This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on June 6, 2017

The world’s most threatened reptiles, amphibians and arthropods (animals with exoskeletons) have found a haven in Singapore Zoo’s RepTopia, the park’s latest attraction dedicated to a spectrum of enigmatic and fascinating creatures, almost a third of which have never been seen in the island republic.

 The climate-controlled indoor attraction showcases mixed species exhibits in different landscapes, featuring a cast of weird and wonderful animals, ranging from the well-camouflaged to the brightly coloured, from the cute and cuddly, to the menacing and deadly. The mixed exhibits provide inter species interaction, which is a great form of enrichment for the inhabitants, and augments the viewing experience for guests.

 Younger visitors will be kept occupied by various play elements such as a bamboo forest which they can navigate through, a ranger station to learn more about Singapore’s reptiles, a rock playground where they can pop their heads in for a closer look at one of the reptilian residents, and even a touchscreen display to find out more about illegal wildlife trade.

Another highlight at RepTopia will be the daily interactive sessions with keepers, which allow guests to get up close and personal with some of the creepy crawlies, gain better insights on this group of often misunderstood creatures, and learn simple tips on how they can help save reptiles such as by not buying snake skin products or refraining from eating turtle eggs.

 When fully completed, guests can marvel at approximately 60 species whose existence are now tangled with tales of deforestation, illegal wildlife trade and pollution, among other environmental issues responsible for the loss of these important groups of animals. The entire herpetological collection features over 100 species, and is spread across RepTopia, Reptile Garden and Tortoise Shell-ter.

 Dr Luis Carlos, director of zoology at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, “Reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods may scare some people with their alien-like appearance, sharp teeth and forked tongues, but these mystifying creatures that have been in existence for over 200 million years now need our protection. Singapore Zoo’s RepTopia is a safe haven for them quite literally — we hold assurance colonies of critically endangered herpetological species in case they go extinct in the wild, and work on conservation projects to ensure their long-term survival. Through RepTopia, we are highlighting their plight in the wild to our visitors and engaging them to participate in efforts to conserve these creatures.”

 Singapore Zoo holds three herpetological assurance colonies currently, and one of them — the Roti-Island snake-necked turtle — takes pride of place at the Indo-Pacific region of RepTopia.

 Among the collection, one in six is classified as threatened under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Endangered Species. Of these, at least four are critically endangered — the Madagascar flat-shelled spider tortoise, Roti Island snake-necked turtle, Yangtze alligator and electric blue gecko — making RepTopia one of Singapore Zoo’s exhibits with greater conservation and educational values.

 Thrill seekers wanting a glimpse of the venomous and poisonous will not be disappointed. The world’s heaviest viper, with the longest fangs and capable of delivering the most venom in a single bite—the Gaboon viper — will make its debut, as will three species of poison dart frogs.

 The stars of the exhibit, however, are undoubtedly the chameleons, with three species being represented, including the technicolour panther chameleon, one of the few that can produce the colour red, and the Parson’s chameleon, one of the largest species in the world.

 The launch of RepTopia will be accompanied by a spectrum of themed activities over the weekends until June 26, including the signature Zoolympix event, which returns for its 13th year. This year’s instalment, aptly titled Reptile Revolution, takes participants on a learning journey to discover the four kinds of reptiles — snakes, lizards, chelonians (tortoises) and crocodilians.

Singapore Zoo is located at 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore. For more information on RepTopia, visit www.reptopia.sg.