Wildlife of Singapore
Singapore packs remnant primary rainforest, mangroves and one of the world's most-watched urban otter populations into 730 square kilometres. Bukit Timah still holds pangolins and colugos, the Sungei Buloh wetlands are a globally important stopover for shorebirds, and smooth-coated otter families now hunt fish across the city's reservoirs and river channels.
Best timeSeptember – March for migratory shorebirds and raptors on their way south.
- 1Singapore has resident smooth-coated otter families that patrol Marina Bay.
- 2Long-tailed macaques and pangolins live within a 30-minute drive of downtown.
- 3The Sungei Buloh wetlands host migratory shorebirds from as far as Siberia.
Signature species
Curated for Singapore, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- CR
Sunda pangolin
Manis javanica
- VU
Smooth-coated otter
Lutrogale perspicillata
- CR
Straw-headed bulbul
Pycnonotus zeylanicus
Singapore holds the world's largest population.
- EN
Sunda slow loris
Nycticebus coucang
- EN
Long-tailed macaque
Macaca fascicularis
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Report otter sightings to Otter Working Group.
- Do the Rail Corridor at dawn for pangolins.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't feed macaques — Singapore fines up to S$5,000.
- Don't buy songbirds — this drives the bulbul trade.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 30km, last 30 days.
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