Singapore is often known as the garden city. On further research I found that this title was thanks to an initiative by Lee Kuan Yew way back in 1968. This was also around the time that Singapore had just got its independence. This plan was undertaken to balance the urban development while preserving nature in all the districts of Singapore. Today Singapore has earned the distinction of being one of the most eco-friendly places on earth and it has one of the longest running go-green campaigns on earth.
The Singapore Zoo was opened up as part of this initiative in 1973. It was initially called the Mandai Zoo and then later it was renamed as Singapore Zoological Gardens. The zoo aims to not only promote tourism but also raise awareness among people about endangered animals. The zoo is a living habitat to many animals from various corners of the earth.
A couple of attractions that really got the kid in me excited were the River Safari and Night Safari. The river safari also doubles as an aquarium which is also the first of its kind in Asia. The River Safari houses various species of fish, reptiles and amphibians. The Polar Bear, the Green Anaconda, the Gangetic Crocodile and the Pandas are also great attractions here. The animals are housed in enclosures that have optimum living conditions similar to their native habitat. The care with which the zoo is built is truly commendable; a safe haven for the animals and a green oasis for the people.
