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A colony of 32 penguins consisting of four species – Gentoo, Humboldt, King and Northern Rockhopper Penguins – successfully made their way to the new Bird Paradise on April 28, 2023, as the great migration from Jurong Bird Park to Bird Paradise nears conclusion.
The penguins from Jurong Bird Park’s Penguin Coast were amongst the last to move.
The move
The veterinary healthcare team conducted physical checks, which included weighing each individual before they entered their customised transport crates.
The larger King Penguins were ushered along as they entered the crates on their own, while the smaller Humboldt, Gentoo and Northern Rockhopper Penguins species were picked up and gently cradled by the keepers who placed them into the compartmentalised crates.
Penguin keeper Nuralyanti Jasni guides a King Penguin to enter the customised transport crate on its own. The crate is cushioned with ice to keep the bird cool. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
Senior keeper for penguins, Benazir Begum, gently cradles a Gentoo Penguin to its transport crate. With the keepers’ vast experience working with the animals, smaller species such as the Humboldt, Gentoo and Northern Rockhopper penguins were able to be safely handled by the keepers and placed directly into their transport crates. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
Senior penguin keeper Benazir Begum, ushering a King Penguin out of its exhibit at Jurong Bird Park. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
Loaded onto trucks with crates packed with ice
The crates were packed with ice at the bottom to keep them cool before they were loaded into a truck that maintained a temperature -12°C, similar to their old penguin exhibit.
Minimising temperature fluctuation prevents thermal stress and ensures a safe and smooth transition for the penguins.
The truck made the 30-minute journey from Jurong Bird Park to Bird Paradise at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, where the penguins were introduced to the Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove, their new home.
At 3,000 sqm, the habitat is three times the size of the exhibit at Jurong Bird Park and features two saltwater acrylic tanks with a water depth of 7m.
The penguins were released onto level two of Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove at the beach level of the habitat.
The penguin colony mingles on the beach of their new home in Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove at Bird Paradise under the watchful eyes of the Animal Care team. Acrylic barriers were temporarily put up to keep the penguins out of the water to allow them time to acclimatise to their new home. The barriers were up for three days before being removed. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
Acclimatise to new environment
To encourage them to stay on the beach level to acclimatise to the new environment, temporary barriers were put up and removed on May 2 only after the keepers assessed it was safe to do so.
The penguins exploring the beach level after the barricades were removed on May 2, 2023. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
Some of the more curious penguins have been observed diving and exploring the deepest parts of the tank, a positive indicator that they are adapting to the new space.
The Humboldt Penguins were the first to dive in, enjoying the water in their brand-new home. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
A Humboldt Penguin exploring one of the islands near the front of the habitat. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
Aurora Australis
The new multi-level sub-Antarctic habitat will allow guests to immerse in the world of these marine birds and observe the penguin colony under a domed sky.
The new habitat even comes with its own Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, which will be projected in the dome.
The beach level of the Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove features a domed sky and special lighting feature that projects the Aurora Australis. The lighting also can be adjusted to follow a day-to-night cycle, with sunrise, daylight, and night modes to simulate the passing of the day in the indoor habitat, complementing the natural breeding cycles of the penguin colony. Photo credit: Mandai Wildlife Group
The lighting in the habitat is also designed to mimic the day and night cycles of the Sub-Antarctic Falkland Islands, which is a key welfare enhancement for the birds, as this allows for their natural biological cycles to follow the seasons in the southern hemisphere.
Feeding sessions
Special feeding devices, concealed within the underwater rockwork, serve to mentally and physically stimulate the penguins.
Thawed frozen fish is propelled from these feeders for the penguins to dive and express their natural hunting behaviours.
Guests can participate in the Penguin Keeper Talk during these feeding sessions.
Nuggets of information about penguin behaviours and anecdotes by the keepers about their favourite penguin personalities will be shared.
Addition of new penguins
In February 2023, eight Gentoo Penguins arrived from a zoo in Europe, making them the latest additions to the penguin family.
This is part of the participation in global population management programmes that allows Bird Paradise to receive penguins from other member zoos aimed at maintaining healthy and genetically diverse populations of animals under human care.
All photos via Mandai Wildlife Group