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60-year-old Egyptian vulture Rod, oldest bird at Jurong Bird Park, put down ‘on welfare grounds’

SINGAPORE — The oldest bird at Jurong Bird Park, an elderly Egyptian vulture named Rod, has been euthanised “on welfare grounds”, Mandai Wildlife Reserve said on Thursday (Aug 25).

Rod the Egyptian vulture (left) pictured with Jurong Bird Park employee Clarence Saw in 1989 (top right) and 2022 (bottom right).

Rod the Egyptian vulture (left) pictured with Jurong Bird Park employee Clarence Saw in 1989 (top right) and 2022 (bottom right).

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SINGAPORE — The oldest bird at Jurong Bird Park, an elderly Egyptian vulture named Rod, has been euthanised “on welfare grounds”, Mandai Wildlife Reserve said on Thursday (Aug 25).

It did not say when the bird was put down.

In a Facebook post, Mandai Wildlife Reserve paid tribute to the bird of prey, saying it had been part of Jurong Bird Park’s pioneer generation of birds when the park opened in 1971.

The group estimated that Rod was nearly 60 years old and is possibly the world’s oldest of its species.

“He is estimated to be nearly 60 years old, almost three times the natural lifespan of Egyptian vultures in the wild.”

Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which is part of Mandai Wildlife Group, previously known as Wildlife Reserves Singapore, added: “Rod was loved and lived a full life at Jurong Bird Park where he, in his younger days, played an integral role in raising awareness of threats faced by his wild counterparts. Up until recently, he remained spritely for his age.”

Mandai Wildlife Reserve noted that Rod was having age-related health issues as a result of being a geriatric bird.

It had been placed under the Senior Animal Care Programme in 2018, which allowed for more frequent health checks, a customised diet and and feeding, as well as a modified living environment to ensure a good quality of life.

Earlier reports gave the bird's full name as Rod Stewart, apparently after the British rock singer of the same name. The Facebook post on Thursday gave the name only as Rod.

“At his last assessment by his carers and the vets, Rod’s age-related complications had advanced, severely affecting his quality of life. On welfare grounds, the difficult decision was therefore made to humanely euthanise him,” Mandai Wildlife Reserve said on Thursday.

Mr Clarence Saw, manager at animal presentations with Jurong Bird Park, has known Rod since 1988. He said that it was a “special bird”.

“He was the bird I got to work with the longest, and he was instrumental in honing my bird-handling skills in the early years of my career as a 28-year-old.”

Mr Saw added that Rod had been an easy bird to work with, and its calm demeanour meant that it did not try to harm or peck anyone.

“Rod showed me how truly intelligent and full of personality birds can be. The bird park will not be the same without him and he will be sorely missed.” 

Related topics

animal bird Mandai Wildlife Reserve Jurong Bird Park Egyptian vulture wildlife death euthanise

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