Night Safari
Encyclopedia
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
The concept of a nocturnal park in Singapore was mooted in the 1980s by the former executive chairman of the Singapore Zoo, Dr Ong Swee Law. Constructed at a cost of S$63 million, the Night Safari was officially opened on 26 May 1994 and occupies 40 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s (0.4 km²) of secondary rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
adjacent to the Singapore Zoo
Singapore Zoo
The Singapore Zoo , formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens and commonly known locally as the Mandai Zoo, occupies 28 hectares of land on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. The zoo was built at a cost of S$9m granted by...
and Upper Seletar Reservoir
Upper Seletar Reservoir
Upper Seletar Reservoir is Singapore's third impounding reservoir, after MacRitchie Reservoir and Peirce Reservoir...
.
The Night Safari currently houses a total of 1,040 animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s of 120 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, of which 29% are threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
. The zoo is managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Wilidlife Reserves Singapore is a non-profit organization based in Singapore which manages the majority of zoos in the country. The organization currently manages the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park as well as the upcoming River Safari in Singapore.-External links:*...
, and about 1.1 million visitors visit the safari per year. The Night Safari received its 11 millionth visitor on 29 May 2007.
Highlights
Unlike traditional nocturnal houses, which reverse the day-night cycleCircadian rhythm
A circadian rhythm, popularly referred to as body clock, is an endogenously driven , roughly 24-hour cycle in biochemical, physiological, or behavioural processes. Circadian rhythms have been widely observed in plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria...
of animals so they will be active by day, the Night Safari is an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical forest that is only open at night. It is divided into eight geographical
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
zones, which can be explored either on foot via three walking trails, or by tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
.
The animals of the Night Safari, ranging from Indian rhinoceros
Indian Rhinoceros
The Indian Rhinoceros is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family...
to tarsier
Tarsier
Tarsiers are haplorrhine primates of the genus Tarsius, a genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes...
s, are made visible by lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
that resembles moonlight
Moonlight
Moonlight is the light that reaches Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon, but from sunlight. The Moon does not, however, reflect sunlight like a mirror, but it reflects light from those portions of its surface which the Sun's light strikes. See diffuse reflection.In...
. Although it is brighter than full moonlight by a few orders of magnitude, it is dim enough not to disturb nocturnal and crepuscular
Crepuscular
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is during dawn and dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is, thus, in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright...
animals' behaviour. London based lighting designer Simon Corder created the lighting for Night Safari.
Exhibits in the safari come from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and other parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The naturalistic enclosures simulate the animals' native habitat. Animals are separated from visitors with natural barriers, rather than caged, similar to the Singapore Zoo's open concept
Openconcept
Openconcept is a term generally used to describe a type of architecture which provides a lot of flexible space. There are a few general spaces that are defined using open-concept, see restroom, stairway and changeroom....
. Instead of vertical prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
-like cage
Cage (enclosure)
A cage is an enclosure made of mesh, bars or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal in captivity, capturing, and being used for display of an animal at a zoo.-History:...
s, cattle grid
Cattle grid
A cattle grid or cattle guard – also known as a vehicle pass, Texas gate, stock gap A cattle grid (or stock grid)(British English) or cattle guard (American English) – also known as a vehicle pass, Texas gate, stock gap A cattle grid (or stock grid)(British English) or cattle guard (American...
s were laid all over the park to prevent hoof
Hoof
A hoof , plural hooves or hoofs , is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick nail rolled around the tip of the toe. The weight of the animal is normally borne by both the sole...
ed animals from moving one habitat to another. These are grille-like metal sheets with gaps wide enough for animals' legs to go through. Moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
s were designed to look like stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s and river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s to enable fishing cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s and serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
s to be put on show in open areas, and hot wires were designed to look like twig
Twig
A twig is a small thin terminal branch of a woody plant. Twigs are critically important in identification of trees, shrubs and vines, especially in wintertime. The buds on the twig are an important diagnostic characteristic, as are the abscission scars where the leaves have fallen away...
s to keep animals away from the boundaries of their enclosures.
Cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
performances are a regular feature at the safari, and include tribal
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
dances, blowpipe
Blowpipe
Blowpipe can refer to:*The Blowpipe missile*Blowgun, a weapon*Blowpipe *Blowpipe , several Transformers characters....
demonstrations and fire eating displays. Creatures of the Night Show is a performance presented by the animals in the Night Safari.
There are a number of food and beverage
Food and Beverage
F&B is a common abbreviation in the United States and Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong. F&B is typically the widely accepted abbreviation for "Food and Beverage", which is the sector/industry that specializes in the conceptualization, the making of, and delivery of foods...
outlets in the Night Safari which include Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant, Bongo Burgers, and Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's is an American ice cream company, a division of the British-Dutch Unilever conglomerate, that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream novelty products, manufactured by Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings, Inc., headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont, United...
Scoop Shop. Visitors can also experience dining on the move with the Cocktail Safari Express and Gourmet Safari Express.
Awards
- Singapore Tourism Awards
- Top 10 Best Family Experience (2006)
- Best Leisure Attraction Experience (2003, 2004, 2006)
- Leisure Attraction of the Year (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000)
- Best Trail Marshall of the Year, Mohammed Munzir Aziz. (2008)
- Best Trail Marshall of the Year, Mohammad Ridhwan Shahril. (2009)
- Best Ground crew of the Year, Vijayeswaran Visvalingam. (2009)
- X Troopers Award of the Year (2010)
Incidents
- In September 1996, a tigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
named Giggo escaped when the double doors in its yard were left open, and was put down. - In April 2005, a ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
tourist was scratched by a cat during the Creatures of the Night Show.
Breakthroughs
- In 2004, the Night Safari saw the birth of a giant flying squirrel, Asia's first.
- In 2006, the Night Safari marked Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
's first in-captivityCaptivity (animal)Animals that live under human care are in captivity. Captivity can be used as a generalizing term to describe the keeping of either domesticated animals or wild animals. This may include for example farms, private homes and zoos...
birth of a giant anteaterGiant AnteaterThe Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
. - In February 2008, Night Safari welcomes its park's 26th male tapirTapirA Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
and the two-month old baby is already out on exhibit.
Public bus services
3 bus services (services 138, 926, 927) stop outside busstop B01 of Mandai Lake Road, a bus stop the Night Safari shares with the Singapore Zoo. An additional service service 171, stops outside Mandai Road. People who want to take this service to the zoo, must alight at Mandai Road and walk down to Mandai Lake Road. Do take note of the last bus for each bus service.| Bus Stop Code: 048131 (S'pore Zoological Gdns) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service | Destination | Notes | |
| SBS Transit Trunk Services | |||
| 138 | Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 Bus Interchange is located in Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, Singapore. The interchange is presently within AMK Hub, a newly-built shopping centre which is in turn linked to the Ang Mo Kio MRT Station via a pedestrian underpass below Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8.The interchange is the third to be... |
Last bus departs Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange at 2345 hrs daily. | |
| SMRT Buses Trunk Services | |||
| 926 | Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange was completed and opened along with the Woodlands extension of the North South MRT Line in 1996. It is the first underground bus interchange, and one of the biggest in Singapore... |
Operates on Sundays and Public Holidays only.Last bus departs Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange at 0600 hrs | |
| 927 | Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange The Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange is a local bus interchange which mainly serves the residential neighbourhood of Choa Chu Kang. Located at Choa Chu Kang Loop and connected to the Choa Chu Kang MRT/LRT Station and the Lot One Shoppers' Mall, the interchange is operated under SMRT... |
Last bus departs Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange at 2330 hrs | |
