NIGHT SAFARI OPENS NEW WALLABY TRAIL AUGUST 17

13 NEW EXHIBITS FEATURING MAMMALS, BIRDS AND REPTILES FROM AUSTRALASIAN REGION

(From left) Parma wallaby, tawny frogmouth, white-lipped python and the Naracoorte Cave.

SINGAPORE, 14 AUGUST 2012 – Visitors can expect animals hopping, slithering and crawling in their new exhibits at Night Safari’s latest Wallaby Trail. This walking trail officially opens to the public this Friday, August 17, and will bring visitors through a fascinating discovery of wildlife in the Australasian region which includes Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand.

Originally the Forest Giants Trail, the revamped walking trail features 13 new indoor and outdoor animal exhibits. Visitors can expect close encounters with a range of marsupials, including the parma and Bennett’s wallabies in a walk-through exhibit designed to let visitors get as close as possible to its residents. Other animals include Australia’s native bird, the tawny frogmouth, and the white-lipped python from Papua New Guinea.

“We’re excited to highlight these Australasian species in the Wallaby Trail because the Australasian region is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. The introduction of this walking trail adds another dimension to Night Safari’s wildlife experience and we hope to inspire visitors to appreciate and protect the earth’s extraordinary biodiversity,” said Mr. Kumar Pillai, General Manager, Night Safari.

The most prominent feature in the walking trail is the Naracoorte Cave. This re-construction of the Naracoorte Caves National Park in South Australia offers visitors a glimpse into the lives of cave dwellers such as free-flying bats, the giant river toad and the beauty snake. Through the use of dim lightings, this cave chamber showcases stalactite and stalagmite structures simulating a limestone cave. The trail also features an educational interpretive centre that showcases the beauty of Australasian flora and fauna through various animal and plant specimens.

The Wallaby Trail covers 4,800 square metres and can be easily accessed from the park’s main tram station.

WALLABY TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS

Entrance of Naracoorte Cave (left) and stalactites on the cave ceiling (right)

Parma and Bennett’s wallabies
Parma and Bennett’s wallabies are members of the macropod family which includes marsupials such as kangaroos and tree-kangaroos.

Like most marsupials, these wallabies carry young in pouches until they are developed.

Unlike kangaroos, wallabies are smaller. The parma wallaby is one of the smallest of the wallaby species, measuring approximately 50cm and weighing 5kg.

Bennett’s wallaby (left) and parma wallaby (right)

Sugar glider
This palm-sized animal gets its name from its fondness for sweet items such as fruits and flowers as well as its ability to glide up to 100 metres through the air.

Like their kangaroo cousins, these squirrel-like creatures also carry their young in a pouch.

A furry membrane that stretches from wrist to ankle allows them to glide through the night air, using the membrane as a parachute.

Sugar glider

Visitors can catch the sugar gliders in action as they glide from one branch to another in this exhibit.

White-lipped python
Found in Papua New Guinea, this beautiful python is easily recognised by the white marking along its lips.

This non-venomous snake feeds mainly on small mammals such as rats, lizards and birds, which are killed by constriction.

White-lipped python

Tawny frogmouth
The tawny frogmouth is native to Australia where it is commonly known as the morepork. Often mistaken for owls, these birds are in fact closely related to nightjars.

These nocturnal insect hunters have whisker-like feathers around their wide, frog-like mouths to trap prey. Unlike other birds that fly at night catching insects, tawny frogmouths remain very still, waiting for prey.

Their mottled greyish-brown plumage serves as effective camouflage during the day while perching on trees. When they stiffen their bodies and hold their heads up, they look like a branch.

Tawny frogmouth

Brush-tailed possum
The brush-tailed possum is a tree-dwelling nocturnal marsupial and the most common possum species in Australia. The largest of all possums, this animal has a naked patch on the underside of the tail to help it grip branches.

Brush-tailed possum

PHOTO CREDITS: WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE

WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE PARKS RECEIVED MICHELIN RATINGS

Singapore, September 12, 2008 – All three Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) parks – Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo have been accorded with Michelin ratings. Jurong Bird Park received two-star rating while Night Safari and Singapore Zoo both received three-star ratings, with three-star being the highest.

“It is such great honour that all WRS parks have been given star ratings in the Michelin Green Guide Singapore. This is truly an accomplishment for all of us at Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo. The rating is a testament of the team’s dedication towards conservation and providing unusual wildlife experiences. We will continue to do our best to bring engaging wildlife encounters to visitors and leave an everlasting impression as they learn more about endangered animals and birds from their visit,” said Ms Fanny Lai, Group CEO, Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

Michelin has been publishing travel guides for more than 100 years, helping travellers to see in a glance a destination’s most outstanding attractions using a ‘star’ rating system. Attractions are rated according to one, two or three stars with one-star rating for attraction that is interesting, two-star rating for attraction that is recommended and three-stars which is highly recommended.

Like many other attractions the three WRS parks were graded by Michelin’s representatives based on a set of criteria among which include convenience and visitor-friendliness, quality of reception and visit, popularity, the number of activities offered, authenticity, charm and unity.

The MICHELIN Singapore Green Guide, an annual publication, will be available in bookstores starting September 2008 and will be distributed across three continents: Europe, North America and Asia.

NEW ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AT WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE

New Structure Streamlined Across Jurong BirdPark, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo Derives Greater Synergies

Singapore, 19 February 2008 – The organizational and management structures at the Jurong Bird Park (JBP), Night Safari (NS) and Singapore Zoo (SZ) have been integrated and streamlined to derive greater synergies between the three parks, under the leadership of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS)’s newly-appointed Group
CEO, Ms Fanny Lai.

The new organizational structure, which will take effect from 1st March 2008 comprises six divisions, viz:-

- Life Science, Conservation, Research & Education;
- Commercial Operations;
- Marketing, Sales and Communication;
- Park Infrastructure & Development;
- Finance & Corporate Services and
- Human Resources.

“This new integrated structure optimizes efficiencies and allows WRS greater synergies in resources and services. In turn, we plan to raise the bar for service excellence in delivering exceptional wildlife experiences for visitors to all our three parks while supporting our other two key pillars of research and conservation as well as education,” said Ms Lai.

In line with this organizational restructuring, WRS plans to appoint a General Manager for each of its three parks.

While all current managers will stay the course at WRS, Dr Wong Hon Mun, Executive Director of JBP has decided to take a break and relinquish his current position by the end of February.

“Dr Wong had contributed greatly to the success of JBP and we are sad to lose him. However, we respect his decision and wish him the very best,” added Ms Lai. WRS has started the search for new general managers but anticipates that it would take at least six months before all positions are filled.

“We will continue our relentless efforts to deliver a holistic, integrated education and learning opportunities through exciting, engaging and meaningful wildlife experiences to all our visitors,” stressed Ms Lai.