As CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group, Mike Barclay leads Singapore’s four wildlife parks – the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise. These parks are collectively known as the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Bird Paradise opened in May 2023. “Our animal care team and veterinarians have been carrying out the mammoth task of moving more than 3,000 birds from Jurong to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. This ‘great migration’ was a first-time experience for both our birds and employees, and I am glad to share that they are all settling in well at their new home,” said Barclay.
Before joining Mandai Wildlife Group in 2015 when it was known as Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Barclay served as CEO of Sentosa Development Corporation. He restructured the company and increased attendance on Sentosa island from 5.6 million in 2007 to almost 20 million in 2013. Prior to that, Barclay worked with Singapore Airlines for 16 years, including as CEO of SilkAir.
Mandai Wildlife Group supports several conservation projects. In September 2023, the group joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). 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.”
“We welcome Mandai Wildlife Group as a new member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. We look forward to supporting their continued efforts with a holistic approach to sustainable practices,” said Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.