Profits at last for zoo and Jurong BirdPark

Together with Night Safari, they registered net gain of $13 million last year
By Krist Boo

SINGAPORE'S three animal parks made history last year when, for the first time, they all registered a profit.

Following two years of management upheaval at the parks' parent company, WildLife Reserves Singapore (WRS), the Singapore Zoo made money for the first time in its 32-year history, while the 35-year-old Jurong BirdPark made money for the first time in a decade. The Night Safari, which has been a consistent earner since it opened 11 years ago, also did well.

Together, the three parks registered a net profit of $13 million - and WRS is expecting even better figures when they close their books in March.

The turnaround can be attributed to some circumstantial factors, including larger numbers of tourists and a healthy economy. But much of the credit must go to chairman Robert Kwan, who took on the job in 2003.

Mr Kwan, who made his name introducing Singapore to McDonald's, is the third man to head WRS. The first, zoology veteran Bernard Harrison, quit in 2002 amid talk of management differences, and the second, Mr Asad Shiraz, left just a year later after implementing a string of unpopular policies.

The idea of the parks as profit vehicles has been a sensitive point, but Mr Kwan's team makes no apologies for focusing on the bottom line. Ms Fanny Lai, executive director of the Singapore Zoological Gardens, said: 'Making money is not our sole purpose, but we cannot walk the talk of wildlife conservation if we have no money. To do all this, we need financial independence, resources.'

Besides in-house conservation of endangered species, both the zoo and the bird park sponsor external conservation efforts, such as behavioural studies of proboscis monkeys in Sabah and hornbill breeding on Pulau Ubin.

The chairman for the Association of Singapore Attractions, Mr Francis Phun, said profits are good provided that WRS ploughs the money back into the parks.

The record earnings meant the parks' combined 480 staff took home a bumper bonus last year. Tiered according to individual performance, the bonus payout was part of WRS' new policy of moving the parks' wage structure away from the civil service to the private sector. Park vets, for example, now earn similar pay to their counterparts in private animal clinics.

New attractions are also planned.

By the middle of this year, the bird park will unveil a refurbished entrance, an African marshland exhibit and an avian hospital, at a combined cost of about $10 million.

Similarly, the Night Safari has just completed a new entrance with a rainforest village theme, while the zoo will open its $3.6 million animal hospital this year.

With just 2 per cent of its $67.5 million revenue coming from donations, there is 'no running away' from the fact that the parks have to make money, said the bird park's executive director, Dr Wong Hon Mun.

He dismissed suggestions that the animals would suffer from ever-rising visitor targets.

'I don't think it will impact the animals. Actually, it means we will be providing better exhibits for them,' he said.

But it means the 4,000 animals and 9,000 birds will have to work harder at strutting their stuff. Performance target for his birds?

Dr Wong quipped: 'At least two flights a day.'

How $13m profit was made by the 3 parks

Revenue last year: $67.5 million Top earners:

Ticket sales: 38 per cent

Dining: 22 per cent

Capital grants recognised as income: 16 per cent Spending: $54.5 million Top expenditure:

Wages: 36 per cent

Depreciation: 22 per cent

Maintenance: 9 per cent
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WE ARE NO LONGER IN THE REDS!!!!!!!!!!