45% discount on Bird Park’s 45th birthday bash

 SINGAPORE —  Jurong Bird Park turned 45 today (Jan 3) and offered Singapore residents a 45 per cent admission discount for the day as part of its festivities, with more events to come for the year-long celebration.

Interactive family activities during the June school holidays, and public outreach programmes to raise awareness on bird wildlife conservation, are just some of the things visitors may expect, the park said in a news release, with details to be announced at a later date.

Those who were at the park on Sunday enjoyed promotions on food and drink as well as shopping deals, and 45 “early birds” walked away with goodie bags each containing a cap, polo T-shirt and water bottle.

The High Flyers Show, a regular feature at the park, entertained visitors with two special birthday editions, where free-flying birds swooped over the audience’s heads as they learnt fun facts about them. 

Pioneer show birds Big John, a sulphur crested cockatoo, and Rod Stewart, an Egyptian vulture, were part of the first flock of performers when the shows were launched in 1982. They came out of “retirement” to make a special appearance today.

Amigo, a yellow-naped Amazon, sang a birthday song in English, Mandarin and Malay, while Sassy, another sulphur-crested cockatoo, dropped off a birthday card to an audience member. Cameras and mobile phones went up in the air for the finale when more colourful birds flew about and flamingos pranced around a large “45” display.

Jurong Bird Park, which sees an annual visitorship of 800,000 yearly, was opened on Jan 3, 1971, by then Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee, who mooted the idea of the park. Now, it is Asia’s largest bird park with naturalistic exhibits, interactive feeding sessions, world-class bird shows, and an aviary that features a 30m-high man-made waterfall. It is home to nearly 100 penguins across five species and houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of pelicans. In total, there are more than 5,000 birds across 400 species, of which 15 per cent are threatened. 

The park has successfully bred threatened birds such as the Bali mynah, blue-throated macaw and other significant species, and in 2011, three Bali mynahs bred at the park were sent to Bali, Indonesia, to increase the gene pool and boost the birds’ population. 

Jurong Bird Park is the only park with an avian hospital in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to providing veterinary care for birds, with treatments such as avian acupuncture available. The park is open daily from 8.30am to 6pm, with the last admission at 5.30pm. Entry fee is S$28 for adults and S$18 for children aged three to 12.