New wildlife park for Singapore
New wildlife park for Singapore
November 8th, 2024. The first phase of a new zoological park is set to open in Singapore in March 2025. Operated by the Mandai Wildlife Group, Rainforest Wild Asia will offer a unique experience for visitors with a variety of natural habitats to explore.
Visitors will be able to venture along forest trails scattered with fallen logs, boulders, streams and bridges. Those with a head for heights can enjoy guided tours offering, harnessed, high-element traverses across rock faces, freefall jumps and challenging caving adventures.
Around 7,000 Southeast Asian trees and shrubs have been planted to supplement the existing protected patches of rainforest which will be populated with 29 species of fauna, including the threatened François’ langur and the Philippine spotted deer as well as sun bears and tapirs. The largest habitat in Rainforest Wild Asia will be a home for Malayan tigers.
Adventure for everyone
While the park has been designed to appeal to adventure lovers, the 13-hectare site is open to everyone. Elevated walkways with sheltered rest stops are accessible to all and are wide enough for families with strollers and wheelchair users.
“Our newest park celebrates the rainforests of our region, which are home to a vast array of natural wonders”, said Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group. “Rainforest Wild Asia allows guests to choose their level of adventure as they explore an immersive rainforest setting, whether through sedate universally designed walkways or high adrenaline scrambling paths and guided climbing adventures. They can experience its diverse layers, from the verdant tree canopies to an exciting subterranean labyrinth of walk-through cave chambers.”
The cavern chambers are inspired by the world-famous Mulu Caves in Sarawak, one of the largest and most intricate cave systems in Southeast Asia. The designers studied features of the caves and recreated ancient rock formations that took millions of years to form. Visitors can opt for safe and engaging walkways or embark on more adventurous side paths to search for cave species including racer snakes and giant black scorpions.
And if all that is not enough, the next phase will be Rainforest Wild Africa though no dates have been set for that yet.
Picture: Artists impression of The Karsts area of Rainforest Wild Asia. Image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group
Hotel suggestions
Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree
Claude Hotel
Related: Photo story – Masjid Sultan, Muscat Street, Singapore