About the Zoo & Wildlife

The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is a 28 hectares (69 acres) zoo located on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. It is operated by the Mandai Wildlife Group, which also manages the neighbouring Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise as well as Rainforest Wild. All five wildlife parks makes up the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which cares for more than 15,000 animals from 1,000 species. Opened in 1973, the zoo was built at a cost of $9 million that was granted by the government of Singapore. Within the zoo, there are about 315 species of animals, of which some 16 percent are considered to be a threatened species. The zoo attracts about 2 million visitors every year. Singapore Zoo exhibits animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits with hidden barriers, moats, and glass between the animals and visitors. It houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world. The Singapore Zoo has been highly ranked by various international metrics.