Most Singaporeans know that the Singapore Zoo is the big name when it comes to Singapore’s amazing wildlife parks, but if we are being honest, its sister park, the River Wonders (formerly known as River Safari, rebranded in October 2021), is totally underrated but absolutely perfect for a day out with kids – particularly younger kids. I knew that I was in for a wild adventure when I accompanied my 5-year old niece (Janelle Teo) to River Wonders last weekend. My niece is a big fan of wildlife animals. She was very excited and had been looking forward to this adventure since a few months ago. The River Wonders offers the best of both worlds with aquatic and terrestrial animals representing nearly 250 species, including one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater animals. The park is divided into two areas, halved by the Upper Seletar Reservoir. The first area called Rivers of the World contains the 7 “Rivers” – it features mostly sea animals like fish and crocodiles. At the end will be a bridge that will take you to the second area, which features mostly rainforest animals. The park is designed in such a way that you go through the first half through Rivers of the World, then make the return journey to where you started. To view the map of the entire park, click here. My cute little niece started to pose for photo-taking the moment we entered River Wonders. As soon as we stepped into the corridor entrance, we were immediately blasted by the cold jet of wind from the air conditioner and greeted by boards that were filled with information about the animals. Did you know that freshwater species are going extinct at four to six times faster than terrestrial or marine species? Please feel free to watch a short video recording below. Please feel free to watch a short video recording below. Yangtze River houses one of the highlights of the River Safari and that is none other than the Giant Panda Forest. This picturesque setting is so not Singapore. Pandas mostly live in the wild in China, where their diet consists of 99% bamboo. Pandas are high up on the endangered species lists, with only estimated 1,600 pandas living in the world, with about 25 zoos in different countries that have giant pandas. Thankfully, conservation efforts have been successful and the panda population continue to rise. It is no surprise that the giant panda is a global symbol for wildlife preservation and conservation. Every country has to sign a contract with China who gives the panda on lease basis for a few years. The giant pandas are on the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature. Two of the pandas are living in River Wonders - a pair of female and male pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, in a climate-controlled bio dome which keeps changing into the four seasons according to their suitable environment. There are special plants in River Wonders that help in feeding the pandas. I have always wanted to see the Pandas in Singapore. I had seen two Olympic Pandas at the Seven-Star Zoo located in Guilin while traveling in China ten years ago during winter. Click here to view the photos of my Guilin trip in 2010. The entrances into the air-conditioned enclosure are staggered, ensuring that the enclosures are never too crowded with visitors – this may stress the pandas out. A pair of red pandas is also living here in the friendly environment. Other than the Panda stars, we also managed to catch one Red Panda who live alongside with the colourful golden pheasant. The Red Panda also called Lesser Panda and Red Cat-Bear, is a small panda living in the wild in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is classified as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature as its wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals. The red panda is also known as the firefox due to its rust red fur and fox like face. But despite its name and the way it looks, it is neither related to the giant panda or the fox – its closest relative is the racoon. However, like the giant panda, its diet consists of mainly bamboo. Please feel free to watch a short video recording below. The exhibit simulates our lovely Pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia natural habitat with lush plants, boulders and water features. The temperature is kept between 18 – 22 degrees Celsius year-round to ensure their comfort. That was why when we were there, Kai Kai was having his bamboo lunch and then shortly after that he took a lazy afternoon nap. River Wonders has been in the news this year because the first panda cub in Singapore was born on 14 August 2021 to parents Kai Kai and Jia Jia! Jia Jia was nowhere in sight when we were there. I guess she was most probably in her private room taking care of the baby panda. Please feel free to watch a short video recording below. We had our afternoon tea at the Mama Panda Kitchen, a fast food concept restaurant that serves this super cute Giant Panda Bun. Taste wise, it is just normal red bean paste bun. I shared a bun with my niece just for fun. The cappuccino that I ordered came with latte-art of panda as well. They are really very cute. We then crossed the bridge over to the Amazon River Quest to take the boat ride. The Amazon River Quest is a super cool open-top boat ride designed to simulate a journey along the Amazon River. Passengers have the chance to spot all sorts wildlife among the lush vegetation. Note that the boat ride involves moderate acceleration, elevation changes, and minor bumping, so it is not recommended for pregnant women. You can only take the boat ride if you book your tickets online ahead of time. On this 10-minute boat ride you’ll have the chance to spot even more animals up close, including a few Jaguars (who seemed a little sad pacing back and forth repeatedly in their small enclosures), Red Howler Monkeys, Brazilian Tapirs, a Giant Anteater, a Capybara, flamingos and many more. I must also add that the Amazon River Quest is the true definition of hit-or-miss. There is no promise that you will get to see all the animals. They may be sleeping or in their pen, away from human sight, and since the boat is always moving, you do not have the liberty of time to stop and wait for them to come out. Please feel free to watch a short video recording below. Please feel free to watch a short video recording below. We paid homage to the Squirrel Monkey Forest where visitors were pre-warned to keep their personal belongings safely out of the reach from its mischievous residents. They live in the forest canopies near the river, expertly bounding from tree to tree, looking for fruit, nectar and insects. They are literally jumping about everywhere and are hardly afraid of humans. The raw upfront encounter with these energetic Squirrel Monkeys was an awesome experience. Having visited and being impressed by the largest aquarium tank in the world at the S.E.A. Aquarium, I was equally impressed with the Amazon Flooded Forest that has an aquarium large enough for huge manatees to swim. It has a large viewing panel for a freshwater aquarium, providing visitors with an immersive Amazonian underwater forest experience. Over 18 animal species, including the Manatee and Arapaima, are featured in this aquatic display. The view was simply breathtaking. Overall, it was a fun adventure with my niece at River Wonders. We learnt about the rivers and explored the lively hood of native animals and plants that are living there and lived this wildlife experience. While we were not able to see all of our favourite animals as some of them went into “hiding”, relevant information about the animals are readily available at each of their enclosures and exhibitions. This will serve as good enrichment for all ages and visits to the River Safari that much more fulfilling. Plus we love River Safari because most of the areas are either indoors (some with air-conditioning), or under covered walkways, which is just perfect in the event of a heavy rain downpour.
Lastly, we do not know when our next visit to River Wonders would be but honestly, being able to see so many endangered wildlife species up close and personal gave us a newfound appreciation of the global efforts in saving these animals and their habitat !
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
|