Feb 7, 2013

Singapore Zoo

After the Singapore Botanical Gardens, I decided to visit Singapore Zoo. Though I decided to reach as early as possible, i could reach there only by 1 p.m. 


Inspite of public holiday, the zoo is not crowded much. They have the 3 in 1 park hopper ticket for the Zoo, Bird park and Night safari which will cut short 12$ on the total. (The ticket is valid only for 30 days).


This zoo is an "open" zoo which means that there are no cages or chains!! They have the hidden barriers, moats and glass between the animals and the visitors.

It says that they have 315 species of animal in the zoo, out of which 16% are
 considered to be threatened.

Lets see how it is!!

I bought the ticket and entered in. At the entrance I found these beautiful parrots for photo shoot.











These are on the other side of entrance.




After taking few snaps, i decided to move in.

This bridge is called tree top trial, where you can see the animals on the trees. Unfortunately, i could not spot many as it's lunch time.



Greater Mouse Deer:


 Its is neither deer nor mouse.
Lacks antlers of true deer.

Found in Sumatra, Borneo and smaller Malaysian and Indonesian islands, and in southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia. They live near water, in tropical forests and mangrove thickets. They are terrestrial, but spend a lot of time in wet, swampy areas.

Greater Mousedeer

Siamang:


Siamang

It is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the Siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg.



Just a fall!!

Otter:


It is the smallest otter species in the world,  weighing less than 5 kg. It lives in mangrove swamps.
Its paws are a distinctive feature, its claws not extending beyond the fleshy end pads of its partially webbed fingers and toes.

Asian small clawed Otter



White Tiger: 

The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.


White Tiger



This is the distance that a fully grown White Tiger can jump!!




Babirusa:


Babirusas are a genus, Babyrousa, in the pig family (Suidae) found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. 

 If a babirusa does not grind its tusks (achievable through regular activity), they will eventually keep growing so as to penetrate the animal's own skull.

They are often mistaken to a Warthog.. 


Babirusa


Pigmy Hippo:

It is a small hippopotamid native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia and small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. The pygmy hippo is reclusive and nocturnal. It is one of only two extant species in the Hippopotamidae family, the other being its much larger cousin the common hippopotamus.


Pygmy Hippo

Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman: 

It is a relatively small crocodilian reptile from northern and central South America.

With a total length averaging 1.3–1.5 m (4.3–4.9 ft) in males and typically up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in females, it is not only the smallest extant species of crocodilian, but also the smallest of the alligator and caiman family.  The largest specimen on record measured 1.72 m (5.6 ft) in length.  An adult will typically weigh around 6 to 7 kg (13 to 15 lb), around the same as a 6-12 month old specimen from the several larger crocodilians.


Dwarf Caiman

Emu:

It is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of emus in Australia.
The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height. They have long thin necks and legs. Emus can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and, if necessary, can sprint at 50 km/h (31 mph).  Their long legs allow them to take strides of up to 275 centimetres (9.02 ft).


Emu



Giant Turtle: 

Giant tortoises are characteristic reptiles of certain tropical islands. Often reaching enormous size—they can weigh as much as 300 kg (660 lbs) and can grow to be 1.3 m (4 ft) long—they live, or lived (some species are recently extinct), in the Seychelles, the Mascarenes and the Galapagos.


Giant Turtle

Kangaroo: 


Kangaroo

GoodFellow's Tree Kangaroo: 

Unlike its land dwelling cousins, its legs are not disproportionately large compared to its forelimbs which are strong and end in hooked claws for grasping tree limbs, and it has a long tail for balance. All of these features help it with a predominantly arboreal existence.

Good Fellow's Tree Kangaroo

Rock Hyrax: 

The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) or Cape hyrax is one of the four living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only living species in the genus Procavia. Like all hyraxes, it is a medium-sized (~4 kg) terrestrial mammal, superficially resembling a guinea pig with short ears and tail.

Rock Hyrax


Nubian Ibex:


Nubian ibexes stand around 65–75 cm / 2.1-2.6 ft tall at the shoulder and weigh around 50 kilograms (110 lb). Nubian ibexes are a light tan colour, with a white underbelly, in males there is also a dark brown stripe down the back. Nubian ibexes have long thin horns which extend up and then backwards and down. In males these reach around a metre in length while in females they are much smaller (around 30 cm/12 in).




