After enjoying the specimens and replicas in Museum Satwa, it is time for you to enjoy the real ones. As one of the four cool sites in Jatim Park 2, Batu Secret Zoo will bring you to enjoy a zoo in different ways.
You will enter a gate with antiseptic that is sprayed to protect the animals from harmful things carried by your body. Your journey begins with various kinds of flying lemurs. Then you will spend time to the whole sections until you come to the exit gate in more than 2.5 hours. It takes lots of time because every unique and beautiful species inside the cages, fences, glass cages, or aquariums will hold you for several minutes to observe and be amazed. It seems impossible for you to skip or just watch every species with a quick scanning look. If you are tired enough in the middle of the zoo, you can call the official to deliver you e-bike to ride along the tracks. You can also take pictures with some exotic animals. The official will help you by using your camera while you pose with a baby lion or a Macaw like in “Angry Bird Rio”. If you dare enough, you can also give your nice pose with a big albino tiger.
There are various types of species from all over the world except from Antartica in Batu Secret Zoo. A hippo swimming in an aquarium-like cage, apes, giant turtles, foxes, ostrich, emu, bulls, deer, bears, mountain goats, elephants, giraffes, kangoroos, flaminggos, birds, bugs etc. are playing around in their cozy artificial habitats. You can tease them by impersonating their sounds, but you are not allowed to feed them, except for Kalongs, a kind of big bats. In front of their cage there are available the favorite food of the Minions “Banana!!!” that you can pick a slice with a toothpick and start feeding these black hanging creatures.
You’ll be surprised seeing squirrels as big as typical mature dogs gnawing a pile of grass. They are really cute and look so tame swimming so lazy in the pool inside their cage with a group of black swans. If you never see these animals, you will think that they are trully giant squirrels. Actually they are Capybaras, the largest rodent in the world from South America.
Then you’ll go to the darkest side of the sections that is the home for the nocturnals. In this section you are not allowed to use your flash for it can hurt the eyes of the creatures that are active in the night like owls, frogs. If you are an aquarist, then you will be really satisfied to see many kinds of tropical fish with aquascape background, nemos and friends, a shocking size electric eel, and a giant 5 meters wide aquarium full of predators like snakeheads, redtail catfish, tiger shovel catfish, albino patins, and the legendary huge freshwater fish from China “giant Mekong Catfish. Also the reptilian lovers will be glad to observe black caimans, boas, cobras, vipers, rattle snakes, and other dangerous species.
After you exit the alley that feels like inside the chamber of a pyramid, you’ll see a jaguar and cheetahs inside the wired cages. Then the track will lead you to Savanah where there are more than 45 species brought from the wildlife of Africa on your left or right side along the hallway like Zebras, Antelopes, Wildebeasts, etc.
Having an exciting long journey that consumes your time and energy, it is time to spoil your children or your self with some rides or having some meals, drinks or ice cream in the food court. If you or your children still have extra energy and need to have more refreshement you can just enjoy some rides for “gratis” (free) as it is included in your entry tickets for Museum Satwa and Batu Secret Zoo.
Adults can recall their child memories by riding bumper cars with animals shapes or riding shark coaster that has fewer screams than the real high and steep coaster in amusement park. The children will be happy with many rides that they can try or they can just swim in the pool or play in the playground under the sunshine. For todlers, they can enter an indoor playground with their parents. Or you can ask your family to climb the stairs to be in the grip of Kingkong that is starring at you.
Near the end before the exit gate you will have your last adrenaline rush. Your fear mixed with your amazement when seeing big cats from all over the world will make you keep producing “WOW” sound all of time, even with unique themes of the glass cages that putting cars inside them for their naps over the caps. The biggest cat is the Siberian Tiger followed by The Bengal Tiger and The Sumatran Tiger. Moreover, your heart will beat faster when you are standing on the two layers of 2 inch glasess holding you from falling to the tiger’s cage. Then you’ll get calmer when seeing the lazy lion sleeping on their place.
Batu Secret Zoo really offers you amusement, amazement, and adrenaline rush through experiencing unforgetable close encounters with the wild life.
/// Written by Gigih Dwiananto, Indonesia