Ivan Lim
Image credit: Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Asia’s first bird park, Jurong Bird Park, which opened on Jan 3, 1971, celebrated its 45th “bird-day” last Sunday (Jan 3).
Singapore residents who visited enjoyed a 45 percent discount on admission tickets. 45 “early bird” visitors also received goodie bags to mark the occasion, Wild Life Reserves Singapore said in a press release.
Guests were treated to a special edition of the park’s bird show – the High Flyers Show.
The park’s pioneer show birds – Big John the cockatoo and Rod Steward the Egyptian vulture – returned to the stage as part of the anniversary show, while Amigo, a trilingual yellow-napped Amazon crooner, performed a birthday song for the park.
The 20.2ha park attracts about 800,000 visitors each year, and was conceived by the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was also the architect behind the development of Jurong Town.
Today, the park has about 5,000 birds representing 400 world species, of which 15 percent are threatened.
More than just a tourist attraction, Jurong Bird Park is also a prominent institution for the conservation of avian biodiversity.
It has successfully bred threatened species like the Bali mynah, the blue-throated macaw, as well as other significant species.
It is also the only park with an avian hospital in the Asia-Pacific.
There will be a series of celebratory events planned in 2016 for the Park’s 45th anniversary.
More details will be announced at a later date, but visitors can look forward to interactive June holiday activities that educate about the avian world while creating opportunities for multi-generational bonding.
