Those who have visited Jurong Bird Park (JBP) would remember Rod, the majestic Egyptian vulture who was part of the aviary’s Kings of the Skies show from 1991 to 2011.
Sadly, Mandai Wildlife Reserve recently announced that Rod, who was with the park since its opening in 1971, has passed away.
Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook
He lived to be almost 60 years old — nearly three times the natural life expectancy of his wild counterparts.
On Thursday (25 Aug), Mandai Wildlife Reserve took to Facebook to share the sad news of Rod’s passing.
Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook
The Egyptian vulture, reportedly named after British singer Rod Stewart, was believed to have been nearly 60 years old.
This made him the oldest bird in JBP and possibly even the oldest Egyptian vulture in the world.
He was part of JBP’s pioneer generation of birds, meaning that he has been with the attraction ever since it opened in 1971.
When he was younger, Rod was one of the stars of Kings of the Skies, a presentation that showcases how birds of prey like him hunt and eat.
After a 20-year run, he retired from the show in 2011.
Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook
Rod also played an integral part in raising awareness of the threats that his counterparts in the wild face.
Four years ago, the park placed Rod under its Senior Animal Care Programme.
This included more frequent health checks, a customised diet, and a modified environment to ensure that he would get to enjoy a high quality of life.
In Jan 2020, Mandai Wildlife Reserve shared a video of Rod wearing a cloth ‘bib’.
Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook
The accessory apparently protected him from other birds that might pick at his wounds, which take longer to heal at his age.
According to Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Rod’s latest health assessment showed that his age-related ailments had advanced to a stage that was severely affecting his quality of life.
His carers and vets then made the painful decision to humanely euthanise him on welfare grounds.
JBP employee Clarence Saw was especially close to Rod, having known the vulture ever since joining the park in 1988.
Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook
In his tribute, Mr Saw described Rod as a “special bird” with a “calm and cool personality”.
Despite being a ferocious bird of prey, the vulture “would never try to peck or harm anyone”.
Rod’s Kings of the Skies routine included demonstrating his species’ unique way of breaking tough ostrich eggshells in the wild.
He was apparently so persistent that he would “keep doing it as long as there were rocks around”, Mr Saw recalled.
“Rod showed me how truly intelligent and full of personality birds can be,” he continued,
The bird park will not be the same without him and he will be sorely missed.
Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Chairman of Mandai Wildlife Reserve Tan Chuan-Jin later shared Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s post, taking the opportunity to encourage the public to support JBP.
Source: Tan Chuan-Jin on Facebook
He noted that such institutions contribute to nature conservation efforts by educating the public and caring for creatures.
Mr Tan also reminded everyone that JBP will be closing and moving to Mandai, where it will be known as Bird Paradise.
According to an earlier report by Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Bird Paradise is set to open sometime this year.
Having lived to such an unusually ripe old age, it’s clear how loved and well taken care of Rod was at JBP.
While JBP staff and regulars will surely miss him, they can take comfort in the fact that he lived such a long and full life. May he rest in peace and fly high.
Do you have any fond memories of seeing Rod at JBP? Share them with us in the comments.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Facebook.
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