*Media Invite*
On Noah’s second birthday last year, we took him to the Singapore Zoo for the very first time. He enjoyed it so much that we decided to get an annual membership to the zoo, and we’ve been trying to visit the zoo regularly since then. We also went to the Night Safari on National Day this year, and were pleasantly surprised that we could check out some of the exhibits at the River Safari that night too. We’ve been meaning to explore the River Safari properly, so we happily accepted their invitation to participate in the River Games last Saturday.
We started the day with a short behind-the-scenes stint as Panda Researchers, where we got to learn more about pandas. Did you know that pandas eat about 20kg of bamboo a day? That’s a LOT of bamboo! Interestingly, they don’t digest the bamboo very well, as we saw for ourselves from their lumps of poop. Yes, we got to actually prod open their poop, which wasn’t smelly at all, and saw that it was made out of almost whole bamboo leaves. It was such a fascinating experience, and Noah has been talking about “panda poo-poo” almost daily. Haha.
Be a Panda Researcher
Scatology aka the Study of Poo-Poo
Close-up of the panda poop
“Is that panda poo-poo?”
After examining the panda’s poop, we moved on to the other station to learn about different animal tracks. The children were asked to guess which tracks were made by the giant panda, red panda, and the deer, and were also taught that pandas have six toes on each foot, so that they could hold the bamboo properly. Another interesting fact we learnt that day was that the paw prints of a panda face outwards from tree trunks, because they do handstands when they pee, in order to mark their territory. It was really an extremely informative session, and I’m glad we got to learn so much about pandas that day.
Paw Prints
Learning about the different paw prints
Checking out the paw prints near the tree trunk
The children were eager to explore the River Safari, so we got started on our quest to conquer the River Games! Basically, there are seven game stations spread around the River Safari, and you’ll get a stamp after completing each station. The games are pretty easy, and Noah was able to do most of them, so no worries if you’ve got a preschooler with you. Do be prepared to queue, but the queues moved rather fast, as the games were simple. For most of the stations, I would queue while C brought Noah around to look at the exhibits in the area, and Noah would join me in the queue later.
Get your Game On!
The Game Card
Go-Go-Gharial
Lunch Panda-monium
Checking out an exhibit with Daddy
Can you spot the crocodile?
I thought this red panda was quite cute
Of course, our visit wasn’t just about playing the River Games, as all the exhibits were really interesting, and there was so much to be learnt. I’ve always struggled to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile, and when I asked the staff about it, I was told that there’s actually another species, called the gharial, that looks similar to the alligators and crocodiles!
The pandas were the main attraction of the River Safari for most of us, and we were delighted that Kai Kai was rather active when we arrived at his enclosure. Noah was really fascinated, so we spent quite a bit of time watching Kai Kai eat some bamboo. Jia Jia was hiding in her den, but came out to eat while we were having our snack in the private function room which faced her enclosure, so we managed to get a pretty good look at her too. What a treat!
How about making a Panda Happy Snack?
All about Kai Kai and Jia Jia
Learn more about Pandas
Hello, Kai Kai!
Speaking of snacks, if you’re at the River Safari, you MUST try the Panda Pau! They’ve got the traditional red bean one, as well as a yummy chocolate custard one. Both were really good, and of course, really cute. Noah doesn’t usually eat paus, but he insisted on trying it because it was so adorable.
Posing with our Panda Pau
He couldn’t wait to eat it!
Happy kids after enjoying their food
Photobomber
As we walked from one exhibit to another, I was quite tickled by the River Riddles displayed along the way. Some were really corny, but I thought it was a nice touch. I saw many visitors laughing at the River Riddles that day, so do try and spot as many as you can when you’re there!
River Riddle
We also went on a 15 minute River Cruise, which Noah enjoyed, because it was his first time on a boat. We spotted some rhinos, giraffes, and storks, but that was about it. Noah isn’t tall enough for the River Quest boat ride, so we had to skip that. It looked rather interesting though, so we’ll definitely be back for it when Noah is older (and taller). It rained a little during our trip, but thankfully, most of the park is sheltered, which allowed us to carry on with the River Games, and to check out the indoor exhibits, such as the aquariums. We loved the manatees, and spent some time just watching them swim around. It was rather therapeutic, I must say!
Noah was rather upset when it was time to go, but we promised him that we would return another day, so he left rather reluctantly. (Also, C bribed him with a polar bear soft toy, but that’s a story for another day.) We’ll definitely be back again, as there are apparently some new exhibits coming up, so do look out for that too!
The River Games are on at the River Safari from the 6th to 28th of June 2015, on weekends only. The stamps on your game card can be exchanged for various prizes, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t manage to complete all seven game stations. You’ll need a minimum of three stamps, before you can get a prize, but the games are fairly easy, and you shouldn’t have any trouble finishing at least three stations. For more information on the River Games, please visit their website HERE.
*Disclaimer: We were invited to the River Safari for the purpose of this post. No monetary compensation was received, and all photos and opinions are, as always, our own.
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