SINGAPORE: A revamped Rifle Range Nature Park opened to the public on Saturday (Nov 12), adding 66ha to the sprawling Central Nature Park Network.
Located to the south of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the park – which spans an area roughly the size of 123 football fields and contains more than 7km of trails and boardwalks – also occupies the site of the former Sin Seng Quarry.
The quarry ceased operations in 1998 and has since transformed into a freshwater habitat with a boardwalk and a bird hide or shelter for visitors to observe wetland animals.
One of Rifle Range Nature Park’s key features is also a vantage deck shaped like a colugo – a gliding mammal – where visitors can have a bird’s eye view of surrounding areas, from 31m above the quarry wetland.
The park is home to more than 400 species of flora and more than 300 species of fauna such as the Malayan colugo, Sunda pangolin and leopard cat.
Rifle Range Nature Park is the eighth in the Central Nature Park Network, which also includes Dairy Farm Nature Park, Hindhede Nature Park and Thomson Nature Park. There are now more than 370ha of nature parks within the network, and over 30km of walking trails within the parks.
