SINGAPORE — The new bird park at Mandai Wildlife Reserve — Bird Paradise — boasts eight open-air aviaries, where both birds and visitors can roam freely.

However, with greater freedom comes increased risk: Free-flying birds mean visitors are vulnerable to the unpredictable nature of the avians.

Experts whom TODAY spoke to agreed that open-air aviaries are the best environment for birds to express their natural behaviours, while allowing them the liberty to occasionally retreat from the buzzing crowd.

Also, the walk-through setting of these aviaries allows visitors to have a close-up view of the birds.

However, a large number of birds — some 3,500 — flying around the area call for more stringent safety measures, experts said, adding that visitors also need to take precautions.

Last Friday (June 9), a cockatoo at Bird Paradise bit a 13-year-old girl who was visiting the park with her family.

There have also been purported instances of parrots biting park signage and visitors' belongings, as seen in videos uploaded on social media.

Experts said that such acts are not signs of aggression.

While provoked birds can use their bills to attack, biting is usually an investigative behaviour of curious parrots.

“It is a known fact that parrots, particularly cockatoos from their native Australia, have been reported causing damage to public property, indicative of their innate characteristics,” said a spokesperson from non-profit animal welfare group Parrot Society Singapore.

“Parrots are famously inquisitive creatures, utilising their beaks as primary tools to investigate and engage with their surroundings.”

In some cases, parrots can develop abnormal behaviours that make them unsuitable for walk-through aviaries. 

Mr Michael Graetz, a zoo design expert who has led the Singapore Zoo’s in-house design for 20 years, said that ideally, only birds known not to have any behavioural issues should be allowed in the walk-through aviaries.

One such behavioural issue may arise in imprinting, which is the process by which a newborn animal learns to recognise and follow its parent.

Birds raised in human hands may imprint on their trainers, and they may subsequently be drawn to other humans, such as park visitors.

“If a bird imprints on something or someone other than its parent, it may fail to learn how to behave naturally, which it would normally do by following its parents around,” Mr Graetz said.

SAFETY AT OPEN AVIARIES

Because of the inquisitive nature of birds and their possible attachment to humans, there is a risk of unwanted interactions between the birds and visitors at open aviaries.

The Parrot Society of Singapore spokesperson said that bird parks must prioritise the safety of both birds and visitors.

To do so, park staff may consider managing the number of people entering the park to prevent overcrowding, selecting only parrots with personalities well-suited for public interaction and giving safety briefings to visitors before they enter.

Visitors also need to take precautions. The spokesperson advised that people must avoid stressing the birds through surprising, touching or chasing them.

“Moreover, it is crucial for adults to oversee children’s activities around animals to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all,” the spokesperson added.

Mr Tan Gim Cheong, the chairman of Nature Society Singapore’s bird group, said that animals, even trained ones, can sometimes behave unpredictably.

To prevent dangerous encounters between humans and birds, Mr Tan suggested a reassessment of the risks involved in open aviaries. This includes reconsidering how much human-bird contact to allow, if at all.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said the group will put up more advisories and deploy more staff members in the aviaries, especially on peak days.

In addition, its animal care team will continue conditioning the parrots to refrain from perching on visitors.