Who should be the next?
Nur Dianah Suhaimi, Straits Times 17 Feb 08
A zoo's icon must first be an exotic creature, not something common like a cat or dog. Secondly, the animal should be able to interact with people. That, he said, rules out 'passive' creatures such as tortoises. Thirdly, it has to be good-natured.
Six popular residents are shortlisted but it's not easy replacing the Singapore Zoo icon
AH MENG left big shoes to fill.
The 48-year-old orang utan died suddenly during breakfast on Feb 8 and it has not been easy for the Singapore Zoo to find itself another icon.
Ah Meng was used in many of the zoo's promotional materials and had been the animal most associated with it.
The zoo has since shortlisted six of its more popular residents - an orang utan, a bull elephant, a polar bear, a white tiger, a sealion and an otter.
Branding experts say not all animals can qualify as a zoo icon.
Mr Mike Liew, managing director of branding firm Upstream Asia (Singapore and South-east Asia), said a zoo's icon must first be an exotic creature, not something common like a cat or dog.
Secondly, the animal should be able to interact with people. That, he said, rules out 'passive' creatures such as tortoises.
Thirdly, it has to be good-natured because there will be problems if the animal turns violent.
'That's why Ah Meng was such a hit. She was friendly, comfortable with crowds. These appealed to visitors,' he said.
Of the 20 Singaporeans The Sunday Times polled, more than half felt that Inuka, the Singapore-born polar bear, deserves to be the new mascot.
Said corporate relations officer Premadevi Perumal, 25: 'People would never associate the polar bear with Singapore's humid weather, yet Inuka has survived here. In a way, Inuka is a true Singaporean, a real survivor.'
However, Nature Society president Geh Min felt that the next icon should not just be cute but should fit into the zoo's mission to educate and conserve.
'Although many of us are fond of Inuka, there are concerns about how it is inappropriate to have a polar bear in the tropics,' she said. 'So an icon should be native to this region, like a tiger or an elephant.'
Dr Prem Shamdasani, an associate professor of marketing at the National University of Singapore, said it was time for a new animal species to take over.
'Primates are good but it is time for a change. After all, the zoo is home to many animals,' he said.
His choice? Chawang the elephant because it is indigenous to Asia and a popular animal in Asian folklore.
Meanwhile, people are still paying homage to Ah Meng, who died at the age of 48, with many visitors heading for her grave in the zoo in Mandai.
Said deputy head keeper Jackson Raj: 'Each day, people would leave flowers, drawings and orang utan stuffed toys at the statue near her grave.' He said one elderly woman wept as she recalled visiting Ah Meng in the 1980s.
Ah Meng's brood has apparently not got over her death. When The Sunday Times visited the zoo last Thursday, the orang utans were still subdued. Chomel, aged 11, said to be Ah Meng's favourite granddaughter, seemed the most affected.
Said Mr Raj: 'Ah Meng and the other orang utans spend a lot of time together. It will take a few weeks for them to get over this loss.'
Another tragedy at the zoo last Wednesday - a freak accident in which 21/2-year-old orang utan Atina died after her neck was dislocated when it was stuck in a noose - did not help lift the sombre mood among the keepers.
Meet the six contenders
Straits Times 17 Feb 08;
Inuka the polar bear, 17
Pros
# He is Singapore-born and famous for being the first and only polar bear to be born in the tropics.
# Already a household name among Singaporeans. After all, his name was decided after a nationwide contest.
Cons
# Animal rights groups Acres claims he is unsuitable for Singapore's tropical climate, and that the weather causes his fur to turn green from algae growth. In fact, the zoo considered moving him to a temperate-climate zoo last year but decided otherwise after its studies showed Inuka will likely be stressed out by such a move.
