The park will be launching a lineup of activities beginning September 3 called ‘A Flight To Remember’ in celebration of the park’s historical legacy and heritage. 

Asia’s largest bird park covering an area of 49 acres (0.2 sq km) on the western slope of Jurong Hill, Singapore, will be closing for good on January 3, 2023, after 52 years of operations. But bird lovers need not shed too many tears, however: Jurong Bird Park, which is managed by the Mandai Wildlife Group, will be relocating to a much larger park by Mandai Lake Road, and will be renamed Bird Paradise.

Mandai Wildlife Group, which also manages the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and River Wonder, will be consolidating three existing wildlife parks (including Bird Paradise) together with a new Rainforest Park to form an integrated nature and wildlife precinct known as the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

To commemorate 52 years of beautiful memories, Jurong Bird Park is launching a lineup of activities called ‘A Flight To Remember’ to celebrate its long legacy and rich heritage.

Running from September 3, 2022 to January 3, 2023, programmes include a self-guided Heritage Trail where you can learn about the park’s transformation through a series of displays that illustrate key milestones in the park’s 52-year journey.

The old Panorail station has be reopened to the public, complete with a recreation of the Panorail, will be a selfie hotspot for sure, seeing how it’s a piece of history now after running from 1992 to 2012.

The park entrance also features a recreation of the old cuckoo clock tower, which is doubling as a countdown timer to the park’s final day of operation. Visitors can contribute their favourite memories of the park at the ‘living’ Memory Wall at the Penguin Coast, then watch these memories appear on screen in real time.

A particularly special experience will be the chance to explore the park through the eyes of the people who keep it running daily. Visitors can download a staff-curated trail and learn about the team’s favourite spots and the park’s best-kept secrets.

New programming will be released over the coming months, including the launch of a Nostalgic Signature Tour in November where seasoned guides can talk you through the park’s storied history and share little-known anecdotes about the park’s avian friends and architecture.

“Jurong Bird Park is like our second home, and it will be a bittersweet time for us,” said Daisy Ling, vice president of Jurong Bird Park, who started working there in 1982 as an education officer.

“While we commemorate our fondest memories here in Jurong, we also look forward to new beginnings with the Bird Paradise in Mandai Wildlife Park and to be a part of another transformative phase of Singapore’s bird park. 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.”

Source: CNA Lifestyle