African Wetlands Exhibit NEW!
Inspired by ST. LUCIA WETLANDS, SOUTH AFRICA

	African Wetlands Exhibit

Experience Africa! The African Wetlands at the BirdPark has unique bird species such as the Shoebill, Storks, and more.

The new exhibit will gives visitors a more balanced eco-system display and hopefully will be able to provide a better understanding of how nature, the birds and men co-exist in this one world we call our home.



More about the African Wetlands
The Wetlands are an important life support system on Earth. If the wetlands in the world were to stop feeding lakes with a constant supply of fresh water, the lakes will slowly turn into saltpans. The constant feeding of fresh water to lakes keeps the saline conditions in the lakes stable.

Wetlands are a consistent reminder of the ecosystem and how man and nature coexists in this world.

In Wetlands one finds birds and they peacefully make a living by feeding on their natural preys. The Wetlands are an important façade of nature. As men become urbanized, much of what is natural is slowly depleted.

The Jurong BirdPark's African Wetlands Exhibit aims to present a more balanced eco-system display; seen in zoological parks worldwide. The exhibit will transport visitors into one of the world's great wilderness wetlands by immersion into a setting shared by the flora and fauna native to the St Lucia Wetland located along the east coast of South Africa.

The name St Lucia was chosen to "gain inspiration from South Africa's coastal jewel and its first World Heritage Site," as explained by Dr. Wong Hon Mun, executive director of the park. " It has the largest estuarine system and supports more than 530 species of birds.

St Lucia is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) heritage site. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

"The park wants to remain true to its key corporate objective to promote bird conservation, and awareness and education is the first step to achieve this goal. We can encourage bird conservation interest through our exhibits." adds Dr. Wong Hon Mun.

The African Wetlands Exhibit-St Lucia is the first major attraction after the park's visitors go through the turnstiles.


Some of the birds found in the new exhibit include:

SHOEBILL

• Shoebills ambush their prey by standing still in shallow water.
• These birds build solitary nests on thick mats of floating vegetation. With their bills, they scoop up water and pour it over their eggs and chicks to keep them from overheating.
• Wetlands drained for agriculture and cattle grazing endanger their populations.

• The most primitive of the Crane family, the Crowned Cranes existed 37 to 54 million years ago.
• They are well known for their dance movements like bowing and grass or stick tossing.
• They are threatened by poaching and loss of habitat due to expanding settlements and drainage for agriculture

• The male has dark eyes; the female has bright yellow eyes.
v Storks do not have a voice and communicate by rattling their bills and ritualized dances. v They depend on wetlands, which shrink due to expanding settlements and drainage for agriculture.