AnimalsOver 21,000 animals representing nearly 1,000 species call Mandai their home.
AnimalsOver 21,000 animals representing nearly 1,000 species call Mandai their home.
Threatened26% of the animal species we care for are threatened with extinction in the wild.
Nicknamed antbear for its appetite for ants and termites, the aardvark can consume as many as 50,000 insects in a night.
Lions live in social groups known as prides, made up of one or more mature males, several closely-related females and their young. Males roar and spray urine to advertise their territory to rivals.
Hunting dogs look out for their pack members, especially the young and the sick.
Naturally found at Aldabra Atoll, learn how we provide world-class care to our endangered Aldabra giant tortoises at Singapore Zoo.
Multi-coloured with a long tail ending in two racquets, this dashing crow-sized bird can be found across a broad swathe of lowland forests.
This species has the most vibrant plumage of all flamingo species.
The Andean cock-of-the-rock belongs to the cotinga family of colourful fruit-eating forest birds.
Though “Armadillo” is Spanish for “little armoured thing”, it is more than just “a roly-poly shell with bands”. The armadillo can hold its breath for six minutes, and its diet consists of insects, small reptiles, and even amphibians.
When size doesn't help. With 40,000-50,000 left in the wild, will the last of the megaherbivores be wiped out too?
With a comparatively shorter, sparser and darker mane, the male Asian lion's ears are exposed and visible at all times.
Living in close-knit social groups of up to 20 individuals, these otters communicate through squeals, chirps, screams and barks, and use scent marking to communicate and mark territory.
These smallest of 13 otter species in the world are social and playful animals.
Babirusa means pig deer in Malay due to its tusks that look very much like the antlers of a deer.
The Bali myna is almost entirely white with long head plumes and black wing-tips. Endemic to Bali where it formerly ranged across the north-west third of the island, the species was never very widely distributed.
Also known as the swamp deer, it is not uncommon for this large species to have up to 20 tines on their antlers.
Also known as ‘muntjacs’ or ‘rib-faced deer’, this species fights for territory with their "tusks”, which are actually downward-pointing canine teeth.
Nicknamed the ‘Bearcat’, the binturong is actually related to civets and fossas. Amazingly, it smells like pandan leaves or buttered popcorn!
Black-faced spoonbills are the rarest spoonbills and the only species of spoonbill to be classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The black-winged mynas' melodious song, along with their lively temperament and striking plumage make them highly-prized in the cage bird trade. Formerly widespread throughout the island of Java, there are now fewer than fifty mature individuals left in the wild. The last few appear restricted to mangrove areas, where they are presumably harder to trap as compared to the cultivated fields and pastures they formerly flocked to.
These birds forage in flocks of 40 or more, looking through leaf litter on the ground, or flitting from one leafy branch to another in bushes and trees, gleaning for insects.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.
Orangutans are apes, which means that unlike monkeys, they do not have a tail. Found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, they have special feet with long toes for grasping branches, and long limbs that can stretch out far so that they can move easily through the treetops. Orangutan babies stay with their mother for 7 to 8 years to learn survival skills. Play is an important way for them to learn these skills.
Though adorable, this species does not hesitate to attack an adversary, which it does by biting, or sitting on its haunches to shake its quills.
The brown lemur moves through the forest canopy on all fours. Its tail is as long as or longer than its body and is used to maintain its balance when it performs aerial leaps.
Though their diet consists mostly of fish, these owls also prey on crabs, shrimp, frogs, crayfish, small mammals, large insects, snakes, and even young false gharials.
This bizarre bird inhabits the evergreen lowland rainforests of South America where it forages for fruits and large insects in the canopy.
The fastest land animals, differentiate from other spotted cats by two black tear lines that extend from the corner of their eyes to the mouth.
These birds have found the perfect way to enjoy their nuts without too much beak gnashing. They search through pasture land, looking for palm nuts that have been eaten by cattle and passed out with the tough outer shells removed. Make no mistake – macaws are very smart!
