Moving to Mandai: Jurong Bird Park to close on Jan 3, 2023

SINGAPORE - Jurong Bird Park's last day of operations will be on Jan 3, 2023 - the park's 52nd anniversary since it first opened its doors to visitors in 1971.

The park's operator, Mandai Wildlife Group, said on Tuesday (Aug 30) that following the closure, the 20ha park's staff and about 3,500 birds will prepare to move to Bird Paradise in Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

It will join the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari there, as well as Mandai's other upcoming attractions including Rainforest Wild and a new resort operated by Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts.

From Sept 3 until its final day of operations, Jurong Bird Park will run a series of activities, tours and trails that recall the park's history.

A self-guided heritage trail will feature a series of heritage displays on milestones in the park's history.

Visitors can also see the park through the eyes of a park staff member when they embark on a staff-curated trail. A trail map is available for download.

From November, there will be a Nostalgic Signature Tour, where seasoned guides will share anecdotes about the park's avian residents, as well as about its architecture. Bookings for this tour, which includes feeding sessions at the African Treetops and Waterfall Aviary zones, will open on Oct 19.

Pushcarts selling local hawker fare and carnival activities will also be on offer in November.

Mandai Wildlife Group said updates on Bird Paradise will be shared at a later time. The rest of the new attractions in Mandai Wildlife Reserve are slated for completion by 2024.

Long-serving staff of the bird park said its upcoming move will be bittersweet for them.

"There are many of us who joined the organisation in its early days and have been here over the decades," said Jurong Bird Park's vice-president Daisy Ling, who started working there in 1982 as an education officer.

"We hope the local community can join us in the coming months to make this a worthy closing chapter for the park before we turn the page."

The park is open from Thursdays to Sundays, as well as selected public holidays, from 8.30am to 6pm, with the last admission at 5pm.

More information on the park's closing activities can be found at this website.

ALSO READ: Welcome to Mandai: River Safari renamed River Wonders, Jurong Bird Park to be replaced

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.