35-year-old Gambir is covered in reddish-brown clay, tail flicking delightedly in the rain, as she ambles over to the gate. “Actually she was clean just now,” Tzu Ying, one of the elephant keepers at the Singapore Zoo, hastens to explain. “We do wash them from time to time… but they really love the rain.” Moments before, I’d seen an elephant dump a trunkful of clay on its own head. Apparently, that had been Gambir.
Background
There are five elephants in the Singapore Zoo. Gambir, the strangest of the lot, was orphaned at two years old and later adopted into the herd. Her early interactions with humans have made her unusually affectionate. Unlike her peers, she makes squeaking noises when communicating with her keepers — the elephant equivalent of baby-talk. This behaviour highlights how domestication can lead to unusual, even unnatural behaviours in wild animals.
Protected contact
If you visited the zoo some years ago, you might have noticed that elephant rides, walks, and shows have disappeared. The rides were phased out in 2015 and the show in 2018. Keepers were trained in the traditional method, commanding elephants to perform tricks. “The elephants will be allowed to be elephants,” said the deputy chief executive of Mandai upon the cessation of the old show. Jonathan Pang, a fellow keeper, explains, “In the past, zoos were very focused on generating revenue through entertainment. We’ve since shifted our focus to conservation and education.”
Over the past few years, the zoo has moved to full protected contact, meaning there is always a barrier between the elephant and any human it interacts with. This allows the elephants more autonomy and safeguards humans from potential harm. Pang recalls a male elephant, Chawang, goring his keeper of 18 years in 2001, severely injuring him. “With elephants, even though they don’t mean to harm you, just because of their size and strength, a wrong turn or a wrong step could injure someone,” he says.
Education and engagement
It’s natural to want to see animals up close. The zoo offers keeper talks and the latest behind-the-scenes tour, Elephant Encounters. During the tour, our guide Nicholas shared everything from the differences between Asian and African elephants to the details of the Singapore Zoo’s herd hierarchy. Despite the rain, the elephants were entirely in their element, playing in the water and basking in the mud. Pang shares his first experience of seeing the zoo’s elephants in the rain, calling it “a sight to behold.”
Getting close and personal
After the rain subsides, we enter a fenced-off area where Gambir comes in search of treats and attention. We’re warned not to cross the yellow line. Gambir is separated from us by a heavy metal gate, part of the zoo’s “protected contact” philosophy. The keepers run Gambir through a number of poses using bamboo target sticks and treats. These “tricks” allow keepers and vets to conduct checks on different parts of their body. Everything is voluntary; the elephants can choose to stay or leave.
Why the need?
Is using animals to make money ethical? The tour costs between S$118.40 and S$140. Pang points out that the elephants have agency and are not compelled to participate. The tour allows people to develop an affinity with elephants, making them advocates for conservation. Part of the ticket sales fund Mandai’s conservation projects, including an elephant rescue unit in Sumatra. In an imperfect world, maybe this is what okay looks like.
Animal ambassadors
The zoo carefully considers both the species and the individual animal for wildlife experiences. Human-loving Gambir is a good fit, but 54-year-old Komali only allows humans she’s known for at least two decades to hang out with her. Saravanan Elangkovan, deputy vice president of animal care at Mandai, explains that the zoo prioritises species that are “gentle in nature and less prone to aggression or stress.” This approach helps guests learn about a diverse range of wildlife.
Posing with elephants
Later, I show a friend a photo of me with Gambir. “Huh, pay so much then still got fence ah?” the friend remarks. Feeding chunks of sugarcane to the world’s largest land mammal isn’t an experience that can be perfectly captured in a photo. Zoos are educational, entertaining, and important, but there is still a gate, and the animals are still in captivity. Gambir has not seen the wilds of India since she was two years old and likely never will. But for every human she captivates, an elephant out there might live to see another day. It’s not a bad fate for an orphaned elephant cub.
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