Named for its cloud-shaped coat markings, this cat is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
It’s the most widespread owl species on Earth, but the common barn-owl has some uncommon vocal calls – it does not hoot! Instead, it produces an eerie, long-drawn-out shriek.
Their namesake blue lacey crests, resembling elaborate crowns, are actually modified feathers, making them truly majestic.
Emus belong to a family of flightless birds called ratites, which also include ostriches, rheas, cassowaries and kiwis. As the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich, it can run at a speed of up to 50 km/hr.
Affectionately nicknamed the “Toddy cat”, this furry fellow is essential for seed dispersal and forest restoration.
Tamarins usually have twins or triplets. Dad piggybacks the babies most of the time, passing them back to mum only when the babies need to nurse.
Living in small flocks in the Amazon rainforest, this parakeet is often seen foraging for fruits and flowers. Deforestation for cattle ranching and soy production poses a threat.
See more of our Colobus monkeys at Primate Kingdom. They are capable of leaping up to 15 metres and are rarely seen on ground.
Often seen fishing cooperatively, these birds swim in a wide arc to round up fish before scooping them into their yellow-orange throat pouches.
Eclectus parrots are among the best talking birds, easily mimicking human speech and a wide range of sounds like bells, whistles, and even laughter.
This diurnal gecko is found only in Tanzania's Kimboza and Ruvu Forest Reserves, where it dwells exclusively on pandan plants, which are associated with swamps or limestone within the forest.
Named for the electrical charge it releases to stun its prey and enemies, the electric eel can generate up to 800 volts of electricity, enough to kill an adult human.
Adult males can reach lengths of 7m. It is also the croc with the widest distribution.
Falabellas are the smallest breed of horses in the world.
False gharials diverged from other crocodiles over 40 million years ago, making them living fossils and offering valuable insights into crocodilian evolution.
Unlike some other cats, these felines love the water and are some of the best swimmers around. In fact, fishing cats have been seen swimming underwater to grab ducks’ legs!
What makes the fossa Madagascar’s top predator? Its adaptations include a good sense of smell and keen vision, even in low-light conditions.
This snake’s brilliant beauty and easygoing temperament belie its tenacity as a predator.
Gentoo Penguins is the world’s fastest underwater bird, swimming at speeds of up to 36km/h!
The largest of the four anteater species, giant anteaters can reach lengths of 2-2.5 metres. Feeding on ants and termites, their 60cm-long tongues can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute!
As one of the world's largest freshwater fish, this stingray can weigh up to 600kg.
Come meet Singapore's resident giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia!
This largest of all otters can grow to a standing height of 1.8m and take down small caimans.
Two young Rothschild’s giraffes Adhil and Balaji arrived at Singapore Zoo, part of a globally managed breeding programme under the EAZA Ex-situ Programme.
The golden-shouldered parrot nests in conical termite mounds. Dubbed the ‘antbed parrot’, it excavates its nest during the wet season when the mound is rain softened.
Their namesake mane isn't just for looks. The long fur around their face and ears enhances their hearing and helps with communication within their group.
Known for their extreme toxicity, these frogs produce toxins twenty times more potent than that of any other poison dart frog.
The tigerfish is the largest member of the tigerfish clan, a fierce predator with daggerlike teeth.
Great Argus are amongst the largest pheasants, related to the peafowls. Males have long twin tail feathers, which grow to a whopping 1.5 m in length, while their flamboyant wing feathers boast many eyespots.
This shy bird not easily observed among the forest foliage except when small groups gather and call in chorus, sometimes for several minutes. The chorus begins with plaintive cries followed by a series of short kok-kok notes and dies down with deeper vibrating calls.
The largest and heaviest leafbird, this bird has a powerful, hooked bill that it uses to pierce mid-sized fruits with a tough covering. The flesh is then dislodged and squeezed out with the bill. Small fruits and pieces of large fruit are eaten directly. On occasion when this bird visits flowers like the tubular ones of climbing vines, it punctures them at the bottom for nectar.
