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WRS Mandai expansion plans

Discussion in 'Singapore' started by Zooish, 5 Sep 2014.

  1. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    I was meaning with the addition of the new zoo (the Southeast Asia park) there will be another entry fee which Zoochatters will have to pay because they need to do a full set if visiting the island; not a current increase on cost.
     
  2. FunkyGibbon

    FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

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    We'll see I suppose. I'm sure there'll be some increase, but the incentive to offer a five in one ticket with an obvious saving will be even greater when it's one site. Probably the Rainforest Park is going to be the most expensive of the lot, especially with the infrastructure inside. Skypods = $$$
     
  3. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    I don't know what a Skypod is...
     
  4. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Sadly no. There will be an MRT station opening circa 2019 that is much nearer to the Zoo, but it will still be a 15 minute bus ride away. The in park stations are for an internal shuttle service that will ply between the East and West arrival nodes (that are close to a kilometre apart).
     
  5. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Some kind of newfangled monorail apparently
     
  6. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    thanks. I'd googled pictures and just got raised skylights. Googling "Skypods Jurassic Park" got jeeps. So I was none the wiser.
     
  7. leone

    leone Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Hi, are there more photos of the mandaipark model?:)
     
  8. CGSwans

    CGSwans Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The entire park opened a couple of weeks ago. Zooish didn't say anything because he wanted to see how long it would take you to ask.
     
  9. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    I'm sure that if there were more models or plans publicly available, then Zooish would have mentioned them already. You need to show patience.
     
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  10. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    leone likes this.
  11. Swedish Zoo Fan

    Swedish Zoo Fan Well-Known Member

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    Will the bird park still be open in late March? I'm planning a visit to Singapore in easter and as a bird lover I want to see the park before it moves to it's new location.
     
  12. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    The new bird park isn't slated for finished construction until 2020. Jurong will remain open until then.
     
  13. leone

    leone Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I think this news habitat are beautiful,
     
  14. Emperor Penguin

    Emperor Penguin Member

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    There is something that I don't understand: the bird park of this project is the jurong bird park (but improved), or a totally new zoo ?
     
  15. CGSwans

    CGSwans Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The new bird park will replace the existing Jurong, which will close.
     
  16. Emperor Penguin

    Emperor Penguin Member

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    Thank you ! What do you think of this decision ? The "old" Jurong bird park was not enough modern ?
    (So, I must go quickly to singapore, to see the old park :D)
     
  17. FunkyGibbon

    FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

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    I'm quite agnostic about the new plans.

    The risk is that one of the world's finest zoos is replaced by something inferior. Given that half of the relatively new River Safari is fairly poor I think this isn't a trivial point. On the other hand most of WRS's developments are excellent, even if enclosures are on the small side. There is also the emotional loss of a much loved site.

    The reward is that we might get a much better park than Jurong. It's possible that they've let things slide because of the impending move, but at the moment, with exceptions, it's a combination of fantastic enclosures with humdrum inhabitants and humdrum enclosures with fantastic inhabitants. Simply put, I think it's very easy to imagine a much improved version.

    The other factor is that by moving the bird collection to the reservoir site, and with the Rainforest Park also due to open shortly after, Singapore will be able to make a genuinely convincing claim to be the best zoo in the world (for a given definition of zoo). It pleases me that an Asian zoo could do this.

    If you have a chance I would definitely visit in the next two years; I will almost certainly do so myself, but I'm also looking forward to seeing the new parks.
     
  18. toothlessjaws

    toothlessjaws Well-Known Member

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    Having just completed my goodbye visit to Jurong, I was still somewhat dismayed that one would abandon such a large established zoo simply to move it to another neighbourhood. But thats Singapore for you I guess.

    There is little doubt that the the relocated bird park will complete what is a VERY impressive concept for a zoo. But, to truly get a tick from me for the world's greatest zoo, WRS will need to address their biggest problem: that is that beneath the lush jungle veneer, many species have appallingly small enclosures.
     
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  19. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    A small update on the new Bird Park. Construction of the park started last month and will take about 2 years, which puts completion at mid-2020. It will probably open towards the end of 2020 after the birds move in and settle down. Links below are for a 3D computer render of the park (seems like the final design), and concept art for the park's penguin exhibit.

    Mandai Bird Park | VALERIANO ENDAYA CABILES | Archinect

    Singapore Zoo Penguin Exhibit

    Construction for the other parts of the Mandai project - West Arrival Node, Eco-Link bridge (wildlife crossing) and animal quarantine facility - are underway. Construction has not yet started on the Rainforest Park (and I don't think the plans have even been finalized yet).
     
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  20. Zooish

    Zooish Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The current Jurong site is quite run down and in need of a major utilities and infrastructure overhaul. Rather than tear down and rebuild most of the park on the existing site, the planners decided it was better to move it next to the Zoo. The new location would also improve attendance for the Bird Park, which has been declining over the years, partly due to it's relative isolation from other tourist attractions.