Ban the use of wild animals in animal shows at Singapore Zoo and Night Safari
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Singapore Zoo and Night Safari (Wildlife Reserves Singapore)
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To the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari
We, the undersigned urge the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), parent company of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, to end the use of wild animals in their animal shows.
The recent incidents at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari involving carnivores escaping and even attacking members of the public raises serious concerns, both in terms of public safety and animal welfare. The incidents involve the daytime escape of a jaguar at the Singapore Zoo and a serval attacking a member of the public during an animal show at the Night Safari.
In 2002, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) imposed a local ban on performing wild animals in traveling circuses. According to AVAs press release, AVA is initiating this restriction on travelling circuses in the interest of public safety and animal welfare. AVA has been monitoring the incidences of mishaps and abuse associated with performing wild animal in traveling circuses in recent years. The number of such accidents has been increasing. In some cases, the accidents have resulted in serious injuries and death to both trainers and the public.
AVAs ban however did not include the performances involving wild animals at captive facilities in Singapore. In light of the recent attack by a serval during an animal show at a WRSs establishment, clearly AVAs rationale for the ban on performing wild animals in traveling circuses should be applied to WRSs establishments as well and the wild animal performances should be banned.
Animal attacks at WRSs establishments are not a new phenomenon. Past attacks include a chimpanzee biting into a girls finger so deeply that it was almost severed and an elephant goring a keeper, puncturing his lungs and fracturing his ribs in 2001.
The recent escape at a WRSs establishment is also not an isolated event. A panther, hippopotamus, orang utan, tiger and chimpanzee have all previously escaped from their enclosures into the public area.
Dr Chris Furley from the Singapore Zoo states its wrong to say the zoo is 100 per cent safe, indicating that there might be more escapes or attacks. WRSs establishments house large species of carnivore which are known to kill humans and receive more than one million visitors a year at their captive facilities. If they cannot guarantee the safety of their visitors, then maybe they should not be open to the public or perhaps they should not be allowed to house these large carnivores. These repeated escapes and attacks on the public by dangerous animals make it obvious that WRS has not learned from its past mistakes and has failed to identify the short-comings in its safety protocols.
The regular escapes also raise doubts with regard to the welfare of these captive animals. Scientists from the Oxford University have concluded that the keeping of naturally wide ranging carnivores, such as polar bears and big cats (tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, etc), should be either fundamentally improved or phased out. Scientists state that captive carnivores have difficulty adapting to life in zoos because they miss the variety of the wide ranges they roam in the wild.
Perhaps the animals at the Singapore Zoo are trying to escape because they are seeking more stimulation, space and varied environment, which they are currently not being provided. Despite the current provision of enrichment, it is clear that the animals needs are not being met.
It is also simply fortunate that these escapes and attacks have not resulted in more serious injuries and death. We might not be so lucky the next time.
In addition to ending the use of wild animals in shows, we also urge WRS to drastically improve the welfare of the animals currently in captivity at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
We, the undersigned urge the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), parent company of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, to end the use of wild animals in their animal shows.
The recent incidents at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari involving carnivores escaping and even attacking members of the public raises serious concerns, both in terms of public safety and animal welfare. The incidents involve the daytime escape of a jaguar at the Singapore Zoo and a serval attacking a member of the public during an animal show at the Night Safari.
In 2002, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) imposed a local ban on performing wild animals in traveling circuses. According to AVAs press release, AVA is initiating this restriction on travelling circuses in the interest of public safety and animal welfare. AVA has been monitoring the incidences of mishaps and abuse associated with performing wild animal in traveling circuses in recent years. The number of such accidents has been increasing. In some cases, the accidents have resulted in serious injuries and death to both trainers and the public.
AVAs ban however did not include the performances involving wild animals at captive facilities in Singapore. In light of the recent attack by a serval during an animal show at a WRSs establishment, clearly AVAs rationale for the ban on performing wild animals in traveling circuses should be applied to WRSs establishments as well and the wild animal performances should be banned.
Animal attacks at WRSs establishments are not a new phenomenon. Past attacks include a chimpanzee biting into a girls finger so deeply that it was almost severed and an elephant goring a keeper, puncturing his lungs and fracturing his ribs in 2001.
The recent escape at a WRSs establishment is also not an isolated event. A panther, hippopotamus, orang utan, tiger and chimpanzee have all previously escaped from their enclosures into the public area.
Dr Chris Furley from the Singapore Zoo states its wrong to say the zoo is 100 per cent safe, indicating that there might be more escapes or attacks. WRSs establishments house large species of carnivore which are known to kill humans and receive more than one million visitors a year at their captive facilities. If they cannot guarantee the safety of their visitors, then maybe they should not be open to the public or perhaps they should not be allowed to house these large carnivores. These repeated escapes and attacks on the public by dangerous animals make it obvious that WRS has not learned from its past mistakes and has failed to identify the short-comings in its safety protocols.
The regular escapes also raise doubts with regard to the welfare of these captive animals. Scientists from the Oxford University have concluded that the keeping of naturally wide ranging carnivores, such as polar bears and big cats (tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, etc), should be either fundamentally improved or phased out. Scientists state that captive carnivores have difficulty adapting to life in zoos because they miss the variety of the wide ranges they roam in the wild.
