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If you grew up in Singapore, the Singapore Zoo definitely holds some fond memories for you, be it those of family trips, first dates or outings with your friends.

Singaporeans are sure to remember some of the zoo's iconic creatures, such as Ah Meng the Sumatran Orangutan, Inuka the first Polar Bear born in the tropics and Omar the White Tiger.

On Jun. 27, Singapore Zoo will be celebrating its 50th year of operations.

To commemorate the Golden ZOObilee, Mike Barclay, CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group, paid tribute to those who have helped the zoo come this far by thanking the zoo's dedicated staff, the millions of guests, and the generous donors.

Additionally, Barclay also expressed gratitude for the continued support the zoo has received.

He said:

"We would like to thank everyone for their unyielding support, and we will continue to reinvest funding and resources to improve our zoological parks, from education programmes to breeding programmes, and financing wildlife conservation work across the region.”

The history of Singapore Zoo

The idea for a zoo to be situated near Upper Seletar Reservoir came about in 1968 — a "naturalistic zoo that takes advantage Singapore's tropical environment" was created.

The Singapore Zoo was officially opened on Jun. 27, 1973 by Goh Keng Swee, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

It has now become world-renowned for its open-concept design.

Immersive wildlife habitats that are most popular with guests include the Fragile Forest, with 50 species of birds and mammals freely roaming the biodome, and the free-ranging Orangutan exhibit that opened in 2006.

From a mere 272 animals across 72 species at the beginning, the Singapore Zoo is now home to more than 4,200 animals from over 300 species, of which 34 per cent are threatened.

The zoo has also seen many significant births such as the endangered Komodo Dragon, native to Indonesia, in 2009. It was the first zoo in Asia to successfully breed it.

Other notable ones include the zoo's first Orangutan birth in 1975, and the hatching of the world's first second-generation pair of Crocodile Monitors under human care in 2019.

The zoo continues to be an important member in conservation networks, and is part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA), and contributes to the conservation of various species through breeding, research and education.

Currently, it participates in 58 internationally managed ex-situ breeding programmes for species like the Bornean and Sumatran Orangutans, Red Ruffed Lemur and Goodfellow's tree Kangaroo.

Golden ZOObilee activities

The Singapore Zoo is one of the oldest wildlife parks locally, and has welcomed close to 60 million visitors over the last five decades.

A whole suite of activities are lined up for visitors to enjoy at the zoo.

ART-ZOO Happy ZOObilee

The ART-ZOO Happy ZOObilee comprises eight inflatable animal sculptures of Jubilee the Rothschild's Giraffe, Astove the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Komali the Asian Elephant, Minah and Bubu the Pygmy Hippos, Bunny the Linne’s Two-toed Sloth, Izara the Grevy’s Zebra, Hoepel the White Rhino, and Ah Meng the Sumatran Orangutan.

These sculptures were created specially for this event.

The Happy ZOObilee trail serves as an Instagrammable spot, and allows children to interact with tactile play elements to learn more about their favourite animals.

It will launch on May 27 and carry on until Aug. 27.

At the end of the trail is a 21m-long inflatable art playground, along with other fringe activities such as animal interaction sessions and craft workshops.

The trail is open daily from 10am to 6pm.

Mandai Wildlife Run

The Mandai Wildlife Run returns after a three year hiatus, and will take place on Sep. 23 and 24.

It was previously known as the Safari Zoo Run, and was started in 2009 in memory of Ah Meng.

Participants will be able to run in Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari.

The run now includes new race categories for seniors, as well as health and wellness activities, sustainability-themed workshops and up-close animal interactions.

With every sign-up for the race, a portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting conservation projects locally and in the region.

Registration for the Mandai Wildlife Run will last from Jun. 27 until Sep. 4 via the Mandai Wildlife Reserve website.

Race pack collection will take place on Sep. 16 and 17.

Backstage Pass

On Aug. 6, Singapore Zoo will be launching Backstage Pass – Incredible Invertebrates, a new tour to take participants into the Fragile Forest to discover the role of insects in our ecosystem.

There will be hands-on activities such as identifying butterfly eggs and releasing newly-unfurled butterflies into the Butterfly Aviary.

Bookings are available from Jul. 6.

The tour is only available on Thursdays and Sundays from Aug. 6.

Tickets are S$118.40 for weekdays, and S$148 for weekends and public holidays.

Zoo Adventure Tour: ZOObilee edition

The Zoo Adventure Tour: ZOObilee edition will run from Jun. 27 to Aug. 27, from 9:30am to 11am or 2:30pm to 4pm.

This private buggy tour will include key highlights about the zoo's history, animal interaction and feeding sessions.

A specially curated handbook will be provided for guests to explore the park as well.

Bookings open on May 27.

Wild Explorer Camp

For children aged six to 10, the zoo will be conducting a two-day Wild Explorer Camp from Jun. 1 to 2, and Jun. 8 to 9.

Parents can sign their children up for a wildlife experience at Singapore Zoo and River Wonders during the June school holidays.

The children will get to participate in guided tours and meet animal ambassadors.

Parents can register here.

It costs S$450 per child.

Check out all the other activities, promotions and deals happening during the ZOObilee celebrations here.

All images courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group.