As for senior keeper Sadali Mohamed Tali, who is currently caring for endangered songbirds, his 22 years are already dotted with so many highs.
And like Saad, his favourite memory also involves hornbills. “I managed an effective release of a pair of oriental pied hornbills in the Istana plus they even named the particular birds after me personally, ” he shared with pride. “The man was named ‘Sada’ and the female has been named ‘Lily’. ”
Indeed, Sadali confessed to having an incredibly special relationship with all the hornbills at JBP.
“I have to say that all the hornbills are my favourite due to the fact I really love dealing with them, ” he admitted with a giggle. “But I do have a hornbill – Maggie – that is actually really close to me. You can say she is nearer to me than my wife at home. My wife tells me I’ve even mentioned Maggie’s name within my sleep! And when my wife came to visit me personally at JBP, Margaret, who was so safety of me, pecked at her! ”
Jurong Bird Park is going to be moving to a new home called Parrot Paradise at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, becoming a member of the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Evening Safari and an upcoming attraction called Rainforest Wild.