The Quest for the Merlion

Everybody know the national emblem of Singapore is not the Lion but the mutant Merlion, a product of cross mating between a lion and a giant fish. Legend has it that the Merlion was caught in the sea somewhere off the Esplanade and so the wise gahmen decided to build a statue of it there just like how they put a statue of Stamford Raffles at the site where he first landed in Singapore.

But since the first Merlion came up, somehow mysteriously over the years, it has reproduced and today its offspring can be found all over Singapore. Some are legit and some are bastards. So one fine Saturday morning, a group of us decided to track down the legitimate children of the Merlion.

We started our hunt with the second most famous of them all - the gigantic one at Sentosa. This one was easy to spot. Right up there on top of the hill and bigger than its papa in town. 

But surprise surprise, we found another one not too far away. This one is a multi-colored Merlion. Now who is the mother? Some rainbow fish?

The next Merlion was not on an island or near the sea but right on top of the 2nd highest peak on the island. Poor thing. A fish errr lion out of water!

At our next destination, we discovered not one, not two but 3 Merlions. And one of them is colored too.. Talk about multi-racial! But hor the Merlion here seems to be like quite different. Probably from a different side of the family.

This one is too skinny. Either they starving it or its sick. And it looks funny too with its moustache.

This one seems about right though. Maybe because it is next to a koi pond and has a ready supply of food

This one must be a naughty boy though. Kept inside a glass cage. So sad.

And back at the original location where papa Merlion is, we discovered another bastard

And of course there is the baby of the family. Right under the watchful eyes of papa Merlion. But I think it got shingles. So many lines on its body.

And of course there is papa Merlion. The most majestic of them all

We heard there are some more Merlions all over Singapore. Some said Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands and even Batam. But I think we leave the hunt for another day.