SINGAPORE — The Singapore Zoo will no longer offer elephant rides and other activities where elephants are taken out from their exhibits, from Jan 5.

This is part of a new elephant management system being adopted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which enhances the safety for those working with elephants while ensuring proper animal care and welfare.

However, visitors to Singapore Zoo will still be able to enjoy the Elephants at Work and Play show and take part in elephant feeding sessions which happen after each show for now.

Under the new protected contact management system — which is already in place at zoos elsewhere in the world — all staff training and interaction with elephants will be conducted through a physical safety barrier. The system is based on positive reinforcement where animals are motivated by rewards such as food.

By ceasing programmes involving direct visitor contact with the elephants, the animals will be able to spend more time in the exhibits and to socialise among themselves.

WRS chief life sciences officer Cheng Wen-Haur said in a statement today (Dec 15): “The decision to adopt the protected contact management system was made after an internal review by our elephant managers and healthcare experts, who found that this system of management offers a safer work environment for the elephant keepers. Importantly, the new system will continue to allow our keepers access to the elephants for their daily care, although separated by a safety barrier.”

The Singapore Zoo and Night Safari currently have 10 elephants. The new system will take three to five years to fully implement as it will involve major redesign and construction of the elephant exhibits, back-of-house facilities, re-training of the elephants and elephant keepers.