Singapore is bringing all its nature-based
attractions together in a new location at the
Mandai Wildlife Reserve, to drive conservation
and improve the visitor experience, as Tom Walker explains
Mandai Wildlife Reserve will house 20 species of Hornbills / PHOTO: shutterstock/Martin Mecnarowski
The Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore will gain a new visitor attraction in the second quarter of 2023 – a 17-hectare sanctuary called Bird Paradise. The move is part of larger plans to co-locate all of Singapore’s wildlife parks and other nature-based experiences together at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Bird Paradise will be the first of the new wildlife parks located at the reserve to open to the public. The new area will transport visitors into a colourful world that will be home to 3,500 birds from over 400 avian species.
Designed to encourage discovery at every turn, Bird Paradise will welcome visitors into immersive and naturalistic mixed-species habitats. Visitors will be able to explore eight large walk-through aviaries which reflect different biomes of the world such as dense African rainforests, South American wetlands, Southeast Asian paddy fields and Australian dry eucalypt forests.
Endangered species Some of the park’s most threatened species will be housed in Winged Sanctuary, a zone specially dedicated to birds of high conservation value including critically endangered species like the Philippine Eagle and Vietnam Pheasant.
In total, 24 per cent of the species in Bird Paradise will be threatened, the highest percentage listed under human care in a single zoological park. The new bird park will also have the world’s largest living genetic reserve of Hornbills under human care, with over 20 species.
The site’s operator, Mandai Wildlife Group, wants to position the park as a unique destination for nature and wildlife activities.
While Bird Paradise will open in 2023, development work for the rest of the large park is also well underway and the remaining features are set to open progressively through to 2025.
Creating an immersive experience Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group said, “When the Mandai Rejuvenation Project was envisioned, we wanted Bird Paradise to exemplify our commitment to operating open, immersive wildlife parks that place animal welfare at the centre of what we do.
“We’ve designed Bird Paradise to offer guests carefully themed and choreographed walk-through aviaries that will bring them closer to some of the world’s most stunning bird species.
“The support facilities are also of the highest standard, including a state-of-the-art avian hospital and an extensive breeding facility.
“I’m confident that Bird Paradise will provide us with the perfect platform to further our education programmes, capacity-building initiatives and our important work helping to protect threatened bird species across the region.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 4
Letters: Write to reply
Gordon Hartman, dad and founder of Morgan’s Wonderland on inclusion-centric thinking and action and Merlin Entertainments' Fiona Eastwood on inclusion and diversity...
People: Es Devlin
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People: Evert Poor
On what the Canadian Prime Minister’s visit meant for the Indigenous Peoples Experience
Interview: Ramona Bass
Half way thought a $130m masterplan and with conservation projects in 30 countries, Fort Worth Zoo is thinking big, its co-chair tells Magali Robathan
Research: Tough times
The cost of living crisis is already seeing the public cut its leisure spend, but these steps will help attractions keep visitors coming, says Jon Young
Innovation: Ars Electronica
Linz in Austria has reinvented itself as a city of innovation, with the future facing Ars Electronica Center at its heart
Tech: Emotional reward
Scientists have found a way to tweak video game difficulty according to player emotion, and it has huge potential for visitor attractions
Profile: Margaret Kerrison
The former Disney Imagineer is determined to share what she’s learned about creating absorbing worlds for visitors
Preview: Bird Paradise
Singapore is bringing its nature attractions together to help drive conservation and improve the visitor experience
Interview: Graham MacVoy
How the team behind Boomtown Festival harnessed their brand of creativity to build a unique permanent attraction
Scientific research: Under the sea
A new Red Sea scientific research centre and marine life attraction will offer visitors AR experiences, underwater walks, submarine dives and more
Tech: Getting personal
These operators are getting clever with technology, using digital companions to personalise the guest experience, creating opportunities for deeper connections
Singapore is bringing all its nature-based
attractions together in a new location at the
Mandai Wildlife Reserve, to drive conservation
and improve the visitor experience, as Tom Walker explains
Mandai Wildlife Reserve will house 20 species of Hornbills / PHOTO: shutterstock/Martin Mecnarowski
The Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore will gain a new visitor attraction in the second quarter of 2023 – a 17-hectare sanctuary called Bird Paradise. The move is part of larger plans to co-locate all of Singapore’s wildlife parks and other nature-based experiences together at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Bird Paradise will be the first of the new wildlife parks located at the reserve to open to the public. The new area will transport visitors into a colourful world that will be home to 3,500 birds from over 400 avian species.
