blue Blue Cha Cha and Butterfly Pea Flower tea.

Bring your cameras (phone cameras will do!) to capture special mementoes with the parks’ mascots. Look out for the giant dung beetle (and his ball of dung) and the lime butterfly at Singapore Zoo as well as Canola the manatee at River Safari. 

Also grab a wild shot with the animal stars to remember your wild night out at Night Safari.

Managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, world-leading zoological institutions – Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Jurong Bird Park and Night Safari – aim to inspire people to value and conserve biodiversity by providing meaningful and memorable wildlife experiences at their parks.  Website: www.wrs.com.sg

A version of this was published in The New Straits Times, Life & Times Jom on 16 Nov 2017