How Bird Paradise prepared and relocated its birds to new grounds
From food and shelter to transport, a population plan was laid out for both old and new species
SINGAPORE — Like humans, birds get stressed too. And so, before the long-awaited Bird Paradise opens its doors to the public on 8 May, its team of zookeepers embarked on a more-than-year-long plan to ensure a stress-free transfer of birds from the old Jurong Bird Park to the new premises.
Yahoo Southeast Asia spoke with Dr Luis Neves, vice-president of animal care at Mandai Wildlife Group about what went behind the scenes of translocating the birds and conditioning them before the grand opening.
Getting the birds comfortable for the move
The sheer number of birds involved in the translocation proved to be the greatest challenge. The team had to decide which aviaries in the new park would receive the birds first, and in what order of release from Jurong Bird Park.
The best possible route and time to transfer the birds also had to be decided. Dr Neves shared that the birds are transferred only in the mornings, from around 6.30am to 7am before wrapping up by 9.30am to avoid the daytime heat.
This also allowed the birds to have as much time as possible in the new park. The rest of the day is for the birds to learn where food and shelter is, and locate their resting areas in the new aviaries.
The caretakers spent days looking out for potential red flags, such as early signs of individual birds distant from their flock.
Another way to spot that something is amiss is when a bird does not systematically enter the feeding areas.
Vets may diagnose that the bird is undergoing stress or is unwell, and will therefore be brought back to the introduction cages for a better chance at acclimatisation.
Choosing the birds and determining which can cohabit
When it came to selecting birds for the park, organisational goals were considered such as whether the birds would be able to connect with humans and help establish Bird Paradise as a hub for avian conservation, research and education.
Other considerations include choosing birds with special characteristics such as those that are severely endangered and in need of help and their responsiveness to humans.
Trials were then conducted over pairing decisions. Some factors that came into play include choosing the right age group, starting with single sex flocks before introducing the opposite sex, and the type of food consumed.
"It starts by us knowing the biology of the species. We know how the species behaves in the world, where they come from and which species can potentially coexist in the same habitat. We needed to account against mixing prey and predator species and consider food items that a particular species may eat but might not be very good for others," shared Dr Neves.
In such cases, birds that may potentially get along may end up being placed in separate aviaries for the sheer fact that they share different food items.
"We started trying out the combinations of species which allowed us to make minor adjustments whenever necessary to make sure that once they get here, they are already used to each other and can adjust more easily."
Sequencing the move and using the right mode of transport for the birds was also reviewed.
Parrots could be transported in simple transport boxes, similar to those used for dogs and cats. However, birds with long legs like flamingos, storks or cranes require special transport boxes to avoid injury.
In the case of penguins, they needed to be transported using a refrigerated truck with ice on their feet to ensure they are in comfortable temperature.
Getting the birds comfortable with human interaction
In planning for the big move, the animal care team had to make sure the birds are conditioned to close contact with humans and ensure all they need is readily available.
Positive reinforcement in the form of food rewards were used to train the birds to respond positively to instructions.
"The secret to a bird's heart is its stomach," shared Dr Luis.
The birds are rewarded each time they come closer or stay longer in retrieval areas. This is done until doors can be closed without inducing stress on the birds.
For delicate birds such as oriental white-eyes, hanging parrots and small lorikeets, a soft release method was adopted.
These birds are kept in small introduction areas for a couple of days or a week until deemed comfortable in behaviour and observed by caretakers to be coping well with the environment and sourcing of food.
Once comfortable, doors are kept open for the birds to leave at their own pace into the aviaries or allowed the option to return to their safety zone.
"All birds in Bird Paradise including new species are ones that we know will be able to thrive in this climate."
Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
