HISTORY

"This has to be one of the really beautiful zoos, of which there are all too few. It is brilliantly laid out, so that the ceclosure fences are almost totally hidden. The expanses of the waters of the Seletar Reservoir are a magnificent additional feature of the setting. The animals are beautifully maintained in good health, in spite of the climatic conditions. All in all, it is a Zoo which calls for warm congratulations to those responsible for it. For us, it was a great experience to see it."

~ Sir Peter Scott, Wildfowl Trust, England

The gem of an idea to have a zoo was conceived by Dr Ong Swee Law, the then Chairman of the Public Utilities Board in 1969. Dr Ong, our late Executive Chairman of the Singapore Zoological Gardens which is a public limited company, incorporated in 1971.

Opened on 27 June 1973, the Singapore Zoological Gardens caters to the recreational, educational and cocial needs of Singaporeans and tourists to the Republic. It is tagged " The Open Zoo" which reflects the absence of physical barriers in enclosure design. Instead, cascading waters, lush vegetation and moats cleverly mask the hidden barriers to enhance the illusion of freedom and natural jungle-like atmosphere for the animals. Surrounded by the tranquil water of the Seletar Reservoir, the location of the Zoo makes it a relaxing getaway from the concrete confinement of the city.

The Zoo began with a humble collection of 270 animals of about 72 species. To date, a total of over 2,000 animals of 240 species are displayed in some 70 exhibits.

Visitors are impressed, not only with the Zoo's approach of displaying animals in their breeding groups, but also the manner in which different species coexist together in one enclosure. This reflects the harmonious coexistence of animals residing together in the wild. An example typifying this naturalistic concept is Wild Africa, where the white rhinoceros resides with the eland, an antelope. Another is the sealion/penguin exhibit where coastal togetherness is depicted through the display of sealions with penguins and pelicans.

One of the more appealing attractions at the Zoo is the Animal Shows. The Animal Shows - Primate and Reptile shows and Elephant & Sealion shows - started in the late 70s at various open areas within the Zoo. Due to popularity and the surge in crowds, an Amphitheatre was built in 1985 to centralise these shows and to seat visitors comfortably. The Amphitheatre which has a long pool with glass panels for aquatic acts can seat 1,500 and can accommodate up to 2,000 spectators.

The Animal Shows are specially designed to incorporate the natural behaviors of the animals to educate visitors in an entertaining presentation. During the shows, conservation messages are disseminated to the audience to heighten their awareness of the environment. Furthermore, the shows are also meant to stimulate the minds of the animals and to help fight boredom.

In 1987, the Zoo introduced the Special Loan Exhibit, where rare animals on loan from other zoos are displayed for a short period. The animals which have been displayed at the Special Loan Exhibit include the golden monkeys, white tigers and giant pandas. This novel idea gives visitors and opportunity to view rare animals which cannnot be exhibited permanently at the Zoo. The enclosure was renamed Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) enclosure following its adoption by the SPH group in 1990.

Another major breakthrough for the Zoo was the introduction of underwater viewing exhibits. The first in 1988. - the underwater viewing polar bear exhibit - enable visitors to "rub noses" with the Zoo's polar bears. Visitors are enthralled by the underwater antics of these graceful animals. In the years that followed, underwater antics of these graceful animals. In the years that followed, underwater-viewing exhibits were designed for the crocodiles and false ghavials followed by the sealions and penguins and lastly the pygmyhippos.

Though only a young zoo with 20 years in existence, international standards in animal husbandry, maintenance and design have been attained.

Since 1987, the Zoo passed the milion mark in visitor attendance. The Zoo has exceeded this figure consistently each year since then. At least 60% of visitors comprises local visitors with international tourists making up the remaining 40%.