"Why do you want to look at the captives animals? We can always go to park or nature reserves if you really want to have some wild encounter!". This was what my friend ask me when I told him that I'm visiting zoo on Christmas day...
But one thing he didn't realise was that there are lots of real 'local' wildlife in the zoo and they are NOT in the Captivity!!! I'm not interested with those animals in the enclosure but the real wildlife that can be found within the zoo itself. Many wild animals have chosen to stay in the zoo due to available of foods and most importantly, for protection.
So I visited zoo with some friends on Christmas day and here are some of the wildlife that we encountered! Immediately after the entrance, we saw this beautiful Hasselt's Spiny spider, Gasteracantha hasseltii . In fact, there are so many of them until we are lost count of the actual number that we saw.
Is Christmas, the flower of this palm tree really looks like snow flakes! This make the Green Crested lizard even more stunning.
This is an juvenile Cloded Monitor Lizard, Varanus bengalensis nebulosus. 
Saw lots of caterpillars in this small patch of area. No wonder so many wild birds are attracted to zoo.
This cute squirrel is having his breakfast in the zoo too!
There are lots of birds flew pass overhead such as this Milky Stork. Although this bird are seen in the zoo compound, they are free to come in and leave anytime!
Another beautiful flying bird that I saw was this juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle.
And more of the Milky storks!!!
There are lots of water ponds in the zoo which attracts Kingfisher, such as this Stork bill Kingfisher.
Not forgetting this Olive-winged Bulbul. 
Oriental Magpie Robin, 
This Broadbill Crow was drinking water from this tree cavity.
A very elegance Rufous-tailed tailorbird, Orthotomus sericeus
I also saw this Little heron!The next time when you visit zoo, don't just go for the captive animals.....spend some times, slow down your pace, there are lots of real wildlife waiting for you to go and discovered!
After a short break for breakfast, we head to Bishan Park for our next part of exploration.
The pond skaters cover almost the entire surface of the pond near the edges.
Group of terrapins resting and taking sun bath on this small island right at the center of the pond.
A Sand piper was seen resting on another 'unclaimed' island.
A white breasted waterhen and her chick.
A bittern that non stop hunting for fish
A bubul
White throated kingfisher. Apparently, without using any net as the no casting of net sign says, doesn't affect the birds ability to catch their own food. 
While watching the birds hunting their food, I also took this believed to be the smallest butterfly in the region if not the world. The body is only as big as the grass as seen on photo.
Hmmm.... 
There are also lots of different dragonfly over at Bishan Park.
Variegated Green Dragonfly (Orthetrum sabina)
We saw another pair of dragonfly preparing for their next generation.
This is also one of the photo that I was trying to take - a real Cicada. So far been taking only their moult. The loud noise that we hear in the forest are actually made by male cicadas to lure females.