ETW Staff– Mumbai
Mandai, an area synonymous with Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, has become even more wild with the official opening of River Safari, Asia’s first river-themed wildlife park. River Safari is the latest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s portfolio of parks, which includes Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, and Singapore Zoo. With a focus on freshwater habitats, the park adds a new dimension to the wildlife experience in Singapore. Lee Hsien Loong, prime minister of Singapore, officiated the grand opening before 300 guests.
Claire Chiang, chairman, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, “We are very proud to officially introduce River Safari to the world. From conceptualisation and design to construction and completion, River Safari represents our dedication to conserve wildlife, our commitment to educate the public about threats to freshwater habitats, and our passion to create an enriching and fun recreational venue for visitors all over the world.”
The journey to creating Asia’s first river-themed park started with an idea to create a freshwater aquarium to complement the offerings of Singapore Zoo. This spark evolved and gave rise to River Safari.
The 12-ha River Safari offers visitors a wildlife adventure inspired by the world’s most iconic rivers, including the Amazon, Ganges, Mekong, Nile and Yangtze rivers. Built at a cost of US$160 million, River Safari houses one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater fauna. The park features 6,000 animal specimens representing 200 species, of which 40 are threatened. These include river giants and mega fishes such as the giant river otter, giant freshwater stingray, Mekong giant catfish and Singapore’s very own pair of resident giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia.
WRS parks are world-renowned for their open concept exhibit design, and with River Safari, the team pushed the boundaries further and created a park that would provide visitors with an unforgettable adventure through the world’s most iconic rivers.
“The park has been well-received since we opened the Giant Panda Forest in Nov 2012, and our soft opening in Apr 2013. We have already welcomed more than 1.1 million visitors from all over the world and this shows that visitors are curious about the world of river habitats. We feel positive that River Safari has a huge role to play in satisfying this hunger for knowledge about freshwater inhabitants,” said Chiang.
When visiting River Safari, visitors can look forward to interactive and digital educational interpretives, discovery stations where visitors can learn more about animals and freshwater conservation issues and behind-the-scene tours which provide a clearer glimpse into the world these animals live in.
