SINGAPORE - Visitors to the Singapore Zoo will not only be able to get up close to the elephants, they may also bump into a prehistoric mammoth.

The lifesize animatronic is one of several extinct animals brought back to life in the new Valley of Giants installation, which was set up to educate visitors about conservation issues.

It features 15 animatronic replicas of prehistoric megafauna, including the giant wombat, the giant sloth, the 3m-tall woolly mammoth and baby mammoths.

The largest replica is that of the giant hornless rhinoceros, which stands at 5.5m tall. It was one of the largest land mammals to have ever walked the earth.

Director of education at Wildlife Reserves Singapore May Lok said: "We hope to draw lessons from the past to educate the present, inculcating in children a desire to protect living megafauna threatened by extinction such as the white rhinoceros and Asian elephant."

Scientists debate that the mass extinction of prehistoric megafauna may have been a result of either conflict with early humans or climate change.

But modern-day megafauna, Ms Lok added, are also threatened by human-induced climate change and activities like poaching.

In line with its conservation efforts, the zoo in recent years introduced new ways of caring for its elephants which offer greater safety for elephant keepers and better welfare for the animals.

Elephant rides and painting sessions, in which elephants would use their trunks to paint, ceased in 2015.

Last year, the elephant shows were also given a new format. Rather than being commanded to perform stunts during shows, the elephants are now encouraged through positive reinforcement to display natural behaviours such as foraging.

To help visitors learn more about the zoo's herd of Asian elephants, the wildlife park is launching the Gentle Giants Wildlife Tour.

Participants of the exclusive behind-the-scenes tour will get to interact with the elephants through a feeding session as well as learn how their keepers train the mammals for medical procedures and how the elephants receive pedicures.

It is the first time the Singapore Zoo is giving the public an opportunity to get an in-depth look into the inner workings of its elephant herd and care team.

Ms Lok said she hopes the tour inspires guests to want to join in the zoo's efforts to protect wildlife.

"This is another opportunity we have created to bring our guests into the world of our animals and hear from their passionate keepers first-hand about how they care for this magnificent species," she said, referring to the elephants.

The Gentle Giants Wildlife Tour costs $98 for adults and $65 for children aged 3 to 12. The Valley of Giants is open for free to all visitors of the zoo.

Both activities will be available at the zoo from Nov 16 to Dec 29.