All eyes are on Thiago as he plunges into the water before leaping out to touch a ball target hanging from a stick held by his trainer.
As the crowd cheers him on, Ms Rachel Gay watches with a smile and rewards Thiago – an 11-year-old California sea lion – with a fish treat for a stellar performance. This is all part of her job, delivering the Splash Safari animal presentation at the Singapore Zoo.
"I love working with animals and doing the presentations. I’ve loved it ever since I started working here," she says.
Four years ago, Ms Gay was busking and performing gigs while pet sitting on the side. Little did she know these experiences would lead to her first full-time position.
"When I was pet sitting between 2012 and 2020, I decided that instead of caring only for domestic animals, I wanted to venture into wildlife and the Singapore Zoo would be a great place to start," says the 28-year-old.
In 2021, she applied to be a part-time trainer-presenter, despite having no experience working with wildlife. She believes she got the job because of her openness to learn and her outgoing personality. From the beginning, the Singapore Zoo gave her the support and training she needed to work with the sea lions, penguins and pelicans, and included her on the Splash Safari roster.
"As a child, I had seen the Splash Safari presentation with the sea lions and I’d always wanted to be part of that," says Ms Gay.
Keen to improve her knowledge, she pursued a one-year part-time specialist diploma in veterinary wellness care at Temasek Polytechnic using her SkillsFuture credits, even while working three or four times a week.
Her efforts paid off. In May 2023, she was given a full-time position as an animal trainer and presenter. She not only trains marine animals but also tends to their feeding and other needs.
At Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG), the parent company of the Singapore Zoo, many part-timers convert to full-time positions, according to Mr Marcus Heng, MWG’s group chief human resources officer.
"Our ever-growing staff spans from Gen Z all the way to our Pioneer Generation – some have been with us for over 50 years," he says.
MWG has an average monthly turnover rate of close to 1 per cent, below the national average.
"People find meaning in the work they do here," adds Mr Heng.
Many MWG employees say their long years of service can be attributed to the organisation's strong sense of purpose aligning with theirs, shares Mr Heng. MWG is among Singapore’s best employers in 2024, a list by Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times.
"Whether you are in operations or in corporate teams, we are all here to serve one purpose – a world where people and wildlife thrive together."
Small actions, big impact
For a newbie like Ms Gay, MWG is also helping to expand her understanding and knowledge of wildlife conservation.
In February 2024, she participated in the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) conservation project. Opportunities like these are open to employees across all departments.
In 2023, 15 staff went on these sponsored conservation trips. From 2022 to 2023, MYCAT was one of 44 conservation projects around South-east Asia and four global conservation initiatives supported by MWG.
Ms Gay admits she did not have in-depth knowledge about conservation before joining MWG. The three-day MYCAT trip was an eye-opener as it took her into the jungles of Pahang where she spotted wildlife such as sun bears, barn owls and palm civets living in their natural habitat.
"My favourite part of that trip was learning about reforestation and rewilding, where trees and plants are planted at eco-viaducts to allow animals to cross safely," she says.
The trip left her with a better understanding of how to help conserve forests for wildlife, and feels she is now better positioned to respond to those who criticise keeping animals in captivity.
Ms Gay cites the globally managed breeding programmes that MWG participates in, which help sustain threatened species' populations in human care and contribute to conservation efforts through breeding, research and public education.
MWG has had much success in this area. In 2023, it welcomed its highest number of births and hatchlings since 2013 — 970 across 128 species, including 29 species listed as threatened under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
After two years working part-time and almost a year full-time at MWG, Ms Gay better understands her role in the bigger picture of conservation.
"Through our Splash Safari presentation, we educate the public on how and what we can do for ocean conservation and to help save wildlife, as well as small actions we can take to play our part in reducing, reusing and recycling," she says.
MWG believes that every role contributes uniquely to the organisation's collective commitment to respect and nurture conservation and biodiversity in everyone's daily work and actions, says Mr Heng.
For her part, Ms Gay hopes to not just contribute to MWG’s conservation efforts, but also grow as a professional.
In early April, she attended the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association conference in Texas, US, where she learnt from other professionals how to improve animal training.
With her career goals in the bag, she has set her sights on another important milestone.
"I'm getting married in 2026 and my wedding photos will be here with the animals!"