Despite their names, greater mousedeer are neither rodents nor true deer. They belong to their own unique family, Tragulidae, and are considered one of the most primitive living ungulates (hoofed mammals)!
To ensure germination, many seeds and unripe fruits contain toxins to keep animals at bay, What’s a seed- and fruit-eating macaw to do? Well, it could eat some dirt! Rich sediment is carried down the Andes by the Amazon river and deposited on its banks.
This species is threatened by habitat destruction, especially the felling of old-growth trees required for nesting. Because of its size, distinctive calls, and predictable visits to the same feeding sites, it is an easy target for local hunters.
This parrot loves company. Hundreds of them gather to roost communally in a few trees, socialising in animated chatters before spending the night together.
The green basilisk lizard is also known as the plumed or double-crested basilisk. Males can be distinguished by the showy crests on their heads and backs, which are used to impress females.
Large round eyes that are perfectly adapted to night vision help this arboreal monkey forage at night. While their diet may vary, they do like to grab and squish insects for food. Yikes!
One of the largest kangaroo species commonly found in Australia, the eastern grey kangaroo swims well and evades predators by diving.
Among the 350 odd parrot species worldwide, grey parrots are best able to mimic human speech.
Hamadryas baboon are hardy monkeys with a strong build and a dog-like snout. Males and females look so dissimilar that they have been thought to be of different species.
The Humboldt penguin is a medium-sized black-and-white penguin. All of its upperparts, nape, forehead, throat and face are black, except for a white border stretching from its eye to around the ear-coverts, finally joining on its throat. The base of its bill is fleshy-pink. A black horseshoe shaped breast-band extends down its flanks to the thigh and the white belly is speckled with black spots.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.
The Indian gharial is a critically endangered species that is estimated to have fewer than 200 left in the wild.
With its bulbous growth on the tip of males’ snouts, it’s no wonder this crocodilian gets its name from the word ‘ghara’ – ‘pot’ in Hindi.
A narrow snout, attended by an array of fearsome teeth, helps the gharial catch its fish.
Only a few mammals are known to produce venom and the slow loris is one of them. It mixes the secretion from a gland on the underside of its arm with its saliva to produce a toxin.
The undisputed queen of stick insects, adult females can reach a whopping 65 grams, making them the heaviest in the world! Males, on the other hand, are slender and lightweight, topping out at around 6 grams.
The King Penguin stands at a height of 1 metre. It is the second tallest penguin, after the Emperor Penguin, which is 1.3m tall.
With dense woolly fur that acts as a raincoat, and a strong tail that they themselves can use to climb back up on, this carnivore is perfectly equipped to raid beehives for honey.
The world’s largest lizard is also one of the few lizards with a venomous bite.
The cackle of the laughing kookaburra is an iconic sound of the dry eucalypt forests of eastern Australia at dawn and dusk.
With fewer than 50 of them left in Singapore and its surrounding islands, the Leopard cat is Singapore’s last wild cat. Be sure to slow down for them when driving along forested areas!
Out of six flamingo species, the lesser flamingo is the smallest and most numerous with around three million individuals.
With a rodent-like face and a rabbit's body perched precariously atop the pencil-thin feet of a piglet, the mousedeer looks like an odd mix of different animals.
Being one of the world’s smallest hoofed animals, the lesser mousedeer has fangs instead of antlers.
Being seedeaters, cockatoos have large beaks with which seeds can be dehusked efficiently. The action of the bill and tongue has been likened to the chewing action of ruminants.
With a wingspan of 1.5 – 1.7m, these are some of the largest bats in the world.
When night falls, the flying foxes leave their daytime roost to feed. their keen vision and sense of smell helps them locate fruit and flowers easily.
When threatened, they inflate their throat and let out a loud, unexpected honk that sounds like a cross between a duck and a car horn.
Manatees and their dugong cousins are the only aquatic mammals to feed solely on plants.
