5/5 Ha C. 2 years ago on Google
The
idea
of
a
permanent
aviary
was
first
conceived
by
the
late
Dr Goh
Keng
Swee,
then
Minister
for
Finance,
in
1968.
During
a World
Bank meeting
in Rio
de
Janeiro,
Dr
Goh
visited
its zoological
garden and
was
impressed
with
its
free-flight aviary.
He
set
out
to
ensure
that
Singaporeans
would
have
a
place
where
they
could
escape
from
urban
life
and
relax
with
nature.[5][6]
Work
on
the
aviary
started
in
January
1969.[7] A
35-acre
site
on
the
western
slope
of Bukit
Peropok in
Jurong
was
chosen
for
the
project.
The
bird
park
was
expected
to
be
completed
by
the
end
of
1969.[8]
On
3
January
1971,
Jurong
Bird
Park,
built
at
a
cost
of S$3.5 million,
was
opened
to
the
public.[9]
Jurong
Bird
Park
is
now
a
world-famous
bird
zoo
where
there
are
specimens
of
magnificent
bird
life
from
around
the
world,
including
a
large
flock
of flamingos.
It
is
currently
the
world's
largest
bird
park
in
terms
of
the
number
of
birds,
and
second
largest
both
in
the
number
of
bird
species
and
land
area
(after
Germany's Weltvogelpark
Walsrode).
There
are
5,000
birds
of
400
species
in
Jurong
Bird
Park,
of
which
29
are
of threatened
species.[1]
In
2006,
Jurong
Bird
Park
completed
a
S$10 million
makeover.
As
a
result
of
the
upgrade,
the
park
got
a
new
entrance plaza,
a
park-owned
and
managed Bongo
Burgers restaurant,
an
ice
cream
parlour,
a
gift
shop
and
a
bird
hospital.