Claudia Tay
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Animal and Veterinary Science
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
My research focuses on animal welfare science with a particular emphasis on behavioural and physiological indicators for assessing and enhancing welfare outcomes in animals under human care. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Veterinary Science, investigating anthropogenic effects on zoo and aquarium animal welfare, while simultaneously leading a team at an aquarium dedicated to animal welfare assessment, behaviour management (including animal training and enrichment programmes), and behaviour research. This dual role enables me to bridge the gap between applied animal welfare practices and rigorous scientific inquiry, contributing to both immediate welfare improvements and a broader understanding of how human activities impact the wellbeing of captive animals.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2023 - ongoing Manager (Animal Welfare and Behaviour Science) Singapore Oceanarium 2021 - 2023 Adjunct Lecturer Temasek Polytechnic 2014 - 2023 Manager (Animal Welfare) Mandai Wildlife Group -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title Nanyang Technological University Singapore MSc University of Queensland Australia BSc -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2023 Tay, C., McWhorter, T. J., Xie, S., Mohd Nasir, T. S. B., Reh, B., & Fernandez, E. J. (2023). A comparison of staff presence and signage on zoo visitor behavior. Zoo Biology, 42(3), 339-462.
Scopus7 WoS2 Europe PMC12023 Collins, C., Barr, Y., McKeown, S., Scheun, J., Tay, C., & O’Riordan, R. (2023). An International Investigation of the Prevalence of Negative Visitor Behaviour in the Zoo. Animals, 13(16), 2661-1-2661-22.
Scopus3 WoS1 Europe PMC22020 Cabana, F., & Tay, C. (2020). The addition of soil and chitin into Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) diets affect digestibility, faecal scoring, mean retention time and body weight. Zoo Biology, 39(1), 29-36.
Scopus9 WoS5 Europe PMC62019 Cabana, F., Tay, C., & Arif, I. (2019). Comparison of growth rates of hand-reared and mother-reared Sunda pangolin (<i>Manis javanica</i>) pups at the Night Safari (Singapore).. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND AQUARIUM RESEARCH, 7(1), 44-49. - Tay, C., Fernandez, E. J., Xie, S., Leong, K. L., & McWhorter, T. J. (n.d.). The influence of noise, temperature, and humidity on hornbill behaviour in a zoo. Discover Animals, 2(1).
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Conference Items
Year Citation 2020 Tay, C. (2020). Animal Welfare Assessments: The What, Why and How. Poster session presented at the meeting of 28th Southeast Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association (SEAZA) Annual Conference 2020.
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2021 - ongoing Member WAZA's Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee Member World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Spain 2020 - ongoing Member EAZA's Animal Welfare Working Group European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Netherlands 2019 - ongoing Secretary SEAZA's Animal Welfare & Ethics Committee Southeast Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association Philippines
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External Profiles
