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.