New Pangolin Trail & underwater-viewing habitat with F&B area to be unveiled at Night Safari & S'pore Zoo

With 41 per cent of their animal residents threatened with extinction in the wild, Night Safari is home to many vulnerable species.

As the world's first nocturnal animal park celebrates its 30th anniversary, visitors can look forward to an enhanced experience with a slew of new features to be added to the park.

Pangolin Trail at Night Safari

A new 280m-long Pangolin Trail will be the first fully sheltered walking trail at Night Safari, easily accessible from the park's entrance.

Visitors can soon look forward to meeting a dozen different animal species such as the Sunda pangolin, slow loris, binturong, oriental small-clawed otter and spotted giant flying squirrel.

Using positive reinforcement and a conditioning process for over three weeks, the animal care team ensures that animals such as pangolins will be settled in well.

The park is the world's first zoological facility to successfully care for and breed the critically endangered Sunda pangolin, with more than 200 wild pangolins treated over the past decade.

The group's veterinary team will also be embarking on a breeding programme for the species in human care.

Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy CEO and Chief Life Sciences Officer of Mandai Wildlife Group, said in a press release, "The new Pangolin Trail tells the story of our ongoing mission to conserve this critically endangered species, with a holistic plan to protect them both in the wild, as well as in our care."

"The trail will offer guests the unique experience of seeing and learning about the shy and elusive pangolin being active at night," Cheng shared.

Bull elephant habitat at Night Safari

Visitors can also find Chawang, the park's iconic Asian bull elephant, at its new bull elephant habitat.

A 'stable grazer', an enrichment feature that releases hay spontaneously, will be implemented to encourage Chawang to forage more actively.

Such enrichment features seek to keep Chawang in better health, and to allow visitors to view Chawang up-close and in action.

Additionally, a look-out deck will be available for visitors to observe Chawang at close range.

Marine coastal habitat at Singapore Zoo

Aside from the new features at Night Safari, visitors can also look forward to new, exciting experiences over at Singapore Zoo.

Under the park's rejuvenation masterplan, a new marine coastal habitat, expected to be completed in 2027, will house Californian sea lions and African penguins.

The existing sea lion and penguin exhibits have been closed since Jul. 15, 2024.

Harbour seals will also be making their first appearance in Singapore at the marine coastal habitat.

The habitat will be the first-ever underwater-viewing habitat in the zoo, integrated with an F&B venue.

With the restaurant situated on the first level, diners can look forward to enjoying an underwater view of the marine mammals while dining.

The bistro will be located at the upper level, where visitors can have vantage views of the sea lions basking in the habitat.

In the morning, the bistro will also hold Singapore Zoo's signature dining programme, "Breakfast in the Wild", where diners can observe orangutans amidst the trees from an elevated terrace.

Keepers will also be around to answer diners' questions on the orangutans as well as other species.

Banquet hall at Singapore Zoo

Next to the bistro, a banquet hall twice the size of the zoo's current Forest Lodge event space will be made available to accommodate larger groups.

The banquet hall will have a capacity of 400 seats.

Spaces outside the hall can also be utilised for a host of curated experiences including animal interactions.

Top photos from Mandai Wildlife Group