Our shows are operating at limited capacity as part of the necessary Safe Management Measures. We seek your understanding that once full, we will be unable to accept more guests.
Announcement 2 of 3:
From 11-21 Mar 2021, Night Safari will be open every day from 7.15pm to 12am.
Announcement 3 of 3:
Night Safari is open from Thursdays to Sundays, as well as eve of and on public holidays. Operating hours are from 6.30pm to 12am.
With a wingspan of 1.5-1.7m, these are among the largest bats in the world. At the Leopard Trail Mangrove Walk, feel the breeze as they flap past you, sometimes missing you by inches. There’s no cause for alarm - these frugivorous bats mean no harm. They’re just probably in a hurry to get to their supper. Landing on the tips of the branches decked out with juicy fruit by the keepers, they quickly fall into an upside-down position to feed, hanging on by the claws on their toes.
Toeing the line
Their toe claws provide such a powerful grip they can hang on with one foot while feeding with the other! Slicing the rind with their teeth, they extract the fruit with their long tongue, which is also used to lap up the juices.
The thumb claw is used as a hook to help them move along branches. Males also use it to settle turf wars. Highly territorial by nature, they communicate ownership by spreading their wings, growling, or making hostile noises.
Work at dusk
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. They can eat up to half their body weight in fruit on a daily basis. When sated, they right themselves before doing a “free-fall” take off. They also turn the right side up to defecate. Orchard owners regard them as pests and but a bit of fruit is a small wage to pay for the help they render in pollination and seed dispersal.
Together, we protect wildlife
Going to bat for bats
Many rainforest animals are threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and the illegal wildlife trade. Other than deforestation and decreasing roosting sites, the Malayan flying fox also faces increasing pressure from being unsustainably hunted for food.
Visit our conservation pages for more information on projects that WRS supports, and to find out how you can get involved too.
The IUCN Status
NT
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
DD
Data Deficient
Unknown risk of extinction
LC
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
NT
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
EN
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
CR
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
EW
Extinct in the Wild
Survives only in captivity
EX
Extinct
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity