Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
A couple who got trapped on Coney Island after hours recently had to be rescued by Singapore police.
Trapped on Coney Island
Pasir Ris NPC shared in a Facebook post on Aug. 13 that they had responded to a distress call from the park.
The pair had apparently taken a wrong turn in the park and gotten lost as the sun set.
When they finally made it to the West entrance of Coney Island, they realised that the large green gates were closed and they were locked inside.
These gates are topped with barbed wire, and close at 7pm.
Photo from Jack Yam / Google Maps
Pasir Ris NPC said that similar incidents had occurred before, and people who found themselves in the same situation reasoned that they had lost track of time.
Pasir Ris NPC urged people not to overstay their welcome, and for future parkgoers to take note that Coney Island closes at 7pm.
Why close at 7pm?
Some in the Facebook comments questioned why the park needed to be closed at 7pm, and answers from fellow Facebook users ranged from the practical...
To the questionable...
To the supernatural.
Coney Island isn't the only park that closes at 7pm.
Nature reserves (Central Catchment, Bukit Timah Nature Reserves and Sungei Buloh), as well as most nature parks (Dairy Farm, Chestnut, Hindhede, Kranji Marshes, Windsor) are closed at night.
According to the National Parks Board, this allows wildlife, most of which are nocturnal like the civet cat and Sunda pangolin, to feed and go about their activities without being disrupted by human activity in their habitat.
Pasir Ris NPC also added in their post that "the wildlife needs some peace".
Recently, instances of hikers getting lost and injured at night in Clementi Forest have occurred.
These people were subsequently rescued by police and Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters.
Follow and listen to our podcast here
Top photo from Jack Yam / Google Maps