Aside from China, you can see giant pandas in zoos in Japan, South Korea, and many other Asian countries. However, what about Singapore?
Are there pandas in Singapore?
Yes, there are pandas in Singapore. Singapore’s River Wonders zoo has the famous Kai Kai and Jai Jai that came from China.
Moreover, the couple gave birth to their first-ever cub, Le Le after nine years of coming to Singapore. The cub is also the first-ever Singapore-born giant panda.
Le Le alongside his parents are the only pandas you can currently see in Singapore.
Now, we have confirmed that Singapore does have giant pandas.
However, you might also ask – where in Singapore can you see a giant panda?
Let’s find out!
Where to See Pandas in Singapore?
You can see pandas in the giant panda forest inside the River Wonders (River Safari) zoo. You should know that River wonders are the only zoo in Singapore where you can find a panda.
River Wonders is one of the zoos under the Mandai Wildlife Group. The other zoos are:
- The Singapore Zoo (Mandai Zoo),
- Night Safari
- and Jurong Bird Park.
The Mandai or Singapore zoo is the major zoo in the country but it has no giant pandas in it. In Singapore, giant pandas have made the river wonders zoo a center of attraction.
It’s easy to get to see the pandas in the zoo. Tickets are affordable. The zoo is open every day so there’s no day you don’t get to see the giant pandas.
River Wonders Zoo Details:
City: Mandai, Singapore
Website: mandai.com
Address: 80 Mandai Lake Road Singapore 729826
Recommended Reading: What Zoos Have Giant Pandas?
How Many Pandas Are There in Singapore?
Currently, there are three giant pandas in Singapore. They are the popular Kai Kai and Jai Jai who are parents to the male panda cub Le Le.
This cub was the latest addition to the number of pandas in Singapore. Singapore finally got their first panda cub born in the country.
Meet Kai Kai and Jai Jai
Meet Le Le
How To See Pandas In Singapore?
To see a giant panda in Singapore is easy. All you need to do is to visit the River Wonders – the only Singapore zoo with giant pandas.
However, you need to purchase tickets online on the website.
Guide to Buying Tickets (River Wonders)
Visit the Mandai website. Click on the River Wonders zoo section and follow the steps below to get your ticket(s):
STEP 1: Click on the River Wonders ticket admission.
STEP 2: Select the number of tickets you want to buy below the page (Prices differ for local residents and non-residents. Also, for children and adults).
STEP 3: Choose your visiting date.
STEP 4: Select the time of visit to the zoo between 10 am and 5 pm. Some might not be available so you might choose a different one.
STEP 5: Provide contact details – name, e-mail, phone number, and residential country.
STEP 6: Review your order. Check if all the information you gave is correct. Afterward, make payments to the available payment options below the page.
That’s it! You’ll get your purchased tickets to visit river Wonders directly in your mail.
Transportation:
You should know that River Wonders zoo is about 30 mins drive from Singapore city.
However, you might be coming from any other city aside from the main city.
So, you can choose from the options below a comfortable means to go to the zoo:
- Self-drive
- Taxi
- Mandai Khatib Shuttle
- Mandai Express – Bus services
- Public transport – Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
When Did Pandas Come to Singapore?
The famous Singapore giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jai Jai first came to Singapore from Chengdu, China in 2012.
Kai Kai, the male, was only 4 years of age while Jai Jai, the female, was 3 years at that time. They arrived in Singapore as sub-adults and were on a 10-year loan from China.
As you know, countries can only get giant pandas on loan agreements from China to other countries. They don’t fully sell them!
No country can directly own a panda but can have one in their zoos through a loan fee. This is China’s panda diplomacy.
Interestingly, Singapore was the 9th country to get a giant panda from China. In addition, they didn’t just get one, but two at the same time.
Final Thoughts
In summary, you can find pandas in Singapore. There are about three of them, Kai Kai, Jai Jai, and the latest, Le Le.
If you want to see a panda in Singapore, you should visit the River Wonders Zoo. This is the only zoo in Singapore that has giant pandas.
Guides on how to get tickets and arrive at this location are already in this article.
Both Kai Kai and Jai Jai came from China under a 10-year loan agreement. However, Le Le was the first cub of the two pandas and the first Singapore-born panda cub.
You should remember that all giant pandas belong to China. So, every panda in any part of the world aside from China is on loan from China.
You can read our full article – Where Do Giant Pandas Live? – to know other places where you can see a giant panda.
