Attractions of Asia's first river-themed park River Safari unveiled

Mustafa Shafawi / Hetty Musfirah Channel NewsAsia 21 May 10;

SINGAPORE: Singapore will be home to Asia's first river-themed park, River Safari, in less than two years.

It will be the third nature-themed attraction in Mandai - after the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

Together, they are set to become a "must-see" nature-based destination in Asia.

"With its tropical rainforest setting and rich biodiversity, Mandai area provides a compelling contrast to the largely urban environment of Singapore, with the potential to attract five million visitors a year," said Senior Minister of State, Trade and Industry, S Iswaran.

And Wildlife Reserves Singapore is confident of its strong appeal.

Claire Chiang, Chairperson, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: "This therefore provides a platform, for recreation, for edutainment, and for tourism, we are positive that it is going to add value.

River Safari is also touted to be the world's first and only river-themed park. It is expected to attract at least 820,000 visitors annually. The park is expected to be completed by the first half of 2012.

The park will cost some $180 million to build - $40 million more than the previous budget due to rising costs.

For an admission fee of $28 to $30, visitors can enjoy boat rides and soak in the freshwater habitats of famous rivers.

Fanny Lai, Group CEO, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said: "Rivers such as the river Nile, Yangtze River, Mississippi, Amazon [and] even the frozen river of Tundra will be featured in the river safari.

"On top of that, we have two major theme park rides - white water rides where they can see Malayan Tigers, and the Southeast Asia habitat plus the Amazon slow boat ride where they go on a boat to see more than 20 different types of animals from the Amazon River."

The park will feature more than 300 plant species and 500 animal species.

These include creatures like the anaconda, electric eel and a 350kg mekong river catfish.

The animals are being brought in from various institutions through exchange programmes.

River Safari will also be home to the Giant Pandas from China when they arrive by the third quarter of 2011 as part of a joint collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Each panda is expected to consume some 20kg of bamboo. And for this, different species of bamboo, will be planted throughout the enclosure.

When operational, the park will open from 9am to 9pm.

A minute's silence was observed at the groundbreaking ceremony as a mark of respect to the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, the brainchild behind Jurong Bird Park which opened in 1971. - CNA/fa

Go on a River Safari in Mandai
Park opening in early 2012 will feature 10 different ecosystems
Grace Chua Straits Times 22 May 10;

SINGAPORE'S newest attraction will allow visitors a peek into places far and wide, from the Mekong to the Mississippi delta.

The River Safari in Mandai will transport guests to 10 different river ecosystems around the world, giving them a glimpse of exotic freshwater flora as well as animals like the giant Mekong stingray and manatees.
The $180 million park, nestled between the Night Safari and Singapore Zoo, is the newest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) stable of attractions, and will open in early 2012.

Another star attraction of the 12ha park - it is less than half the size of the 28ha Singapore Zoo and is dwarfed by the 40ha Night Safari - will be a pair of giant pandas, which will arrive late next year on a 10-year loan from China.

The zoo's polar bears, Sheba and Inuka, will move to the River Safari as well. They will get a larger, climate-controlled home in the new park's 'Frozen Tundra' exhibit, which is six times bigger than their current enclosure.

In all, the new attraction - the first of its kind in Asia - will have some 5,000 creatures from 500 species on display, including howler monkeys, giant stingrays, soft-shelled turtles and the Mekong catfish, which can grow to 300kg.

It is expected to draw more than 820,000 visitors each year and tentative admission rates have been set at between $28 and $30 per head.

The park will add to the Mandai cluster of nature-themed attractions, said the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education, Mr S. Iswaran, the guest of honour at the site's ground- breaking ceremony yesterday.

The zoo and Night Safari, which have drawn worldwide acclaim, together pack in some 2.7 million visitors a year.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore chairman Claire Chiang said that besides being a recreational site, the River Safari would inform visitors about freshwater habitats and water conservation.

'It will be an IRR - an Integrated Rainforest Reserve,' she added.

To allay animal conservationists' concerns that the creatures on display would be taken from the wild, WRS chief executive Fanny Lai gave the assurance that they would be sourced via exchanges with other zoos and parks.

Plans for a riverine park in Mandai were first mooted in 2007.

Back then, a fourth site in the area was also earmarked for potential development as a nature attraction offering accommodation and other activities.

Giving an update on this fourth site yesterday, Mr Iswaran said the Singapore Tourism Board was still studying the possibilities for it, 'with a view to moving on to the next stage in the not too distant future'.


Pandas, polars at new Safari
Grace Chua Straits Times 21 May 10;

SINGAPORE'S newest attraction will allow visitors a peek into lands far and wide, from the Mekong to the Mississippi delta.

The River Safari in Mandai will transport guests to 10 different river ecosystems around the world, giving them a glimpse of exotic freshwater flora as well as animals like the giant Mekong stingray and manatees.

The $180m park, nestled between the Night Safari and Singapore Zoo, is the newest addition to Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) stable of attractions, and will open in early 2012.

Another star attraction of the 12-hectare park - it is less than half the size of the 28-hectare Singapore Zoo and is dwarfed by the 40-hectare Night Safari - will be a pair of giant pandas, which will arrive late next year on a 10-year loan from China.

The Zoo's polar bears, Sheba and Inuka, will move to the River Safari as well. They will get a larger, climate-controlled home in the new park's 'Frozen Tundra' exhibit, which is six times bigger than their current enclosure.

In all, the new attraction will have some 500 species from 1,500 species on display, including howler monkeys, giant stingrays, soft-shelled turtles and the Mekong catfish, which can grow to 300kg. It is expected to draw more than 820,000 visitors each year, and tentative admission rates have been set at between $28 and $30 per head.


Boat rides, two new pandas for Mandai park
Today Online 22 May 10;

SINGAPORE - Mandai could soon become the new buzzword for nature-themed attractions in Asia.

Another step was taken towards making Mandai a unique nature cluster with the announcement by the Government on Friday that it has identified a fourth site in Mandai for potential development into a leisure attraction, offering family-friendly accommodation and activities.

The Singapore Tourism Board is studying the possibilities for this site.

This was revealed by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, at the ground-breaking ceremony for the $180-million River Safari, Asia's first river-themed park.

Mr Iswaran said that conceptually, this will be the "4th Gate" site in Mandai.

He said with its tropical rainforest setting and rich biodiversity, Mandai provides a compelling contrast to the largely urban environment of Singapore, with the potential to attract 5 million visitors a year.

As for the River Safari, which is set to open its doors in 2012, it will host the largest collection of freshwater flora and fauna in Asia.

It will also be home to the giant pandas, as part of a joint collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

The attraction is the third nature-themed attraction in Mandai, after the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. Hetty Musfirah