SINGAPORE – Bird Paradise in Mandai has launched a new breeding and research centre as well as a two-day, one-night glamping experience with penguins.

These new features were unveiled at the park’s grand opening on Wednesday, six months after its soft opening in May.

The 17ha park – the size of about 24 football fields – has so far received more than 600,000 Singapore and international visitors, said Mandai Wildlife Group, which manages the park.

At the breeding and research centre next to the Winged Sanctuary, guests can witness chicks being raised by hand in the nursery. Raising chicks by hand maximises their chances of survival and involves keepers building a close relationship with them in ways similar to parental care.

The centre will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes peek into how the park cares for its birds. One of its aims is to increase the population of critically endangered bird species. 

Also making its debut is a Glamping with the Penguins experience that allows guests, for the first time, to spend a night at the park’s Penguin Cove in glamping bell tents. The cove is three times bigger than the penguin exhibit at Bird Paradise’s predecessor, Jurong Bird Park.

The two-day, one-night experience is designed for families of four, who will be able to wind down with the penguins, watch a Southern Lights showcase screened at the exhibit, and go on guided tours of the aviaries and other facilities such as the park’s avian hospital.

Prices start from $1,699 a tent. The glamping space can hold up to four tents and 16 guests a night. Participants must be at least five years old. It will run for 10 days in December, and bookings can be made via the Bird Paradise website. For the moment, there are no scheduled dates for the glamping programme after December, said Mandai Wildlife Group.

Pillows and blankets will be provided, but guests must bring their own towels and amenities, the park’s website said. Showers are confined to the first evening, with facilities available for “a simple wash-up in the morning”.

In 2022, Jurong Bird Park offered a glamping programme with flamingos.

Glamping options are offered elsewhere in Singapore, such as one in East Coast Park that costs about $330 a night for four people.

Mandai Wildlife Group and national postal service SingPost also unveiled a limited-edition commemorative stamp set. Three of the six stamp designs feature some of the park’s most threatened species: the Negros bleeding-heart dove (valued at 80 cents), Philippine eagle (80 cents) and knobbed hornbill (51 cents).

The other three designs take inspiration from the park’s aviaries. One is modelled after South America’s coastal wetlands (90 cents), while the others replicate Bali’s rice terraces ($1.15) and mimic the forested valleys of continental Africa ($1.50).

Speaking at the park’s opening ceremony, which was attended by about 1,000 guests, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong spoke of the significance and success of Jurong Bird Park. He said the park had “more than paid for itself”, having recorded more than 40 million guests over the past 50 years until it closed in January.

Hence, the Ministry of Finance was “more than prepared to favourably consider” the extra investment that has gone into Bird Paradise, added DPM Wong. Mandai Wildlife Group could not disclose the cost of setting up the park.

The key upgrades at the new park include eight large interactive walk-through aviaries that allow birds to roam freely and enable guests to get up close with them.

Mandai Wildlife Group chief executive Mike Barclay said each aviary reflects habitats from different parts of the world, allowing many bird species to co-exist in environments similar to their native habitats.

DPM Wong noted Bird Paradise’s focus on conservation and sustainability, with its green design features and support for wildlife conservation efforts. Almost a quarter of the park’s 400 bird species are endangered. 

Bird Paradise is part of a plan to integrate five wildlife parks in Mandai as part of a sprawling attraction. The other parks are the upcoming Rainforest Wild park and the revamped Night Safari, River Wonders and Singapore Zoo. These will be completed progressively by 2025.

DPM Wong said it was not always about spending more to create attractions. It is also essential to improve the visitor experience, he said.

He added: “Ideally, we want attractions that build on our unique strengths in Singapore – our culture, our heritage, our history, as well as our rich biodiversity and distinctive city in nature.”

Some Bird Paradise visitors who spoke to The Straits Times welcomed the park’s new attractions. But for others, the features drew a lukewarm reception.

Mr Adeendren Iyan, 32, a business owner from India who is holidaying here, said the glamping experience was a rare chance to get up close with penguins.

At the breeding and research centre, Singaporean bank manager Margaret Tan, 64, said she liked how she could see the chicks being fed. She added that it would be even better if the feeding schedule was made public, so that parkgoers can plan their visits.

Sonographer Sarah Teow, 39, was doubtful that the glamping experience would be worthwhile due to its hefty price tag. “For around $2,000, we can be closer to nature by staying on an actual farm in Perth. I would rather pay for that,” said the Singapore permanent resident and mother of one.

Responding to concerns over the cost of the glamping programme, Mandai Wildlife Group said it is a stay-over experience with limited private glamping tents. It provides families with an “exclusive experience”, allowing them behind-the-scenes access to facilities away from the exhibits, it added.