Despite its name, it is neither fox nor true wolf. In fact, it is the only member of its genus, Chrysocyon! Instead of howling, they bark or roar to let their mate know where they are.
Natives call the masked lapwing the ‘spear-carrying bird’ due to the sharp yellow spurs on its wings.
Despite their small size, meerkats are surprisingly brave. When facing danger, they'll stand tall and hiss together, creating a formidable front to deter predators.
Growing up to 3.2m long with a weight of almost 300kg, this large fellow is one of the world's largest freshwater fish.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.
Unlike its common city cousins, the Nicobar pigeon boasts feathers that shimmer with metallic green, copper, and bronze hues. This iridescence makes them resemble living jewels fluttering through the forest.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone. Palm nuts are among the toughest nuts but some macaws feed specifically on them.
Rockhopper penguins are so named because of their ability to hop over rocks and boulders, sometimes reaching heights of up to 1.8m.
The female kiwi produces the largest egg for its body size - the giant egg can weigh up to 25% of her body weight.
Found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, they have special feet with long toes for grasping branches, and long limbs that can stretch out far so that they can move easily through the treetops.
Hornbills usually pair for life but for both Stumpy and her current partner, it is love at second sight. Stumpy was one of a pair previously released to the wild. The pair were often seen flying together but one day the male disappeared.
The palm cockatoo is the world’s largest cockatoo. Its distinctive cheek patch of bare skin flushes from pink to bright red when the bird is alarmed or excited.
Head down to RepTopia to find out why and how panther chameleons are considered opportunistic hunters.
The Papuan hornbill is the only hornbill in New Guinea. Called ‘Kokomo’ in local Tok Pisin language, it is a show stealer. In flight, its wings give off a very loud whooshing sound.
With its one-metre height, the Philippine eagle is the tallest of eagles. It tips the scales at a maximum of eight kilogrammes, which makes it one of the largest eagles in the world.
As the name suggests, they boast a beautiful "pied" pattern, with a mostly white or pale cream body contrasted by striking bluish-black flight and tail feathers.
This cotinga showcases sexual dimorphism where the sexes take on different looks. The male has handsome burgundy feathers coloured by carotenoid pigments while the female is ashy grey.
Their scientific genus name, Callosciurus, actually means "beautiful squirrel," living up to their stunning orange and black coats. They're considered one of the world's most colorful squirrels!
Pygmy goats are the smallest breed of goats in the world. Fully grown, they measure 40cm from floor to shoulder, and weigh around 30kg.
Long movable ears and large eyes placed high on the head, providing near-360° vision, help rabbits detect predators from afar. Powerful hind-limbs help them make a quick getaway.
The rainbow lorikeet is distributed across its range in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, northern and eastern Australia and the western Pacific Islands.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.
Hailing from South America, this cardinal forages on the ground for seeds, fruits, and insects. It is kept as a pet on account of its good looks and melodious song.
The only family of birds that is entirely endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, the turacos are known for their punk ‘hairdos’. The feathers around their head do not have barbules, which gives a glossy appearance to their raised crest.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.
The douc langur's almond eyes and delicate features lend a kind of wistful magic to their beauty.
Cockatoos are large parrots, known for their long life spans that range from 40 to 70 years. They differ from other parrots in that they have a head crest and no blue or green feathers. Black cockatoos are found only in Australia.
The red panda's fiery red coat is no doubt why its name in Chinese literally means 'fire fox'.
Unlike some landlocked pigs, red river hogs are excellent swimmers and love spending time near water. They even utilize their strong legs and hooves to gallop through mud with ease.
Game for a scaly good time? Slither down to RepTopia at Singapore Zoo and learn more about the regal horned lizard.
A repertoire of some 22 different calls helps these primates engage in complex social interactions.
When the scorching desert sun beats down, River toads aren't ones to sweat it out. Instead, they burrow into the cool sand, crafting cozy underground hideaways where they'll spend most of the scorching summer.
Named for its unique spoon-shaped bill, the roseate spoonbill has attractive pink plumage and a defined carmine wing patch. The bare green skin on its head takes on a yellowish hue during the breeding season.
