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A woman made an unexpected friend during her farewell visit to Jurong Bird Park on Sunday (Sep. 11).
A Red-winged Starling landed on Eni Yuliza as she was snapping photos on her camera.
It happened at the Treetop Cafe within the African Treetops enclosure, Yuliza told Mothership.
One photo of her and the starling showed the curious bird peering at her camera, as if it was trying to help Yuliza get her shot:
More happened off-camera, though.
"The bird was just being a 'keypoh'. Hop on my head and walk to the camera. And lastly, hop on my camera," Yuliza recounted.
Eventually, she had to "shoo" it away when she wanted to move to another section.
Before the pair parted ways, they managed to pose for a few photos together for keepsake:
Yuliza shared her encounter, which lasted for five minutes, to Facebook group "Singapore Hikers".
In one Facebook comment, she guessed that the bird might have approached her because it mistook her camera strap for a worm.
Another user commented that the bird approaching her was a sign of good luck.
Yuliza shared that she was visiting the park one last time before it moved out of its current location in Jurong.
Her last visit was 10 years ago with her daughter, who is now all grown up.
The bird's home
The African Treetops enclosure is home to 2,500 avian species from 111 families from Africa, Madagascar and Seychelles.
It features an elevated walkway that simulates a 360-degree walk through a rainforest canopy.
There is also a lower walkway that takes guests through the forest floor for a chance to meet ground-dwelling birds as they forage for food.
It was announced in August 2022 that Jurong Bird Park will close on Jan. 3, 2023 after 52 years at its current location.
It will be relocated to Mandai Wildlife Reserve, and renamed Bird Paradise.
Top image courtesy of Eni Yuliza