'Panda'stic — PoohsDen

The past year Singapore Zoo got 2 pandas – Kai Kai and Jia Jia amidst huge fan fare. Their arrival was webcast live and yes I was one of those who watched it (Along with a few others at work). There is something about the pandas that entices people. Those black and white huge giants are not beautiful or graceful but they are very attractive.

And ofcourse marketing helps. Kai Kai and Jia Jia have been marketed really well and have aroused curiosity in the minds of young and old. The pandas are currently being housed in the soon-to-be opened River Safari. The River Safari will not be a part of the zoo. It is adjacent to the zoo but will require separate tickets just like the Night Safari. The concept seems pretty neat and I am sure I will be visiting them as soon as they open for public.

You need to buy tickets to see the pandas currently. The tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids in addition to the zoo tickets (you cannot just see the pandas yet. Zoo members also need tickets). These tickets are sold for specific times. You pick a time slot and you are given 15 minutes to see the pandas. Yes you cannot sit there forever – your time there is limited.

We picked up the 10.40am time slot and we were at the panda bear entrance (next to the otters) by 10.20am. The place was crowded but I got to give it to the zoo folks – they handled it really well. The crowd management gets an A. We lined up and at 10.30 am we walked in – into what will be the future River Safari. Another ticket check and we are in a line on the banks of the river. It is amazingly beautiful and relaxing (if you can tune out the over-excited voices in the background) After a quick set of instructions and warnings (keep quiet, no flash photography, secure your hats and glasses and you may not meet both pandas et.al) we walked in. The place is getting ready for its opening, the displays are ready and waiting the arrival of the animals. It looked very interesting. We walked along the Yangtze River section and I was beyond fascinated. I know very little about this region and I imagine my future visits will be educational and enlightening.

Then there are zoo employees flashing signs reminding you to turn off your flash and maintain silence (these signs are super catchy – it left my 3 year old impressed and she kept reminding me to keep my voice down when we were inside). The first thing that hits you as you walk in is the coolness – the humidity-free cool air on your skin. I was just being pushed in with the crowd and enjoying the cool air when I heard the first gasp from my little one. The Golden Pheasant with its colorful plumage caught her eye. We hunted for the display board (placed a little off) and learned about it before moving to the next display. By then most of the crowd had moved on in search of the giant pandas giving us some breathing space.

Next stop the red pandas which look more like foxes than like pandas. And finally we walked towards the giant pandas. They are huge and have totally disproportionate heads. The first panda was lying down and within a few seconds my little one was bored. I mean they are exciting but not worth more than a minute. We walked around and saw some cool informational displays about the sounds a panda makes, information about the stages of its life and its paws. We spent quite a bit of time here. As an information loving mother-daughter duo, this captured our attention for longer than the animals themselves.

We saw the other panda walking and people going crazy clicking pictures. I took a couple of pictures before my daughter told me it was time to move on. We walked out to a store filled with panda merchandise. Everything you imagine in the shape of a panda. And yes we picked up some memorabilia before we walked out. There is cafe around the corner complete with panda stools and panda buns. A neat place to sit back and relax after dealing with the mad rush.