JURONG BIRD PARK

specialty zoo in Singapore noted for its extensive aviaries. The park, managed by a government-owned company, opened in 1971. It occupies a 20-hectare (48-acre) site on the slopes of Jurong Hill, which is located about 24 km (15 miles) from downtown Singapore. The park's most spectacular exhibit is a 2-hectare (5-acre) free-flight aviary, and there are numerous other aviaries in the park. The park houses some 3,000 birds of more than 300 species. It has breeding groups of various parrots, pheasants, hornbills, birds-of-paradise, and other, mostly Southeast Asian, species. The exhibits are designed to blend in with the lush background, and there is a trackless tram that carries visitors on a tour of the aviaries.