It is operated by the Mandai Wildlife Group, which also manages the neighbouring Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise as well as the forthcoming Rainforest Wild Park.
At the time, the Public Utilities Board (PUBG) decided to use some of its land holdings around reservoirs for parks and open recreational facilities.
The executive chairman of the PUB, Dr Ong Swee Law, set aside 88 ha (220 acres) of land for the construction of a zoological garden.
The director of the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka, Lyn de Alwis, was hired as a special consultant to work out the problems inherent in tropical zoos.
The first animals displayed in this manner were the rare golden snub-nosed monkeys from China in 1987, which attracted more than half a million visitors.
Several key staff, including CEO Bernard Harrison, left as a result in 2002, citing differences in management style.
In 2003, Wildlife Reserves Singapore launched a massive rebranding exercise, which was shelved due to widespread public disapproval.
Several species of reptiles and amphibians are housed in four different regions, Deserts of the World, Indo-Pacific, Tropical Africa and Neotropical Rainforests; among them are crocodile monitors, electric blue geckos, Gaboon vipers, golden poison frogs, king cobras, Madagascar giant day geckos, plumed basilisks, reticulated pythons, veiled chameleons and western diamondback rattlesnakes.
[15] A 20,000 cubic metre biodome that houses a wide variety of tropical birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and invertebrates.
Species kept in the biodome include black-casqued hornbills, great argus, lesser mouse-deer, Linne's two-toed sloths, Malayan flying foxes, Malayan peacock-pheasants, Nicobar pigeons, pied imperial pigeons, Prevost's squirrels, red-sided eclectus parrots, red ruffed lemurs, spotted whistling ducks, western crowned pigeons, white-faced sakis and zebra doves with golden lion tamarins housed in a small enclosure near the biodome.
A large troop of hamadryas baboons are mixed with a herd of Nubian ibexes in an enclosure recreating the rugged steppes of Ethiopia.
Meerkats, common kusimanse, servals, rock hyraxes and South African ground squirrels are kept in smaller enclosures.
Other animals in the zoo include African penguins, Asian small-clawed otters, buff-cheeked gibbons, California sea lions, Celebes crested macaques, chimpanzees, emperor tamarins, great white pelicans, Sumatran bearded pigs, North Sulawesi babirusas, proboscis monkeys, pygmy hippos, red ruffed lemurs, red-capped mangabeys, sun bears and Malayan tigers.
[26] "Breakfast in the Wild" allows visitors to meet and interact closely with animals in the zoo, which has previously included Ah Meng (died on 8 February 2008) who was an icon of the Singapore tourism industry.
Animal presentations, as well as token feedings coupled with live commentaries by keepers, are also the daily staple in Singapore Zoo.
[27] The "Splash Safari" presentation features the zoo's sea lions performing acts relating to their natural behaviors, and also playing frisbee with a lucky visitor.
[31] On 13 November 2008, two Bengal white tigers mauled a cleaner, 32-year-old Nordin Montong to death after he jumped into a moat surrounding their enclosure and taunted the animals.
[36][37] A separate service, known as the Mandai Express, operates on selected weekends and holidays to and from three locations in Bedok, Sengkang, and Tampines.