Nubian Ibex

Baboon Bums:


The red hot bum :P


Group of Baboon Bums

Saddle Billed Stork:


This is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of 150 cm (59 in), a length of 142 cm (56 in) and a 2.4–2.7 m (7.9–8.9 ft) wingspan. The male is larger and heavier than the female, with a range of 5.1–7.5 kg (11–17 lb). The female is usually between 5 and 7 kg (11 and 15 lb).




Sand billed Stork

Banded Mongoose: 

The banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) is a mongoose commonly found in the central and eastern parts of Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelter including termite mounds. While most mongoose species live solitary lives, the banded mongoose live in colonies with a complex social structure.

Banded Mangoose

Black-backed Jackal:


The black-backed jackal is an exceptionally stable and ancient form of canid, with many fossils dating as far back as the Pleistocene epoch.


Sleeping Black Backed Jackal

Primate Kingdom:

Sulawesi Crested Macaque:

It is an Old World monkey that lives in the northeast of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Celebes) as well as on smaller neighbouring islands.

Its skin and hairless face is, with the exception of some white hair in the shoulder range, entirely jet black. The long muzzle with high cheeks and the long hair tuft, or crest, at the top side of the head are remarkable. The tail is only approximately 2 cm (1 in) of stub. With a total body length of 44 cm (17 in) to 60 cm (24 in) and a weight of 3.6 to 10.4 kg, it is one of the smaller macaque species. Its life expectancy is estimated at approximately 20 years.


Sulawesi  Crested Macaque


Brown Capuchin: 


It  is an omnivorous animal, mostly feeding on fruits and invertebrates, although it sometimes feeds on small vertebrates (e.g. lizards and bird chicks) and other plant parts. It can be found in many different kinds of environment, including moist tropical and subtropical forest, dry forest, and disturbed or secondary forest.




Brown Capuchin

Orangutan: 


Orangutans are the most arboreal of the great apes and spend most of their time in trees. Their hair is typically reddish-brown, instead of the brown or black hair typical of chimpanzees and gorillas.


Orangutans having their lunch

Proboscis monkey:


The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) or long-nosed monkey, known as the bekantan in Malay, is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey that is endemic to the south-east Asian island of Borneo.
This species of monkey is easily identifiable because of its unusually large nose.



The Reptile Garden: 














A view amid of the zoo..




Fragile Forest: 












Ring Tailed Lemur

Wild Africa:

Cheetah: 



Cheetah
Famed for being the fastest animal on land, the cheetah can go from zero to 60 kilometres per hour in three strides. At top speed of 112 kilometres per hour and non-retractable claws that act like spikes on running shoes, you can say these fast cats are natural born sprinters!



The King: 


African lion

Giraffe: 


It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females.


Giraffe

Zebra: 

The zebra’s striking black and white stripes make it one of the most distinct inhabitants of the African savannah. It has been suggested that the stripes of zebras protect the animals by confusing predators and making them less distinct as individuals when in a herd.

Zebra

Nyala: 


The nyala (Nyala angasii or Tragelaphus angasii), also called inyala,[3] is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa.

As a herbivore, the nyala feeds upon foliage, fruits and grasses, with sufficient fresh water. A shy animal, it prefers water holes rather than open spaces.


Female Nyala with it's kid!!

White Rhinoceros: 


The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exist. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species.

The northern subspecies has very few remaining, with seven confirmed individuals left (including those in captivity).



A lonely White Rhino..

Penguins: 


Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica.
Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have evolved into flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.


Penguins

As they have some maintenance, the Elephant show was not organised that day. It was a disappointment.
Apart from that, it was very good.

After a worthy 5 hours of visit, I decided to leave the place.

Visiting Tips: 
1) Take plenty of water with you.
2) Try to reach there in the morning, as the animals are not at all active in the afternoon.

2 comments:

  1. Awesome Pictures. Just like a checklist animal guide for any visitor to Singapore Zoo.

    ReplyDelete