New wildlife park Bird Paradise to open in second quarter of 2023

SINGAPORE: Bird Paradise, the new bird park at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, is set to open in the second quarter of 2023.

Spanning 17ha, it will be the first of two new wildlife parks located at Mandai Wildlife Reserve to open to the public, said Mandai Wildlife Group in a media release on Monday (Oct 3).

Bird Paradise will be home to 3,500 birds from more than 400 species, with eight walk-through aviaries representing different biomes around the world including African rainforests, South American wetlands, Southeast Asian paddy fields and Australian dry eucalypt forests.

These aviaries have been named Heart of Africa, Wings of Asia, Crimson Wetlands, Amazonian Jewels, Songs of the Forest, Mysterious Papua, Australian Outback and Lory Loft.

The new bird park will also feature an avian conservation section called the Winged Sanctuary. It will house critically endangered species such as the Philippine eagle, the Vietnam pheasant and the Negros bleeding-heart.

"Building on Jurong Bird Park's ex-situ and in-situ conservation efforts for globally threatened avian species, 24 per cent of the species in Bird Paradise will be threatened species, the highest percentage listed under human care in a single zoological park," said Mandai Wildlife Group.

According to Mandai Wildlife Group, the move from Jurong Bird Park to Bird Paradise will begin after the former closes on Jan 3 next year, and the birds will be relocated "over a few months".

Bird Paradise will join the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and River Wonders at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, with another park, Rainforest Wild, to open at a later date.

Formerly known as Wildlife Reserves Singapore, the Mandai Wildlife Group is overseeing zoological park operations and construction in the Mandai precinct.

The remaining features of the precinct are set to open progressively through to 2025.

Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group Mike Barclay said: "When the Mandai Rejuvenation Project was envisioned, we wanted Bird Paradise to exemplify our commitment to operating open, immersive wildlife parks that place animal welfare at the centre of what we do."

"The support facilities are also of the highest standard, including a state-of-the-art avian hospital and an extensive breeding facility," he added.

Bird Paradise will also provide the group with a platform to further its education programmes, capacity-building initiatives and work to protect threatened bird species across the region, he said.

As part of a sustainability push throughout the precinct, Mandai Wildlife Group said that Bird Paradise will be applying to be certified under the Landscape Excellence Assessment Framework.

It will install rooftop solar panels where space is available and incorporate "passive design to achieve thermal comfort and avoid glare in the large visitor spaces".

"More than 5,000 trees have also been planted throughout the park to recreate natural habitats and provide shade for visitors," the group said, adding that energy-efficient hybrid ventilation systems would be used to replace air-conditioning where possible.

"For areas where air-conditioning is required, water and energy-saving measures will be implemented, allowing spaces such as Penguin Cove to achieve the Green Mark Platinum for non-residential buildings."

Editor's note: Jurong Bird Park's closing date has been corrected in this article.