info Due to Safari Zoo Run 2019 on 24 Feb 2019, regular operations of River Safari will be affected and large crowds will be expected.
The park and boat rides will open at 11.30am. The Once Upon A River animal presentation at 11.30am will be rescheduled to 2.30pm.

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Opening hours

We're open every day of the year.

River Safari

10:00am - 7:00pm (Last entry at 6.30pm)

Reservoir Cruise

10.30am - 6.00pm (Last ride at 6.00pm)

Amazon River Quest

11.00am - 6.00pm (Last ride at 6.00pm)

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Manatee

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Amazon Flooded Forest
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

60 to 70 years

The oldest manatee under human care was 69 years old

Seagrass

Diet

Seagrass

Habitat

Habitat

Rivers

and coastal waters

range

Range

Off the Caribbean Sea

and the Gulf of Mexico

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Get to know our manatees

High-fi and low-cal diet

High-fi and low-cal diet

Manatees spend six to eight hours a day feeding on submerged and floating aquatic vegetation, which contain large amounts of roughage.

Our manatees chomp on similarly high-fibre and low-calorie banana leaves and elephant grass.

 

(In)digestion

(In)digestion

It's not blubber that fills those barrel-shaped bodies, but an immense digestive system that includes up to 45 metres of intestines. Dedicated to digesting plant matter, this lengthy passageway extends digestion time and helps them absorb as much nutrients as possible. A single meal takes about a week to be fully digested!

 

Pellet cooperation

Pellet cooperation

High-fibre pellets are our manatees’ favourite snack. These are given as rewards during operant conditioning sessions to get our manatees used to routine checks and medical procedures. Canola started training last October and she now responds to coloured targets and presents her flipper voluntarily for blood draws.

She also cooperates for mouth swabs by lifting her head out of water and flips belly-up for ultrasound scans to detect and monitor any future pregnancies.



Special Experiences

Manatee Mania

9.30am to 10.30am
Max 8 people

Meet and greet our adorable manatee family, get to know each of their quirks, partake in their training and even have a go at hand feeding them during meal time!

Adult S$ 118.00
Child* S$ 72.00
Members enjoy a 20% discount

*Ages 3 to 12

  • Animal interaction time: 20mins
  • Tour price excludes Park admission, which must be purchased separately prior to the tour.
  • Participant must be at least 1.2m in height to participate in the Manatee Mania tour. 
  • Expectant mothers will not be able to join the tour due to safety reasons.
  • Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times, during the tour.
  • For safety reasons, wheelchairs and strollers/other mobility devices are not allowed within back of house areas.
  • Participants are to meet at the River Safari Visitor Services Counter at least 5 mins before tour start time.
  • Late arrivals may miss certain tour components.
  • Photo opportunities are allowed only at authorised photography areas.
  • Tours are non-exclusive.
  • You may be sharing the same tour with other guests.
  • Tour operates daily. Bookings are compulsory for Manatee Mania tour, no walk-ins allowed.    
Enquire now
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Hear it from our aquarist

Aquarist

Hi, I'm Joey!

Could you share with us any interesting incidents with the manatees?
Aquarist

Hi, I'm Joey!

Could you share with us any interesting incidents with the manatees?

On my first dive, one of the manatees – her name is Abel – came up to me and started to chew on my hair! They want to chew on anything. We use a long hose to clean the tank. The younger ones are very playful. They will come and give you a bump or play with the hose.
Zoo keeper

Hi, I'm Joey!

Can you tell us more about the younger ones?
Zoo keeper

Hi, I'm Joey!

Can you tell us more about the younger ones?

Our youngest was born in March. His name is Kaiser. Babies grow especially fast. Kaiser’s already 1.4 metres long. Our second-youngest, Joella, is only one year plus but she’s huge. You don’t realise how big they are until you see the next baby. Willy was born one month after I joined two years ago. He’s growing so fast!
Zoo keeper

Hi, I'm Joey!

Do you know all the manatees by sight?
Zoo keeper

Hi, I'm Joey!

Do you know all the manatees by sight?

Yes, each one of them is different. I look at their size first, then their body shape and skin tone. Eva is the biggest, she’s 1,200 kilograms and 3.5 metres long. Pedro, one of the old males, is the leanest. Their faces and eyes are different. And so is the way they open their mouths - Eva likes to open her mouth wide above water during feeding.

Together for wildlife

Abandoned calves

Abandoned calves

Whenever a baby is born, our aquarists keep a close watch for 48 hours to ensure it is suckling well. Sadly, scientists are seeing more orphaned calves in the wild. Separated from their mothers by human disturbance, these calves have been found stranded on coasts and left to fend for themselves.

The IUCN Status

LC Least Concern
NT
VU Vulnerable
EN
CR
EW
EX Extinct
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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.

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

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50¢ from every ticket purchased goes towards wildlife conservation in the region
River Safari
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