Chomel the orang utan, 11
Pros
# Ah Meng's granddaughter and said to be the late matriarch's favourite grandchild.
# Has clearly made an impression with visitors, with many writing about her in their blogs.
# Cheeky and cute, she likes to tease her keepers by fishing dollar bills out of their pockets.
Cons
# Will always be compared to Ah Meng since they are both orang utans.
Chawang the elephant, 31
Pros
# The only adult Asian bull elephant at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
# Has rare, impressive tusks that measure almost 1.2m long.
# He is one of the main attractions at the Night Safari.
Cons
# In 2001, he attacked and almost killed his keeper.
# He was not allowed direct human contact after the accident.
Pedro the Asian small-clawed otter, 17
Pros
# Famous for being able to sort recyclable material and place them in the right bins.
# The star of the otter show at the Night Safari.
# Lovable creature who likes to cuddle up with his long-term otter girlfriend, Felix.
Cons
# Considered quite old since otters live to about 18 to 20 years.
Omar the white tiger, 9
Pros
# A rare and beautiful animal. Only one in 10,000 tigers is white.
# He always draws a crowd during feeding time.
# He loves to play in the water, even during feeding time, providing lots of photo opportunities.
Cons
# He cannot physically interact with humans, for obvious reasons.
-- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
Randall the sealion, 18
Pros
# The main star of the Singapore Zoo's 'Splash Safari' show.
# Quite a randy fellow, he will kiss his keepers for treats, does handstands, and salutes and waves to the crowd.
Cons
# Already quite old for a sealion and not as active as he once was.
# Given his age, makes rather brief appearances during the show.
Zoo can be a Singapore global brand: New CEO
Tan Dawn Wei, Straits Times 17 Feb 08;
SHE spoke her mind in the corporate jungle. But in delivering a eulogy for Ah Meng, Singapore Zoo chief Fanny Lai spoke from her heart and shed tears.
Ah Meng, the zoo's iconic orang utan mascot, was 'very special, like a part of our management team', Ms Lai, 50, said in a recent interview, when recalling the eulogy a week ago.
Ah Meng died on Feb 8.
Ms Lai, the recently promoted head of the zoo's corporate parent - and who used to sell hamburgers - wants it to be as world famous as Singapore Airlines.
In 2004, Ms Lai had joined the zoo's parent group after 14 years in marketing at McDonald's.
She was recently promoted to group chief executive of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which oversees the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, and Jurong BirdPark.
Wildlife Reserves itself had recent 'losses'.
Dr Wong Hon Mun, 53, the BirdPark's executive director, had resigned amid major changes at the parent company - all within two months. These included the retirement of Wildlife Reserves' executive chairman Robert Kwan.
Following Ms Lai's promotion - from executive director of the zoo and Night Safari - Dr Wong quit.
Some observers speculated that Dr Wong may not be the only one leaving the BirdPark.
Asked if Dr Wong's resignation had anything to do with her promotion, she said:
'I don't know. I'm sure when we make a decision, many aspects come into play. I hope not.'
The group had wanted Dr Wong, who has been with the BirdPark for over 20 years, to take on a new job as division head of life science, conservation, research and education for the three parks.
He said no.
The group, 88 per cent owned by Temasek Holdings and 12 per cent by Singapore Tourism Board, was formed in 2000, bringing together the zoo, Night Safari and Jurong BirdPark.
It now has the world's largest animal collection with over 1,000 species.
Ms Lai joined the group as its marketing and communications director in 2004 and was appointed head of Singapore Zoo and Night Safari within a year.
She had her detractors. One former zoo staff said: 'She knows next to nothing about animal husbandry. She sells hamburgers.'
But Ms Lai turned that to advantage. Customers' expectations took top billing. 'I think that's what we do quite well,' she said. The statistics showed it.
During her watch, the 35-yearold zoo and Night Safari saw 100,000 more visitors every year. She introduced and revamped two dozen exhibits.
Two years ago, a $3.6 million Wildlife Healthcare and Research Centre was set up to raise the zoo's profile as a world-class training centre for zoo veterinary and conservation work.
This financial year, the three parks will have a revenue of $88 million. Profits account for 20 per cent of that.
Last year, the three parks' turnover was $77 million.
Ms Lai admits that she is no zoology expert, unlike her predecessor Bernard Harrison. But she has brought in marketing, branding and sales savvy.
'Can we build another SIA in Singapore? Yes, I think Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and BirdPark can be Singapore's next global brand,' declared the mother of a 21-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son.
Her immediate challenge is to integrate the 37-year-old BirdPark's resources and up its current 850,000 a year visitorship. The other two parks attract over a million visitors each year.
She paid tribute to Mr Harrison for giving the zoo a face.
But she said: 'I prefer to focus more on the business than on personal brand. I believe in branding but not in personal branding.'
