‘Working with animals isn’t just cleaning poop’: River Wonders staff share what they wish people knew about their jobs

Working with animals isn’t just cleaning poop.

If there is one thing Natasha wants the public to know about her job as a presenter at River Wonders, it would be this.

“Our job is not as easy as it looks and it requires genuine patience, love and passion to do what we do on an everyday basis,” she said.

A typical day for Natasha, who has been working at River Wonders since 2013, starts at 8:30am.

Rounds are done to ensure that all the animals under her care are bright and alert, followed by the cleaning of their dens, habitats and food preparation, which usually takes about two hours of her time in the morning.

After this, Natasha prepares for her presentations which are at 11:30am, 2:30pm and 4:30pm daily.

In her other pockets of time, she provides enrichment for the animals, which is a good way to keep them occupied both physically and mentally.

This is also the best time for her to monitor the animals more closely for any abnormalities or changes to behaviours.

Being a zookeeper and an aquarist at River Wonders

And Natasha is not the only employee at River Wonders who has a busy yet fulfilling work schedule.

Zainuddin, who has been working as a zookeeper at River Wonders since 2023, has plenty on his plate as well.

When Zainuddin starts his day, he has to make sure that all the animals he cares for are doing well before all else.

After morning husbandry and food preparation, he lets the animals out to their exhibits and feeds them.

Zookeepers like Zainuddin rely on keen observation of animals to do their job well, which is, as it turns out, a large part of caring for them.

This makes him almost like an animal whisperer.

“We need knowledge and good observation to recognise when the animals are not doing well, since they can’t exactly tell us so,” Zainuddin says.

Besides working closely with the veterinary healthcare department to ensure the well-being of animals under his care, Zainuddin also helps to ensure that threatened species, such as the lion-tailed macaque and giant river otters, have healthy and sustainable populations under human care.

Working hard with animals aside, keepers have to put great thought, care and effort into enhancing the habitats of the animals as well:

“Apart from conducting conditioning, enrichment, more feedings for the animals and Keeper Talks to engage our guests, we also look into exhibit refurbishments and maintenance.”

Besides aesthetics, Zainuddin also has to ensure that the animals’ exhibits are safe, species-specific and reflect their natural habitats.

This same amount of thought, care and effort is similarly required in other roles at River Wonders, such as Joan’s job as an aquarist.

Having been an aquarist at River Wonders for 11 years, Joan said a lot of work goes into caring for the animals behind the scenes and is not visible to the public eye:

“There are some who have the idea that aquarists have the ‘best job ever’ because we have the chance to feed and swim with manatees, but there is a lot to do, such as preparing and distributing a large amount of manatee feed and cleaning their tank, which includes clearing their faeces.”

For starters, all aquarists need to have an open water diving certificate and wear a wetsuit whenever they enter the water.

They need to dive as deep as 6m to clean the exhibits or place enrichment devices at the bottom of the tank.

This helps maintain a pristine environment, whilst ensuring that guests can observe the animals clearly through the glass.

Other than this, aquarists need to monitor and test the water quality in the tanks to ensure that the aquatic animals thrive in the optimal conditions.

The animals then need to remain mentally and physically stimulated.

This is done via the provision of enrichment, which includes using puzzle feeders that sink or float, depending on the species, to encourage them to forage as they would in the wild.

Aquarists also need to ensure that their life support system runs well by checking equipment like water pumps, filters and sterilisers twice a day.

Highlights of working at River Wonders

Thankfully, there are many highlights to what Natasha, Zainuddin and Joan do on a daily basis to supplement the hard work required in their jobs.

For Natasha, the best thing about being a presenter is getting to see her animals grow each day and progress from being shy or difficult to being approachable and comfortable with guest interactions or programmes.

“You feel very fulfilled when you see desired results from the animals you work so closely with. Managing to form bonds with them allows you to come close to them with full trust. You grow together with your animals and that means a lot personally to me,” she explains.

Like Natasha, Zainuddin feels that the best thing about being a zookeeper is being able to work closely with the animals, creating a bond with them, learning and discovering their individual personality, and looking after them:

“I remember being awestruck when I first met our four jaguars at River Wonders – Kahn, Shamu, Aswa and Amor. They were sniffing me when I came close to their dens and kept their eyes locked on me. There's just something about big cats, they look so majestic and powerful. And after a few months in, I am still amazed by them. It never gets old.”

However, Zainuddin is careful not to romanticise his experiences as a zookeeper because working with them is not all sunshine and rainbows.

For example, witnessing an animal pass on after falling ill for the first time had a huge impact on him:

“I knew that deaths were part of the job when I signed on, but it can be quite difficult for us to be objective about it when we are with our animals eight hours a day, almost every day. That was when I realised how important our responsibilities are, and the close bonds that we form with animals under our care.”

Despite this, Zainuddin is adamant that being a zookeeper is the job for him, even if it might not be for everyone.

Apart from being able to work closely with animals, he loves getting to experience and learn new things frequently.

Having like-minded colleagues who pursue the same interests and goals as him has made his working experience all the more enjoyable as well:

“We are almost like family here, and to be able to work outdoors all the time is the icing on the cake.”

Receiving affirmation from guests makes the job rewarding too, as Joan feels very encouraged when guests show their appreciation for all the hard work put into caring for the animals in the park.

Must-do things at River Wonders

To Zainuddin, everything is a must-do for the public at River Wonders:

“Walk through the park to look at all the animals in their exhibits which are themed geographically. We have lots of interesting fish, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. There is something for everyone.”

He also recommends checking out the Amazon River Quest, a boat ride that simulates the experience of going down the Amazon River:

“It’s quite fun as the animals will appear all around you.”

To top it all off, visitors can watch the “Once Upon a River” presentation for a live, immersive encounter with animal ambassadors, such as capybaras and great white pelicans.

Chiming in, Natasha added that “Once Upon a River” is a good way to catch the animals displaying their natural behaviours, with an opportunity to get close to them at the end of the presentation:

“This includes meeting the capybaras, which I presume is almost everyone’s favourite animal at the presentation!”

Finally, Joan recommends checking out The Manatee Mania behind-the-scenes tour, as River Wonders is the only place in Singapore where you can get up close to these gentle giants and feed them.

“You will also get to hear unique stories and interesting fun facts from the people who know best – us, the aquarists!” she exclaims.

To mimic rain for the manatees, aquarists use the water sprinkler system, and the manatees really enjoy flipping and having the water splash on their bellies.

River Wonders is 10 years old

From now till Apr. 14, River Wonders is celebrating its 10th anniversary since its official opening.

Visitors will be able to embark on a journey of rediscovery at Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife park with exciting experiences and exclusive deals.

Here are some highlights to check out at River Wonders during this period:

River Wonders Explorer Bingo

• Go on a bingo expedition to discover 10 things about River Wonders’ remarkable journey over the last decade. Redeem an exclusive pin when you complete one row of the bingo grid.

Ranger Buddies Quest

• Go on missions around River Wonders with the Ranger Buddies Quest, a unique interactive park experience that offers engaging missions for children to learn more about animals.

River Keeper Talks

• Catch river-dwelling inhabitants in action and discover interesting facts from the people who know best – the keepers

There are also thematic retail and F&B deals to look forward to.

The second admission ticket is priced at S$10 with every full paying adult for local residents only, terms and conditions apply.

Click here to find out more.

This sponsored article by Mandai Wildlife Group addressed some common misconceptions this writer had about people who work with animals.

Top images via Mandai Wildlife Group