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. 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. 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. 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). |
| 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 |