Perhaps the animals at the Singapore Zoo are trying to escape because they are seeking more stimulation, space and varied environment, which they are currently not being provided. Despite the current provision of enrichment, it is clear that the animals needs are not being met.
It is also simply fortunate that these escapes and attacks have not resulted in more serious injuries and death. We might not be so lucky the next time.
In addition to ending the use of wild animals in shows, we also urge WRS to drastically improve the welfare of the animals currently in captivity at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
311 Signatures
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James Chua
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- animal shows should be banned. exploitation of animal rights should not be tolerated.
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let's torture the animals!!
- Country
- singapore
- Comments
- Whip them!!!
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too bored at work
- Country
- singapore
- Comments
- this petition is a waste of time...
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Terry Corrigan
- Country
- England
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Terry Corrigan
- Country
- England
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Hannah Rose
- Country
- England
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Karen Lazaroo
- Country
- Singapore
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Pee Xiu Yi
- Country
- singapore
- Comments
- i believe in safety first. it is irrational to expose the public to the possibility of danger...
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Lee Yong Hao
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- To enhance public safety
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Kelly
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- Animals are living thing not things
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Michael Goh
- Country
- Singapore
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wendy shaw
- Country
- singapore
- Comments
- Just pout the animals where they belong in the wild
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Clare
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- Since the zoo is not 100% safe to visitors, we should consider closing down the zoo.
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SUPARNA BAKSI-GANGULY
- Country
- INDIA
- Comments
- TOTALLY OPPOSED TO ANIMALS BEING USED TO ENTERTAIN. DIABOLICAL AND PRIMITIVE. SHOULD BE BANNED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT IN COUNTRIES THAT CLAIM TO BE DEVELOPED AND EVOLVED.
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Ng Sin Hoe
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- Animals have feelings and they feel humiliation too like us human beings. Please respect their rights.
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george jacobs
- Country
- Singapore
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Desieree E M
- Country
- Singapore
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Denise Galistan
- Country
- Singapore
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Mathia Lee Yu Chun
- Country
- singapore
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Rani
- Country
- Singapore
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Kirsten Conrad
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- Animals are an integral part of our ecological system and are not here to entertain humans.
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Sandy Hidajat
- Country
- Singapore
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Carole de Fraga
- Country
- Australia
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Dave Neale
- Country
- United Kingdon
- Comments
- В
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Christina Mai Nguyen
- Country
- United States of America
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Chris Fredriksen
- Country
- USA
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ANT
- Country
- singapore
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Michelle Desilets
- Country
- UK
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Kerri Zimmerman
- Country
- Canada
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Myrtha
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- wild animals belong to the wilderness...don't treat them like toys, please let them have a place in the zoo as close to their natural home!
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Patricia Jordan
- Country
- USA
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Russ Fletcher
- Country
- United Kingdom
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Tara Rao
- Country
- India
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Jason Lee
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- Animals are neither slaves nor toys.
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pam corrigan
- Country
- england
- Comments
- no animal should be made to perform for human entertainment
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Sriya Narayanan
- Country
- India
- Comments
- Animals are people too
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Ping Mang
- Country
- China
- Comments
- Don't force animal to do thins that they can't do!
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Ping Mang
- Country
- China
- Comments
- Don't force animal to do things that they can't do!
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Thong chin chuang
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- If we are worry about the ban of wild animals shows will result in lesser visitors to the Zoo and Night Safari, we can boldly made known the reasons behind the ban to the public through education and the rest of the world, which is for the safety of the patrons & the welfare of the wild animals in captivity. Over time, i'm sure we will win the respects of the world in this area. This is the basic if not best education for visitors who wants to learn about animals, that is to respect their needs.
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Patricia
- Country
- USA
- Comments
- Please ban the use of wild animal shows at Singapore zoo and Night Safari
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Seelan
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- В
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Shahira Shari
- Country
- Singapore
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Nandita Shah
- Country
- India
- Comments
- Do onto others, including animals who are also inhabitants of this planet, as you would have done onto you and yours.
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Khairul Azhar Bin Abdul Rahman
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- We shouldnt force the animals to perform just for our entertainment...
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Sally Chow
- Country
- Singapore
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Clement Tay
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- Animals deserve to be treated humanely.
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Suzana Megles
- Country
- USA
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Jo Tan
- Country
- Singapore
- Comments
- I'm a primary school teacher and I brought my 7-tyear old children to the Singapore Zoo last Friday. We attended an animal show called the "Spirits of the Rainforest",. In it, an orang utan "showed" it could add and remove the husk of a coconut faster than a human can. The more I watched the show, the more it looked like a circus - animals trained to perform tricks to entertain humans. And when the orang utan missed a cue, I saw stress in the trainer's face as he spoke to the primate quietly, without the smile he had been wearing since the show began. He looked like a ring master to me, just without the whip. I will speak to my children about the show and have them reflect if it is right for animals to go through stress and perform unnatural tricks just to make us laugh. Please discontinue such animal shows. It contradicts the true spirit of wildlife - to let them be.
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greg leisure
- Country
- Okinawa, Japan
- Comments
- If people want to be entertained by animals, they should go to the forest, jungle, prarrie, sea, with a pair of binoculars and revel in the splendid beauty of their natural behavior.
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rosario steo
- Country
- USA
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311
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