Can public safety ever be guaranteed at the zoo?

[Guest guest]

Can public safety ever be guaranteed at the zoo?

 

I refer to the letter " Zoo incidents isolated ones " (April 29). BELOW

 

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) would

like to reiterate that these incidents are not isolated considering

that animal escapes and attacks are not an unusual occurrence at

Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) establishments (e.g. 1973, black

panther; 1974, hippopotamus; 1982, orangutan; 1996, tiger; 1997,

chimpanzee; 2004 chimpanzee).

 

Following some of these escapes, the WRS establishment in question

reassured the public that they would look into their safety

protocol, yet time and time again, further escapes have happened.

 

This year, the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari will again review

their safety protocol. Based on the past, however, will we really be

surprised if further escapes or attacks happen again?

 

Dr Furley from the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari said, " as far as

we can ascertain, only in one of the incidents is the cause

attributable to a lapse in safety protocols " , referring to the

gaharial attack on a keeper. Acres would like to enquire what the

other incidents involving members of the public (jaguar escape and

serval attack) were due to then?

 

Based on Dr Furley's statements, the attack by the serval on a

member of the public was not due to a lapse in safety protocols.

Indeed, no matter how trained a zoo staff are, the Singapore Zoo and

Night Safari must acknowledge that their staff can never predict

when a wild animal will attack and this puts the public at risk.

 

It is for this reason that Acres is urging WRS to take the

initiative and put an end to the use of wild animals in their animal

performances.

 

If Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari are indeed keen to create an

educational experience for their visitors, we urge them to seek

other methods where the safety of the public and the welfare of the

animals are not compromised.

 

Louis Ng (MSc)

President and Executive Director

Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres)

 

 

The Straits Times Forum

29 April 2005

 

Zoo Incidents isolated ones

 

I would like to thank readers Lim Boon Hee and David Tan Kok Kheng

for their letters ( " Recent incidents mar bid for tourists " and " Are

zoo animals stressed out by the crowds? " ; ST April 23).

 

We are very conscious that Singapore Zoo and Night Safari are

national icons and hence all the more we are committed to

continually implementing new initiatives to ensure that they remain

among the world's best zoos, renowned for their natural settings,

conservation efforts and captive breeding programmes.

 

We continue to upgrade and create better habitats for our animals

and are also putting in place greatly enhanced veterinary care as

well as a zoological research facility with a purpose-built Wildlife

Healthcare and Research Centre.

 

At the same time we are also cognizant of the need to iterate the

professional status of people who choose to have careers with our

parks and, in the last 12 months, have instituted – for the first

time in the zoo and Night Safari's history – structured training and

refresher training programmes for all our staff.

 

This focused approach also includes the engagement of

internationally reputable animal behavioural experts to work with,

and transfer new knowledge and skills to, our staff.

 

Indeed, my own appointment at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari

arose from this focus and commitment towards introducing a

professional international zoo-management discipline.

 

All of us here at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari are confident

that we can continue to make Singaporeans proud of what we have and,

for tourists, that they can look forward to wonderful experiences.

 

The recent incidents are regrettable and we are sorry that they

happened. Investigations show, however, that they are isolated

incidents and do not share similar causes.

 

As far as we can ascertain, only in one of the incidents is the

cause attributable to a lapse in safety protocols. While a rare

occurrence, we take any breaches very seriously and, in this

particular instance (gavial incident), remedial action has been

taken to ensure that it does not happen again.

 

Dr Chris Furley

of Zoology and Veterinary Services

Singapore Zoo and Night Safari