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S'pore's Live Turtle & Tortoise Museum to close after Feb. 28 due to redevelopment of area

"I'm very very worried, but we push on, we drive on," the museum owner said.

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January 28, 2025, 06:59 PM

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Within a month, the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum of Singapore at Lorong Chencharu will be closing down and possibly moving to a new location.

Feb. 28 will be the last day visitors get to see the beloved Testudines at the current Chencharu site.

The museum's owner, Connie Tan, shared the "very painful news" of the closure via TikTok on Jan. 27.

It is unclear, at present, when the turtle museum will reopen for visitors at its new location. Tan shared in the video that the earliest date could be in June or July, though this is just an estimate.

Moreover, the stress of the relocation, as well as changes in the environment, could be trying for the health of the turtles in the museum's care.

Encroaching developments

Tan, in the video, cited construction works in the area as a reason for the museum's closure:

"We are smack right in the centre of a major development, and I have no choice but to say yes to them, to us closing, to you guys not being able to come over here and see the turtles."

The works commenced in 2023 at what used to be Orto leisure park at Lorong Chencharu, with the area currently being redeveloped into a residential zone

Tan had previously said that the construction works, and the hoardings put up as a result of the works, led to a drop in footfall to the museum.

Tan told Mothership that she was also concerned about the living conditions of the turtles given the construction works, citing "dust and dirt" from the area.

Tan said in the video:

"We hope that the turtles will be able to do well under such circumstances because there's a lot of things going on here.

Waters and environment, everything is changing, so I'm very very worried, but we push on, we drive on."

Tan, however, added that she understands the need for the estate to be built up, and that "some things have to be sacrificed."

"You need to know they are trying their best, and they still need to keep the building of the estate going," she shared.

Moving to a new location

Tan said that the museum is allowed to stay at its current site in Lorong Chencharu, for a time, while the new location is being built.

Tan has posted videos of construction works on the new site to the museum's TikTok page, which is also in Yishun:

Tan posted a few vlogs of the construction progress to her TikTok page. Screenshot from turtlemuseumsg/TikTok.

As for the health and safety of the turtles during the move to the new site, Tan said that she would do her best, though she acknowledged the possibility of them being affected by the relocation:

"The turtles are my pets. I ensure that they will be moved, at my best. I hope they will be okay, but definitely they will be affected somehow. This is the nature of turtles."

Fundraising call

The earliest the museum could reopen, Tan shared, would be sometime in June or July, though this is just an estimate.

Either way, the estimated five to six-month gap between February and July is liable to leave the museum strapped for cash, since they will not be open for visitors in the interim.

Tan thus highlighted the museum's dire financial situation and put out a fundraising call.

The museum is accepting donations from the public and has set up a fundraising page.

If you're keen to support Tan and the museum, you can also:

  • Do a bank transfer to OCBC 687-727156-001, branch code 687 and bank code 7339
  • Write a cheque addressed to The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum
  • PayNow to UEN 52933221C

Tan also shared that the museum will be open during Chinese New Year on Jan. 29 from 2pm to 6pm.

On Jan. 30, it will open from 10am to 6pm.

The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum

Address: 81 Lor Chencharu, #01-16, S769198

Opening hours: Wed to Mon, 10am to 6pm

Top photo from turtlemuseumsg/TikTok. 

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