New skies await the birds of Jurong

Jurong Bird Park’s last day of operations after 52 years was marked appropriately by a light drizzle that soon turned into a full-blown downpour. Soaking in the metaphorical significance of the moment, a member of the staff declared that “even God is shedding tears for us”. Some members of the audience empathised with that sentiment by staying behind in the rain to thank the staff for their work.

Clearly, the park found a place in Singaporean hearts as a venue where people could connect with nature in its avian form, enjoying the companionship of birds both for their graceful presence and for the delightful shows that they could put up under human guidance. Children especially have enjoyed shows and, in the process, have helped their parents to rediscover a sense of their own childhoods spent on a tropical island which, for all its lack of space, is blessed bountifully with the gifts of flora and fauna.