This turtle’s snake-like, long neck is about two-thirds the length of its shell.
A relative of toucans and aracaris, the smallish saffron toucanet occupies the Atlantic Forests of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Cockatoos have distinctive head crests which are normally kept folded back on the top of the head when relaxed. These are raised as a sign of agitation or curiosity, and to signal threat or romantic intentions.
This bird is observed to perch on low branches and roost in trees. It comes to the ground to forage for food and this is when it is most vulnerable to the introduced rats, cats, dogs and pigs that are found in much of its range.
They are what they eat – scarlet ibises feed on crayfish, crabs and aquatic insects which give their plumage the bright red colour.
A macaw’s beak can crack the hardest nut and even crush your finger. Its flexible and scaly tongue contains a bone.
The sloth bears use their sickle-shaped claws as ‘climbing hooks’ to hoist themselves up trees. They climb not to escape danger, but to get at termite or bee nests.
Also called the Three-striped palm civet, this exclusively arboreal omnivore has a diet of forest fruits, insects, frogs, birds, and occasionally, squirrels.
The southern cassowary is the third biggest bird after the ostrich and emu. Compared to the single wattled northern cassowary, it is slightly larger and has two wattles, which hang loosely from its neck.
Special, spectacled, spectacular. This large owl’s song is a loud, pulsing series of deep hoots - not so different to a sheet of metal being flexed rapidly.
These flying fellows glide from tree to tree by spreading their patagium – the special skin that connects its limbs.
They look like large dogs, but are more closely related to cats like lions and tigers. Their powerful jaws give them the strongest bite of any mammal.
Spotted whistling ducks have a variety of whistling and piping calls, used for communication, greeting each other, and even defending their territory.
Known for its melodious calls, the straw-headed bulbul has been hunted to extinction across much of its range in Southeast Asia.
One of the most important members of nature’s cleanup crew. They differ from their spotted cousins by communicating with body movements instead of noises.
Sulcata tortoises are one of the world’s largest tortoises and can grow up to 100kg!
Male and female eclectus parrots look so different that they were once thought to be separate species. Males are predominantly green; females are red or purplish red.
Sun bears get their name from the sun-shaped patches of fur they have on their chests.
Scaly from tip to tail, this primarily nocturnal mammal curls into a ball and protects itself with its scales when threatened.
Small but mighty, the Sunda slow loris remains as Singapore’s sole venomous primate and is key for its ecosystem’s seed dispersal and insect control.
The sun parakeet is green on the wings, scarlet on the breast and golden orange on the head and neck. This brilliant mix of colours is characteristic of their genus Aratinga, a group of “mini-macaws” found predominantly in northeastern Brazil.
The superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus) is a member of the starling family of birds. It was formerly known as Spreo superbus.
The name “devil” may come from the sounds they make. They make eerie growls while searching for food at night.
Often confused with owls, the nocturnal tawny frogmouth is closely related to night jars. It has a flat, wide beak like a frog’s mouth, hence its common name.
These kangaroos traverse the treetops with ease with their powerful arms, sharp claws and long tail.
Whether they are sleeping, eating, mating, or giving birth, sloths carry out most of their activities hanging upside-down from tree branches.
Sakis can make downward leaps covering close to 10m, a feat which has earned them the nickname “flying monkeys”. Head down to Fragile Forest or Primate Kingdom zones to see them in action.
A huge animal that feeds exclusively on grass, the white rhino has a wide mouth shaped for ‘mowing’ short grass. Its square lips set it apart from the hook-lipped black rhino.
A woylie can move six tons of soil per year in nocturnal diggings in search of its favourite food: truffles.
Stallions of this species mark and maintain territories using middens (dung piles). The Grevy's zebra is distinguished from other zebras by its round ears, white underbelly and the bullseye stripe pattern on its rump.
True to their name, their feathers are adorned with fine black and white bars, resembling zebra stripes.