Singapore Zoo turns 50 this year: what were the highlights?
Golden ZOObilee activities to run from May to September to help visitors reconnect with their best memories at the zoo
SINGAPORE - Heads up animal lovers! The Singapore Zoo will celebrate 50 monumental years this year on 27 June with festivities lined up from May through September.
The Mandai Wildlife Group said in a media release on Thursday (18 May) that the wildlife park's golden jubilee celebrations - dubbed Golden ZOObilee - will include explorer camps, runs and behind-the-scenes tours for visitors to reconnect with its wildlife anew.
The "ART-ZOO Happy ZOObilee" from 27 May to 27 August, for instance, is a fun-filled trail walk where visitors can enjoy eight inflatable and 2D animal sculptures, as well as animal interaction sessions and craft workshops.
Other activities include a two-day Wild Explorer Camp for children aged six to 10, a special edition of private buggy tour "Zoo Adventure Tour: ZOObilee" and the launch of a new "Backstage Pass – Incredible Invertebrates" tour which will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look of Fragile Forest.
The Safari Zoo Run will also return under a new name "Mandai Wildlife Run" on 23 and 24 September. New race categories for seniors, health and wellness activities, sustainability-themed workshops and up-close animal interactions will also be organised. A portion of proceeds will goes towards supporting conservation projects locally and in the region.
More information on the Singapore Zoo's 50th-anniversary celebrations can be found on their website.
A walk down memory lane of Singapore Zoo's history
In celebration of Singapore Zoo welcoming close to 60 million visitors over the last five decades, here is a brief timeline of the key milestones of the wildlife park:
1973: The Singapore Zoo was opened on 27 June by the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. There were 272 animals across 72 species on display.
1974: The zoo welcomed its first millionth visitor on Deepavali, about 17 months after it first opened.
1975: The zoo welcomed its first orang utan birth, baby Jinak. Since then, the Singapore Zoo has had more than 44 orang utan babies, of which many went to other zoos as part of global breeding programmes.
1982: Breakfast with an orang utan was launched in May. It then evolved into popular dining experience Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife and re-emerged as Breakfast in the Wild in October last year.
1990: Inuka, the first polar bear in the tropics, was born in Singapore Zoo.
1992: Ah Meng became the first and only non-human recipient to receive the Special Tourism Ambassador award.
1998: The Singapore Zoo’s first immersive exhibit Fragile Forest opened.
2006: The world’s first free-ranging orang utan exhibit opened in March.
2008: Singapore Zoo icon Ah Meng passed away on 8 February at the age of 50. Rainforest KidzWorld opened on 14 November with a water playground, carousel and Kampung House. A newly refurbished Rainforest KidzWorld will open by the end of this year.
2009: The Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund (WRSCF) dedicated to native wildlife conservation and education was launched in July. The inaugural Safari Zoo Run, in memory of Ah Meng, was held with 6,000 participants. The zoo also welcomed its first Komodo dragon hatchling in 34 years in November.
2016: Ah Meng’s granddaughter Ishta was minted as the new Ah Meng.
2017: RepTopia officially opened as a climate-controlled indoor exhibit showcasing the world’s most threatened reptiles, amphibians and arthropods.
2021: Wildlife Reserves Singapore was renamed to Mandai Wildlife Group and the Singapore Zoo refreshed its logo. 13 critically endangered Roti Snake-necked Turtles were also reintroduced to their native country Indonesia.
2023: Leading up to its 50th anniversary, the Singapore Zoo currently has more than 4,200 animals from over 300 species.
