Joanna James
For those who have been on a safari where the most challenging part is waking up bright and early to catch the animals as they rise, the idea of a night safari may seem a bit puzzling. However, there are plenty of benefits and treats to running a night safari that may surprise you!
While people tend to feel that a night safari may not provide the same amount of exposure to wildlife as a daytime safari, the reality is that the Night Safari in Singapore houses close to 2500 animals and more than 130 species. Unfortunately, from this exquisite selection of species, more than 37 per cent are considered endangered.
It should also be noted that this entire operation takes place entirely independently from the Singapore Zoo. So, on top of the vast array of nocturnal animals that visitors flock to witness, there are also plenty of lush night-time blooming flora and fauna. These range from species such as the chempaka, pigeon orchids as well as butterfly ginger.
Suppose you are looking to experience the night safari and staying at a hotel near MRT Singapore, such as the Park Hotel Farrer Park. In that case, you will just be a 30-minute drive away.
It is certainly no easy task to set up a brand-new concept in terms of how much humans interact with captive animals. This was particularly difficult given that inception of the Night Safari took place during the 1980s. Mr Ong Swee Law, the Singapore Zoo's former chairman, was the first to suggest creating a space for the free-ranging nocturnal animals in the zoo.
From there on, it still took close to four years of planning before the execution of the phase was begun. The latter stage then took close to another 3 years to complete before finally, after a cost of $63 million, the Night Safari was opened in 1994.
As with any zoo, there will be various births across the many species calling the night safari their home. Over the years, babies have been born from the Malayan tigers, Asian elephants, and even Asian lions. However, an extraordinary event was the birth of Sunda, the pangolin born on Valentine's Day in 2010.
What is more, there is also the unique distinction the night safari holds as the home to some of the most senior animals in the world. This includes a 34-year-old Malayan tapir Manis who is the oldest living tapir in captivity!
When it comes to the lighting at the night safari, the establishment aims to simulate the experience of a jungle during the full moon. They do so with the help of external consultants and have been quite successful thus far.
Among the four walk trails at the park, the latest is the Wallaby Trail, inspired by the Australian Outback. The trail definitely lives up to its reputation, with plenty of marsupials and creepy crawlies visible throughout the route, particularly towards the Naracoorte Cave.
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