Description
Central Catchment Nature Reserve (Chinese: 中央集水区自然保护区), also known as the Central Water Catchment and often abbreviated as the CCNR, is the largest nature reserve in Singapore, occupying 2880 hectares Forming a large green lung in the geographical centre of the city, it houses several recreational sites, including the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and the River Safari, as well as several newer facilities built to encourage public appreciation of the reserve, such as the HSBC TreeTop Walk.
It is one of the four gazetted nature reserves in Singapore. The other three are the Labrador Nature Reserve which was gazetted since 1 January 2002, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. All four nature reserves along with the parks are protected under the Parks & Trees Act 2005.
The nature reserve acts as a catchment area for the surrounding reservoirs. The country's main reservoirs – MacRitchie, Upper Seletar, Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce – are in the central catchment area.
Most forests in the Central Water Catchment were cleared for logging and cultivation unlike Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which remain relatively undisturbed. The Central Water Catchment now consists of a mixture of young and mature secondary forests with virgin primary forest surrounding the reservoirs.
The Central Catchment Nature Reserve and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve once formed a contiguous forest. That all changed when the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) was constructed in 1986, separating the nature reserves into two fragments. The Eco-Link@BKE, completed in 2013, now connects the two reserves once again to facilitate animal movements and the dispersal of forest plant seeds.
The MacRitchie Reservoir Park is located at the southern-eastern end of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. It is a popular starting point for visitors who wish to hike the MacRitchie Trails and the TreeTop Walk
Attractions
Bordering MacRitchie reservoir are remnants of rubber plantations from the 19th century. Walkways and boardwalks in the reserve, which range from 3 to 11 kilometers long, allow visitors to enjoy a closer feel to nature. The reserve is also visited by hikers and trekkers due to its terrain and scenery. A hike can lead to the nearby Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Biodiversity
The nature reserve boasts a rich biodiversity with over 500 animal species including crab-eating macaque, flying lemur, common tree shrew and even the Sunda pangolin. Wild birds such as crimson sunbird, greater racket-tailed drongo and kingfishers are found in the reserve, too. Some species of critically endangered bats have been spotted in the Central Water Catchment. The reserve has many species of butterflies. It is home to some 1,600 species of flora. The reserve, along with the adjacent Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, has been identified by BirdLife International as the Central Forest Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports populations of vulnerable straw-headed bulbuls and brown-chested jungle flycatchers.
HSBC TreeTop Walk
The nature reserve contains a 250-metre suspension bridge. The HSBC TreeTop Walk opened to public on 5 November 2004. It connects the two highest points in MacRitchie – Bukit Pierce and Bukit Kalang. At the highest point, the bridge hangs 25 meters from the forest floor. The difficulty level of the trail ranges from moderate to difficult. The suspension bridge serves an important role in forest canopy research, giving researchers access to areas well off the ground. To preserve the tranquility of the environment and for safety reasons, the number of people allowed on the walkway is capped at 30. Visitors will only be able to travel along the narrow walkway in one direction, by entering from the Bukit Pierce entrance and exiting through the Petaling Trail. Rangers are deployed along the 10.3-kilometre trail to ensure safety.
Nature education
The Central Water Catchment provides free guided tours to schools and the general public. This is part of National Parks Board's efforts to educate people about the conservation of nature areas in Singapore.
Banded leaf monkey conservation
The Central Water Catchment is the only location in Singapore where the nationally critically endangered banded leaf monkeys can be found. Due to rapid urbanisation and habitat loss, the population at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve had been exterminated. The banded leaf monkey is one of four primate species native to Singapore. Today, they are restricted to a small area within the Central Water Catchment with a population of about 40 individuals.
The National Biodiversity Centre, in partnership with the Evolution Lab of the National University of Singapore, initiated an ecological study of banded leaf monkeys (Presbytis femoralis) to propose conservation management recommendations and maintain a viable population in the long term. Comprehensive surveys were conducted to determine the population number, demography, home range, behaviour and communication, food choices, habitat and anthropogenic interferences on the monkeys.
Location: 601 Island Club Road (Located close to Singapore Island Country Club, via Venus Drive)
How to get there: Start from Venus Drive Carpark to TreeTop Walk. Bus Stop ID: 53079, 53071(Upper Thomson Rd)
TreeTop Walk Opening Hours:
Tuesday-Friday:9am-5pm, Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays: 8.30am – 5pm
*Closed on Mondays, except on Public Holidays
Venus Drive Car park Opening Hours: 7am - 7pm (no overnight parking)
Smoke-free (all nature reserves)
Accessibility info: Wheelchair accessible in certain areas
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Catchment_Nature_Reserve
Address
Singapore
Singapur
Lat: 1.355152607 - Lng: 103.797203064
