The new Bird Paradise attraction in Mandai has made the news multiple times lately, for positive and less pleasant reasons.
Something that may divide opinions, however, are the free-roaming birds, which may be taking their new freedom a little too well. A video on TikTok recently showed cockatoos causing some damage at Bird Paradise, biting on wires, signs and even people’s shoes.
While seeing the creatures enjoying themselves is certainly lovely, some folks have expressed concern for the damage as well as the birds’ safety.
In light of this, Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) will be implementing measures including bird-proofing some fixtures.
One would expect to have a good time at an attraction like Bird Paradise, but one visitor had quite an odd experience recently.
Taking to TikTok on Wednesday (24 May), user Kelvin shared some amusing encounters he had there.
Most notable were the cockatoos, a type of white parrot, that seemed to be biting anything they could find. At the start of the clip, one of them was nibbling on a lady’s shoe.
Source: TikTok
Although the bird seemed determined, the lady skillfully dodged its subsequent advances, denying it the chance to keep nibbling.
The next scene showed a cockatoo taking its tricks literally to the next level, as it bit on a purple sign overhead that spelled ‘Mysterious Papua‘.
A piece of the border framing the letter ‘t’ broke off and landed on the floor below. The bird did the same to the letter ‘e’ later in the video, appearing nonchalant about the damage it caused.
As if all that ruckus wasn’t enough, two cockatoos were later seen chewing on some wires near some wooden beams.
Source: TikTok
Responding to queries from MS News, Vice President of Animal Care at MWG, Dr Luis Neves, shared that parrot species in general are “extremely intelligent, and have an inquisitive and curious nature”. Rather than a cause for concern, he said that the cockatoos’ behaviour is a good sign:
They like to investigate objects and do so using their beaks; chewing and dismantling their objects of interest is a natural and instinctive behaviour for parrots. Hence, the display of this behaviour by our birds is also an indication that they are adapting well to their new environment.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged the public’s worry for the birds’ safety. To this, he assured that “no bird has been injured from their curious quests”.
Moreover, the Animal Care team has been keeping an eye on the creatures to ensure that they don’t get hurt.
As for the birds’ antics, Dr Neves revealed that the keepers are working on “positive reinforcement training and enrichment” to keep them away from certain features of the park.
They’ll attempt to do so while ensuring that the creatures remain engaged and entertained in their new environment.
MWG is also considering methods of bird-proofing some fixtures that the parrots may find interesting, to prevent them from causing any damage.
Hopefully, they’ll be able to implement these measures smoothly and effectively, to create a pleasant experience for both visitors and the aviary’s residents.
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Featured image adapted from TikTok.
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