Jurong Bird Park was an aviary and tourist attraction in Jurong, Singapore between 1971 and 2023. The largest such bird park in Asia,[3] it covered an area of 0.2 square kilometres (49 acres) on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region. It was one of the parks managed by Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which are also the managers of Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Wonders.
In 2016, the Mandai Wildlife Group announced that the Jurong Bird Park would be relocated to a much larger park at Mandai Lake Road by 2020, consolidating with the three existing wildlife parks together with a new Rainforest Park to form an integrated nature and wildlife precinct known as the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.[4][5] In 2021, the group announced that the park's successor in Mandai would be named Bird Paradise.[6] In 2022, it was announced that Jurong Bird Park would close on 3 January 2023 to finalise its move to Bird Paradise at Mandai.[7][8]
The idea of a permanent aviary was first conceived by Goh Keng Swee, then Minister for Finance, in 1968. During a World Bank meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Goh visited its zoological garden and was impressed with its free-flight aviary. He set out to ensure that Singaporeans would have a place where they could escape from urban life and relax with nature.[9][10]
Work on the aviary started in January 1969.[11] A 14-hectare (35-acre) site on the western slope of Bukit Peropok in Jurong was chosen for the project. The bird park was expected to be completed by the end of 1969.[12]
On 3 January 1971, Jurong Bird Park, built at a cost of S$3.5 million, was opened to the public.[13]
Jurong Bird Park became a world-famous bird zoo holding specimens of magnificent bird life from around the world, including a large flock of flamingos. At the time of its closing in 2023 it was the world's largest bird park in terms of the number of birds, and second largest both in the number of bird species and land area (after Germany's Walsrode World Bird Park). There are 5,000 birds of 400 species in Jurong Bird Park, of which 24% are of threatened species,[1] the highest percentage in any zoo worldwide.[14]
In 2006, Jurong Bird Park completed a S$10 million makeover. As a result of the upgrade, the park got a new entrance plaza, a park-owned and managed Bongo Burgers restaurant, an ice cream parlour, a gift shop and a bird hospital.[15]
Potential uses for the Jurong site after the bird park's closure include residential or recreational space. Memorable features such as the waterfall are expected to be retained.[16]
Animals and exhibits
Penguin Coast
The Penguin Coast opened on 1 December 2010 as an upgrade of the outdated Penguin Parade habitat. African penguins were able to live in an outdoor pool meant to recreate a South African coastline with artificially created waves on the lagoon. Inside a Portuguese galleon facade, gentoo penguins, Humboldt penguins, king penguins and northern rockhopper penguins were kept in a climate-controlled enclosure kept at 10–15 °C (50–59 °F).[17]
The Jurong Bird Park had the largest collection of Heliconias in Southeast Asia with over 167 species. Many different aviaries housed a variety of rare and endangered birds.
The former Lory Loft aviary, then the African Treetops aviary
Lory Loft
Guests could feed 10 species of lorikeets and lories. The attraction was chosen as a "Top 10 Best Family Experience" by the Singapore Tourism Board.[24]
Birds of Prey
A series of large aviaries that housed different species of birds of prey including Andean condors and king vultures. On 27 November 2019, a pair of critically endangered Philippine eagles named Geothermica and Sambisig were sent to the park as part of a recovery programme.[25]
Dinosaur Descendants
Larger ground-dwelling birds such as cassowaries, saddle-billed storks and sarus crane were housed in this area. Around the enclosures were four huts containing interactive displays like elephant bird egg replicas and a cassowary's casque as well as a dig site play area for children where they could excavate dinosaur fossils.
The waterfall in the Waterfall Aviary was once the tallest artificial waterfall at 35 metres (115 ft) tall
The Waterfall Aviary was 2 hectares (4.9 acres) in area and 35 metres (115 ft) tall, and had one of the world's tallest artificial waterfalls. At the time of its construction in the early 1970s the Waterfall Aviary was the world's largest aviary with the world's tallest aviary.[28] Guests crossed a suspended bridge to watch the many different birds. It housed a large variety of birds among which include black crowned cranes, helmeted guineafowl, milky storks, Nicobar pigeons, pied imperial pigeons, roseate spoonbills and scarlet macaws and several other species. [29]
Shows
The "High Flyers Show" showcased the natural abilities and skills of various different birds including their yellow-naped amazon named Amigo who could sing in three different languages. At the end of the show, visitors were allowed to take pictures with a flock of pelicans and flamingos.[30]
The "Kings of the Skies Show" featured the park's birds of prey.[31]
Tourism Host of the Year, Singapore Tourism Board, 2003
Breeders Award, American Pheasant and Waterfowl Society, 2001
Highly Commended, Tourism For Tomorrow International Awards, 1993
First Breeders Award by the American Pheasant & Waterfowl Society, 2001
Transportation
Throughout its existence, Jurong Bird Park was never directly served by any MRT line, with the nearest station being Boon Lay MRT station.
There is a bus service operated by SBS Transit which calls at the bus stop outside the former park.[33]
The park itself was once served by the Jurong Bird Park Panorail, a 1.7-kilometre (1.1 mi) loop monorail system which ran within the park. The system was constructed by Vonroll Transport Systems of Switzerland, which also built the Sentosa Monorail and Singapore Cable Car. The monorail system used four fully air-conditioned four-car trains which travelled around the park in approximately 11 minutes. It ceased operations in 2012 and was replaced by a trackless tram service similar to the ones found at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
^Yeo, Toon Joo (3 January 1969). "Work on $1 mil. aviary at Jurong". The Straits Times. p. 6. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016 – via NewspaperSG.
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