Desmond Ling is the assistant vice president of the animal care department at Mandai Wildlife Group, which oversees Singapore’s four wildlife parks. These are the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise. They are collectively known as the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Ling has spent his entire career growing and caring for the animals at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve sites.
Ling started as an animal management officer and assistant curator at the Night Safari. He then spent nearly 12 years in leadership roles at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, now known as Mandai Wildlife Group. “Desmond’s passion for the animals and their care is evident to all who speak with him,” said one person who nominated him.
Mandai Wildlife Group supports several conservation projects. In September 2023, the group joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). CEO Mike Barclay said the membership “marks an exciting chapter in our ongoing journey to a more sustainable future”.
He added: “This goes hand-in-hand with our actions to promote people and wildlife thriving together at a time of accelerating biodiversity loss, and our push for a nature-positive world. We look forward to working with the GSTC community to advance the case for sustainable travel and tourism through the innovative adoption of sustainable best practices.”