Singapore’s bird park is getting ready to welcome visitors to its new location in Mandai. Called Bird Paradise, it will house a population of 3,500 birds across 400 species when it soft opens on May 8.
After 52 years of operations, Jurong Bird Park closed earlier in January for the big move from Jurong to Mandai where, for the past few months, over 100 staff have been busy making the transition as stress-free as possible for both the birds and their caretakers.
Luis Neves, vice president of animal care, Mandai Wildlife Group, remarked that the birds are adapting well to the new environment and that the birds’ welfare and adjustment to their new habitat remains the group’s priority.
The new Sky Amphitheatre will feature an LED wall, and is designed for longer flights, with higher platforms to showcase flights from heights that were not previously possible at Jurong Bird Park.
Some new highlights guests can look forward to include eight walk-through aviaries where visitors can experience the different habitats of the world; the multi-level indoor Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove that is home to four penguin species; and close encounters with the birds and interactions with the animal care team.
Visitors to the new Bird Paradise can look forward to spotting several species making their debut, such as the Goldie’s Lorikeet, the European Bee-eater, the Brown-headed parrot, the Pompadour Cotinga, the Epaulette Oriole and the Grey-winged Trumpeter.
Bird Paradise will redouble its focus and take a prominent role in avian care, research and conservation efforts while providing opportunities for visitors to connect with these amazing creatures. It will also participate in over 75 ex-situ managed breeding programmes as part of its commitment to be a globally recognised hub for avian conservation and research.
