THE GREAT ONE
Nicknamed Ol’ Man River, the Mississippi’s name originates from the Native American words meaning ‘Great River’. And rightly so. The fourth longest river in the world, the Mississippi is also the largest river system in North America, flowing through 10 states. Emptying into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of over 22,000m3 (that’s equivalent to the volume of 10 olympic-size swimming pools!) per second, it is among the most powerful rivers around today. Since the 1500s, the mighty Mississippi has been home to more than 400 wildlife species and human communities, and hosts a few hundred thousand feathery transients every year.
OL’ MAN RIVER’: THE EXPERIENCE
The Mississippi @ River Safari is inspired by the heyday of this awesome waterway in the late 1800s - the days of rustic log cabins, glorious steamboats and the carefree boyhood adventures of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. A vanished past brought back to life with meticulous construction, advanced interactive features and highly immersive exhibit techniques, you’ll be transported back in time to the romance of life along Ol’ Man River. In fact, we’ve even brought back Tom Sawyer (or rather, a very life-like statue replica of him).
While the real Mississippi River valley continues to be among the richest and most diverse in the natural world, a few species that used to thrive in its waters are on the endangered list today. These include the Alligator Gar, an exhibit you should make a point to visit when you are at River Safari. |
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Featured Residents
BEAVER
There was a time when there were 60 million beavers living in North America. A penchant for their lovely chestnut-coloured fur almost led to the demise of this large, semi-aquatic rodent, the beaver. Excessive hunting and trapping along the Mississippi brought beaver numbers down to drastic levels. Reportedly the beavers were reintroduced to former range in North America in the 1930s, where regulated hunting laws and designated trapping seasons have rescued these bark-chewing, dam-building herbivores as they chisel their way back to healthy numbers today.
ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE
It’s got a ferocious-looking jaw, a prehistoric-looking spiky shell and teeth that make you just want to run. One of the largest freshwater turtles in the world, if there’s anything this carnivore isn’t, it’s slow. During a hunt, an Alligator Snapping Turtle lies motionless on the water wriggling its tongue as a worm-like bait. As soon as a prey comes into position, it snaps its mouth with such speed and force that it would make any Hare stand!
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