Singapore's only turtle and tortoise museum to relocate to Yishun in 2019

SINGAPORE: The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum - which has been at the Chinese Garden for about 18 years - will relocate to the ORTO leisure park in Yishun next year.

Despite some "little hiccups" and delays, the construction of the new site is expected to be done in two weeks, owner Connie Tan told Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday (Dec 26).

When construction is completed, the current location at Chinese Gardens will close in preparation for the move to the north of Singapore, she said.

The lease for the museum at Chinese Garden was set to expire in March, but Ms Tan got a reprieve from government agencies after she penned a lengthy Facebook post to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earlier this year.

READ: NParks studying if more time can be given to Singapore turtle museum to relocate

On Dec 12, Ms Tan announced the move to the new location, which is slightly larger than the original site. It will feature enhanced amenities such as larger animal pens, which will mean more living space for the reptiles.

Ms Tan was hopeful that visitors will like the new premises in ORTO - formerly called Bottle Tree Park.

"ORTO ... is a haven for families. With the area complementing what we are, it will definitely be a wonderful place for everyone to enjoy themselves in," she said.

The construction costs at Yishun were reduced after several contractors helped to install lighting and electrical wiring at cost, Ms Tan said.

"I only had to pay for the materials used," she added.

However, Ms Tan still has to contend with rental and construction costs, which will come up to more than S$200,000. With about S$30,000 raised to date, she estimates that she needs another S$180,000.

To cope with the financial strain, entrance fees at the new location will be raised to S$10 for Singaporean citizens and S$6 for children and senior citizens.

Ms Tan has also made appeals to the public for donations to help fund the museum.