The nature lovers amongst us are probably well aware that the monkeys that can be spotted near reservoirs are usually mischievous. They scavenge for plastic bottles and aluminium cans. Some monkeys even try to snatch plastic bags that they associate with food.
While we may dismiss such unruly behaviour as being typical of “wild animals”, what about animals under the care of the Singapore Bird Paradise, some of which are trained?
The Singapore Bird Paradise just newly opened its doors on 8 May with improved features and more attractions. In the short span of time that the birds have been introduced to their new homes, it seems that some cheeky birds have already started to get used to their new environments and are no longer on their “best behaviour”.
Here is more on what netizens have been witnessing the birds at the park do.
Cockatoos in Bird Paradise Were Spotted Biting at Visitors’ Shoes
Earlier this week, TikTok user @maybekelvin posted a short 26-second video about the antics of some of the “cage-free birds” living at Bird Paradise.
@maybekelvin The ✨Destroyers✨ #mandaibirdparadise #birds @Mandai Wildlife Reserve #fyp ♬ 花園搖 – 💫 左撇子
The video starts by showcasing a beautiful blue-eyed, white-feathered cockatoo nipping at the black loafers of a visitor. The loafers had some ribboned tassels, which drew the interest of the cockatoo.
It pecked at the tassels several times before giving up when the owner of the shoe shook her foot gently to discourage the cockatoo’s peckish behaviour. The cockatoo did not appear to be hurt or startled by this action from the owner of the shoe.
We sure hope that there was no severe damage done to the shoes after the “welcome treatment” from the cockatoo.
Cockatoos Were Also Biting Wires and Signs in Bird Paradise
The video then pans to the next scene, where another cockatoo which looked identical to the first perpetrator, was caught red-handed dismantling a dark blue sign.
In particular, the outline of the letter “t” in the large sign was missing in some places and misaligned in other places. The damage was due to the pecking of the white-feathered bird. In the video, the bird can be seen with a piece of the sign in its beak, very much resembling a twig.
Alas, the mischief does not stop there.
In the next scene, two cockatoos can be seen nibbling and pecking at some wires. To nobody’s surprise, the birds were again white with blue eyes (though we cannot confirm whether the same birds carried out the mischief in all the snippets featured).
From the video, there appeared to be some protection on the outside of the wires, but the birds managed to chew their way through the protection to nibble on the wires themselves.
We wonder if the birds were at risk of being electrocuted in the midst of all this fun.
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Such Curious Behaviour Is a Good Sign
While some may furrow their eyebrows upon learning about such behaviour from the cockatoos, it may actually be a good sign.
Dr Luis Neves, the vice president of animal care for Mandai Wildlife Group, spoke to The Straits Times about this issue and shared that such behaviour displayed by the cockatoos actually suggested that the birds were adapting properly to their new habitat.
As parrots are an “extremely intelligent” species and are naturally curious and inquisitive, it is not surprising that they like to “investigate” using their beaks and “dismantle their objects of interest”.
For the bird lovers out there who may be worried about the birds’ safety if they peck at visitors and park features, you may rest easy knowing that Dr Neves has confirmed that none of the birds suffered any injuries after their exploratory quests.
It is a good thing that the birds are enjoying their new “playground”, but it seems untenable that such occurrences happen all the time. After all, it costs time and money to fix the park features every time a cockatoo damages it. There is also no guarantee that the birds will not be hurt while on their next adventure.
To correct this behaviour, Dr Neves shared that the bird keepers are now exploring methods to prevent the cockatoos from continuing to damage the park.
For example, the bird keepers are thinking of “positive reinforcement training and enrichment to keep [the birds] away from the features” without compromising the birds’ ability to be “engaged and entertained”.
It sounds like a treat for the cockatoos, especially if they receive treats for staying away from these features.
Another option the bird keepers are considering is to enhance the protection of the existing structures to “bird-proof” the fittings. This is so that the curious birds do not end up damaging other features as they have been spotted doing.
Perhaps, at the end of the day, having to implement additional measures to avoid structural damage or having to rehabilitate the birds’ behaviour is a small price to pay in exchange for allowing the birds to fly freely around the park.
What are you waiting for? Head down to the Bird Paradise soon if you want to catch a glimpse of these beautiful birds roaming around. And if you’re heading down today, don’t miss out on the last day of the opening promotion’s discounted tickets.
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