Ms Claudia Tay

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences

College of Sciences


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.

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

Date Institution name Country Title
Nanyang Technological University Singapore MSc
University of Queensland Australia BSc

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.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC2
2023 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.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC2
2020 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.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9 Europe PMC8
2019 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.
WoS3
- Tay, C., Fernandez, E. J., Xie, S., Leong, K. L., & McWhorter, T. J. (2025). The influence of noise, temperature, and humidity on hornbill behaviour in a zoo. Discover Animals, 2(1).
DOI

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.

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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