\n<\/p>\n
After landing her first job as a keeper,\u00a0Ms Chan’s days began the same way for years: checking on the health and well-being of the animals in her care and handling husbandry.<\/span><\/p>\n “We do everything from cleaning the animal’s enclosure to refurbishing their dens, carrying logs, sourcing big trunks and leaves to decorate their dens and make (the habitats) interesting for them,” she said.<\/span><\/p>\n Back then, Ms Chan did not know if working with animals would be her calling.<\/span><\/p>\n “The first week was the most terrible week, because the shoes were horrible, the gum boots. My feet were just aching so badly,” she recalled. “But you kind of overcame it, because the animals were just fun to be with.”<\/span><\/p>\n Ms Chan continued working part-time as a show presenter at the Night Safari even during a career break while getting her degree in biology, before returning as a full-time employee\u00a0<\/strong>after graduation, eventually climbing the ranks in a series of managerial roles.<\/span><\/p>\n She started with sea lions, reptiles, then dogs, cats and other domestic animals in the Singapore Zoo’s KidzWorld, before looking after other species, including puma, wolves, hyenas, binturongs, otters, sugar gliders, rats and capybaras.<\/span><\/p>\n She now conceptualises enhancements to existing programmes for visitors, such as <\/strong>Breakfast in the Wild, where guests may eat breakfast while meeting animals that include African penguins and animal presentations such as River Wonders’ Once Upon A River. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While she no longer gets as much hands-on time with the animals, Ms Chan said she is proud of the role she plays in designing a curriculum and better career pathways for her staff members, especially given Singapore’s lack of zoology courses in tertiary institutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Previously, you observe, you find a senior to teach you. If they teach you the wrong thing, that’s it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Now, it’s a lot more structured, everything is written down, so coaches just need to follow through the manual and add in their experiences to teach new staff,” said Ms Chan, who is now pursuing a part-time <\/span>Master of Business Administration course to “sharpen (her) skills” and better handle the growing responsibilities of her role.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n