Designed to encourage discovery at every turn, Bird Paradise will welcome visitors into immersive and naturalistic mixed-species habitats. Visitors will be able to explore eight large walk-through aviaries which reflect different biomes of the world such as dense African rainforests, South American wetlands, Southeast Asian paddy fields and Australian dry eucalypt forests.
Endangered species Some of the park’s most threatened species will be housed in Winged Sanctuary, a zone specially dedicated to birds of high conservation value including critically endangered species like the Philippine Eagle and Vietnam Pheasant.
In total, 24 per cent of the species in Bird Paradise will be threatened, the highest percentage listed under human care in a single zoological park. The new bird park will also have the world’s largest living genetic reserve of Hornbills under human care, with over 20 species.
The site’s operator, Mandai Wildlife Group, wants to position the park as a unique destination for nature and wildlife activities.
While Bird Paradise will open in 2023, development work for the rest of the large park is also well underway and the remaining features are set to open progressively through to 2025.
Creating an immersive experience Mike Barclay, Group CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group said, “When the Mandai Rejuvenation Project was envisioned, we wanted Bird Paradise to exemplify our commitment to operating open, immersive wildlife parks that place animal welfare at the centre of what we do.
“We’ve designed Bird Paradise to offer guests carefully themed and choreographed walk-through aviaries that will bring them closer to some of the world’s most stunning bird species.
“The support facilities are also of the highest standard, including a state-of-the-art avian hospital and an extensive breeding facility.
“I’m confident that Bird Paradise will provide us with the perfect platform to further our education programmes, capacity-building initiatives and our important work helping to protect threatened bird species across the region.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 4
Letters: Write to reply
Gordon Hartman, dad and founder of Morgan’s Wonderland on inclusion-centric thinking and action and Merlin Entertainments' Fiona Eastwood on inclusion and diversity...
People: Es Devlin
Known for her large scale public art installations, the designer and stage director has been awarded a CBE
People: Evert Poor
On what the Canadian Prime Minister’s visit meant for the Indigenous Peoples Experience
Interview: Ramona Bass
Half way thought a $130m masterplan and with conservation projects in 30 countries, Fort Worth Zoo is thinking big, its co-chair tells Magali Robathan
Research: Tough times
The cost of living crisis is already seeing the public cut its leisure spend, but these steps will help attractions keep visitors coming, says Jon Young
Innovation: Ars Electronica
Linz in Austria has reinvented itself as a city of innovation, with the future facing Ars Electronica Center at its heart
Tech: Emotional reward
Scientists have found a way to tweak video game difficulty according to player emotion, and it has huge potential for visitor attractions
Profile: Margaret Kerrison
The former Disney Imagineer is determined to share what she’s learned about creating absorbing worlds for visitors
Preview: Bird Paradise
Singapore is bringing its nature attractions together to help drive conservation and improve the visitor experience
Interview: Graham MacVoy
How the team behind Boomtown Festival harnessed their brand of creativity to build a unique permanent attraction
Scientific research: Under the sea
A new Red Sea scientific research centre and marine life attraction will offer visitors AR experiences, underwater walks, submarine dives and more
Tech: Getting personal
These operators are getting clever with technology, using digital companions to personalise the guest experience, creating opportunities for deeper connections
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home
at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one
of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
