http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,141682,00.html?
The Electric New Paper :
Despite profits, zoo gets $1m handout from charity fund. Company
says:
Money used for research, conservation
THE Singapore Zoo and Night Safari have made millions of dollars in
profits over the past three years, according to their financial
records.
By Teh Jen Lee
13 September 2007
THE Singapore Zoo and Night Safari have made millions of dollars in
profits over the past three years, according to their financial
records.
They also receive grants from the Government and sponsorship money
from private corporations.
Adoptions and donations totalled $1.5 million for their parent
company's last financial year ended 31 Mar.
So why does parent company Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) still
accept funds from a charity for research and the care of its
animals?
Some people asked this question when the Wildlife Conservation
Singapore Fund (WCSF), a registered charity, held its flag day last
month.
Information slips given to canvassers stated that the collections
will be used to fund studies on wildlife in their natural habitats
and to 'care for and propagate' animals within the zoo and the
Night Safari.
The two attractions part of the Singapore Zoological Gardens (SZG),
a private limited company.
Donors like botanist Joseph Lai wondered why public money was
needed for this when its parent company is making millions in
profits.
Mr Lai, 48, said he donated only 20 cents when he was
approached.
He was not pleased when he found out the money is channelled to the
zoo by the charity.
Although the amount he donated is small, he felt private companies
should not be getting money through the fund.
The zoo was deemed a charity until 2004 when this status was
transferred to a fund that was renamed WCSF last year.
Mr Lai told The New Paper: 'When donations are being canvassed in
public places, people donate in faith that there is governance to
ensure fair and equitable distribution of funds to legitimate
causes with the most urgent needs.
'Profit-making businesses should have no place within this public
donation system to ask for any monetary help.'
It costs an adult $16.50 to visit the zoo and $22 to visit the
Night Safari.
The 2006/07 yearbook of WRS, which runs SZG and Jurong Bird Park,
shows admissions as the biggest revenue earner - generating
$33.4million, or 44 per cent of total revenue in financial year
2006/07.
Net profit after tax for that year was $17 million, while the year
before was $14 million. In 2004/05, the first year that WRS made a
profit, the figure was $12 million.
Yet, the fund said it gave $1.1million to the zoo last year. The
money was donated by the public and by corporations for specific
adoptions of animals and exhibits there.
KEY QUESTION
One key question: Aren't the company's profits sufficient to cover
animal-related expenses?
After all, animal feed and vet expenses came to only $2.1 million -
3per cent of WRS' total expenses.
The zoo's executive director, Ms Fanny Lai, said profits go towards
covering operating costs, which includes the cost of upgrading
animal habitats in the zoo, as well as funding of research projects
overseas.
Do all of the company's profits go
back towards operating costs that are directly related to the
animals and towards research?
Ms Lai did not answer this directly. She said:
'Profits have been retained as sinking fund for the redevelopment,
upgrading and expansion of SZG.'
But since it's profitable, can the zoo be fully self-funding and
take care of research as well?
Ms Lai said the zoo relies on operating cash flow, government
grants and public donations for its ongoing operations.
She said: 'Apart from the government grant and public donations,
corporate sponsorships are also critical to the future welfare of
endangered species.
'Conservation is a necessary endeavour and to give the animals an
environment akin to their habitat, research on the endangered
species has to be ongoing. Without donations and sponsorships, such
research will be inhibited.'
Still, some canvassers, such as university student Zhang Yuzhuo,
wondered about the need for the flag day.
Miss Zhang, 18, and her friends spent four hours at Tiong Bahru
Plaza as part of a compulsory school-based community involvement
programme.
She said in Mandarin: 'It's not like we were raising funds for
disaster victims where the need is more obvious. I also felt that
it was not necessary to give away such fancy stickers.'
This is the second year that WCSF is having a flag day. Last year,
it collected slightly more than $36,000.
This year's figures are still being verified.
A check by The New Paper showed there are non-profit zoos that
receive charity money while charging entrance fees, such as the San
Diego Zoo, the Berlin Zoo and Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
Taronga Zoo receives funds from the Association of Zoo Friends (New
South Wales), an independent charity, but any extra revenue
generated goes back to animal-related expenses.
