All eyes are on Thiago as he plunges into the water before leaping out to touch a ball target hanging from a stick held by his trainer. 

As the crowd cheers him on, Ms Rachel Gay watches with a smile and rewards Thiago – an 11-year-old California sea lion – with a fish treat for a stellar performance. This is all part of her job, delivering the Splash Safari animal presentation at the Singapore Zoo.

“I love working with animals and doing the presentations. I’ve loved it ever since I started working here,” she says.

Four years ago, Ms Gay was busking and performing gigs while pet sitting on the side. Little did she know these experiences would lead to her first full-time position.

“When I was pet sitting between 2012 and 2020, I decided that instead of caring only for domestic animals, I wanted to venture into wildlife and the Singapore Zoo would be a great place to start,” says the 28-year-old.

In 2021, she applied to be a part-time trainer-presenter, despite having no experience working with wildlife. She believes she got the job because of her openness to learn and her outgoing personality. From the beginning, the Singapore Zoo gave her the support and training she needed to work with the sea lions, penguins and pelicans, and included her on the Splash Safari roster. 

“As a child, I had seen the Splash Safari presentation with the sea lions and I’d always wanted to be part of that,” says Ms Gay.

Keen to improve her knowledge, she pursued a one-year part-time specialist diploma in veterinary wellness care at Temasek Polytechnic using her SkillsFuture credits, even while working three or four times a week.

Her efforts paid off. In May 2023, she was given a full-time position as an animal trainer and presenter. She not only trains marine animals but also tends to their feeding and other needs.

At Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG), the parent company of the Singapore Zoo, many part-timers convert to full-time positions, according to Mr Marcus Heng, MWG’s group chief human resources officer.