Singapore's River Safari's Giant Panda Forest Opens on Nov 29

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Abdullah SINGAPORE, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) on Monday announced that the River Safari’s giant panda exhibit – the Giant Panda Forest – will open to the public for a special preview from Nov 29, in time for the year-end school holiday season. The Giant Panda Forest is one of the key highlights and developments of the upcoming River Safari, Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife park. The new park, located in between Night Safari and Singapore Zoo, is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2013. The panda exhibit will be opened to the public ahead of the park’s official launch for visitors to enjoy a special preview of the pandas. Visitors will be able to enter the Giant Panda Forest from a specially-created access point in Singapore Zoo. Those planning to meet Kai Kai and Jia Jia (above) at the Giant Panda Forest can do so by purchasing a Singapore Zoo admission ticket and a top-up fee of S$5.00 (US$4.10) per adult or S$3.00 (US$2.46) per child (3 to 12 years old). WRS chairman, Claire Chiang said: “We are pleased that the giant pandas have settled into their new home and look forward to welcoming visitors who are excited to see Kai Kai and Jia Jia. "By bringing visitors up close to these endangered bears, we aim to educate Singaporeans and tourists alike on the importance of conservation,” she said. Tickets to the giant panda exhibit will be on sale daily from 8.30am starting Nov 29. Apart from seeing the giant pandas, visitors to the Giant Panda Forest can look forward to meeting other wildlife from China such as the golden pheasant and the red panda. The two pandas are here for 10 years as part of a joint collaboration between China Wildlife Conservation Association and WRS to raise public awareness on wildlife conservation and develop a breeding programme for these endangered animals. -- BERNAMA